What is a managed move?

A managed move is a positive alternative to exclusion. It should be voluntary, offered as part of a planned intervention, and only happen when it is in the pupil’s best interests. Before the move, the schools should share information such as attainment, a current risk assessment and support strategies, so the new school is ready.

In England, the Department for Education’s suspension and permanent exclusion guidance, updated from July 2026, says a managed move leads to a permanent transfer to another mainstream school. The pupil is removed from the old school’s admission register and added to the new one. The law does not allow “trial” managed moves. If a temporary move is needed to improve behaviour, the guidance says off-site direction should be used instead. Parents must never be pressured into a managed move, and a pupil must not be permanently excluded because their parent refuses one.

England and Wales

Wales has its own Welsh Government guidance on managed moves for local authorities, which describes them as a way to give learners a fresh start at a new school. The principles are similar, but the detailed rules differ, so check the guidance for your nation.

Why it matters for your setting

• Alternative provision is sometimes used alongside a move, for example as part of an off-site direction before a permanent move is agreed.
• Accurate records of attendance, behaviour and support help schools decide whether a move is right.
• If a pupil moves on from your setting, good handover information protects them.