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<p>The department is clear that off-rolling, as defined by Ofsted, is unacceptable,
and whilst the department believes this practice is relatively rare, the government
is committed to continue working with Ofsted to tackle the practice of off-rolling.</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>Following media coverage of off-rolling in 2017,
the department wrote to all secondary schools, reminding them of the rules surrounding
exclusion.</p><p>Ofsted already considers records of children taken off roll and has
recently consulted on proposals that will see a strengthened focus on this issue.
From September 2019, where inspectors find evidence of off-rolling, this will be addressed
in the inspection report, and where appropriate will lead to a school’s leadership
being judged inadequate.</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 also considered the differences in exclusion
rates across primary and secondary schools in England.</p><p>The Timpson Review and
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 has accepted all 30 recommendations
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. As part of this,
the department will seek views on how to mitigate the potential unintended consequences
Edward Timpson has identified in his review, including the practice of off-rolling.</p>
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