An exploration of the effectiveness of the ‘Managed Move’ protocol to support the integration of secondary aged pupils.

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Abstract

The literature within the area of Managed Moves has highlighted that there is a lack of research considering young people’s experiences of integration. From the limited research, there is evidence that permanent exclusion has a deleterious effect on childhood development (Hayden & Dunn, 2001) and young people are placed at greater risk of later disadvantage (Sparkes, 1999). Previous research highlights that ‘Managed Moves’ offer pupils a carefully planned route to secure education (Abdelnoor, 2007) and are used as positive alternatives to permanent exclusion. All secondary schools are expected to be working in partnership to develop clear protocols for Managed Moves and hard to place pupils (DCSF, 2010).The research examines factors that may facilitate integration to mainstream secondary school following a school transfer under a ‘Managed Move’ process. The research focuses on three English Local Authorities and has taken a critical realist approach in exploring within school factors and out of school factors facilitating integration and factors that may improve the Managed Move process in the future. For the purposes of this research ‘successful integration’ has been defined as a young person maintaining integration for a period of at least two terms.The research adopts a case study design focusing upon three young people between the ages of eleven and fifteen who had experienced a successful Managed Move. Thematic analysis of the data suggest that ‘consideration of child and parent views’, ‘personalised intervention’, ‘staff skills’, ‘pupil characteristics’, ‘school ethos’, and ‘enabling ownership of behaviour’ were important contributing factors to successful integration. ‘Out of school’ factors identified as facilitating successful integration included ‘parental role’, ‘friendship groups’ and ‘social connectedness’. In addition, the research identified ‘out of school support’ and ‘social networking’ as key factors affecting the Managed Move outcome. Finally, this research identified factors that could lead to improvements in the effectiveness of the Managed Move protocol in the future. These included ‘raising awareness of legislation and rights’, ‘user friendly process’, ‘consistency of personalised support’ and ‘details of the Managed Move protocol’. ‘Personalisation’ is identified as an overarching principle needed to address the needs of pupils experiencing Managed Moves through a carefully managed educational plan.

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