Impending managed move

[AKJ007]

Hi all,

I am a secondary school teacher and have just been informed that one of my students is awaiting details of where and when he will go on a managed move. I haven't been part of the process (not SLT), but he seems to be unaware of any of the details, including why. The thing he's majorly concerned about is not being allowed back - which is what he's been told. As far as I'm aware, managed moves can't be dictated as permanent solutions?

My concern is that this kid has NO ONE who believes in him. He has a terrible home life where he hasn't been taught right from wrong, all of his current teachers want rid of him, and this course of action is only going to lead him to believe that yet more adults have given up on him. Whilst I know I'm far from being the only 'caring teacher' out there, I am worried that he won't find someone to mentor him at his new school.

Is there anything I can do to support him without overstepping professional boundaries?

Thanks in advance!

There’s information on managed moves here. As you see, there are various types of managed move and (no doubt because they’re often an alternative to permanent exclusion) they don’t generally provide for the child to go back to the original school. If you want to support him, you could perhaps check whether he and his parents have been kept informed in the way described. If the managed move is being used in place of a permanent exclusion, he ought to be aware of what’s prompted it.

I think you are in a very difficult position. As you say you are not SLT and therefore do not know the background to this decision and for you to start supporting the boy is likely to lead to issues for you in terms of disciplinary action.
Having said that, the way you describe the situation, if the boy honestly does not know why the managed move is being proposed and has not agreed it, then it seems as though the school is not following the guidance around managed moves. A managed move should be an open discussion between the two schools involved, the parents and the pupil. The whole purpose of a managed move is hopefully a permanent move to allow the pupil a fresh start at the new school.
If you want to take it further then I would suggest that you need to go to the person on the SLT who is handling safeguarding and say to them that the pupil has confided in you their concerns over this managed move, that you are reporting it as a safeguarding issue as much as anything else and then let them take it up with the relevant people. You can do no more and to try and do so would potentially endanger your career.