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<p>The department is clear that off-rolling is unacceptable, and whilst the department
believes this practice is relatively rare, the government is committed to continue
working with Ofsted to define and tackle the practice of off-rolling.</p><p> </p><p>Pupils
leave school rolls for many reasons including: permanent exclusion, moving to another
school, or changes of circumstances (such as when a pupil moves to a new area). All
schools must notify the local authority when a pupil’s name is to be deleted from
the admission register. There is no legal definition of ‘off-rolling’. However, the
law is clear that a pupil’s name can only be deleted from the admission register on
the grounds prescribed in regulation 8 of the Education (Pupil Registration) (England)
Regulations 2006, as amended.</p><p> </p><p>Following media coverage of off-rolling
in 2017, the department wrote to all secondary schools, reminding them of the rules
surrounding exclusion.</p><p> </p><p>Ofsted already considers records of children
taken off roll and has also recently consulted on proposals that will see a strengthened
focus on this issue. It has proposed that where inspectors find off-rolling, this
will always be addressed in the inspection report, and where appropriate will lead
to a school’s leadership being judged inadequate. Ofsted will publish the outcome
of its consultation soon.</p><p> </p><p>In March 2018, the government launched an
externally-led review of exclusions practice, led by Edward Timpson CBE. The review
explored how head teachers use exclusion, and why pupils with particular characteristics
are more likely to be excluded from school. It has also considered the differences
in exclusion rates across primary and secondary schools in England.</p><p> </p><p>The
Timpson review and the government’s response were published on 7 May. The review makes
30 recommendations and highlights variation in exclusions practice across different
schools, local authorities and certain groups of children. The government agrees with
all 30 recommendation in principle, and the department has committed to working with
education leaders over the summer to design a consultation on making schools accountable
for the outcomes for permanently excluded children, to be launched in the autumn.
Among other things, the department will seek views on how to mitigate the potential
unintended consequences Edward Timpson has identified in his review, including how
to tackle the practice of off-rolling.</p>
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