LGA responds to EPI report on off-rolling

18 Apr 2019 09:05 AM

Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board, responds to a report by the Education Policy Institute on unexplained pupil exits from schools.

“Councils have serious concerns about the extent of off-rolling and other abuses in the system, which is why they need to be given new powers and funding so they can monitor and take action where necessary. 

“It is not right for a school to resort to such tactics in order to improve league table positions. 

“Government could support and incentivise mainstream schools to improve inclusion by setting clearer national expectations of what every school should offer a child and young person, and put in place an accountability regime to hold schools to account which do not deliver against those expectations.

“Ofsted should also place more emphasis on the importance of how inclusive a school is in their new inspection framework, rather than focussing primarily on academic results, and hold to account schools with low numbers of looked after children or children with SEND.”

Unexplained pupil exits from schools: A growing problem?