03/10/2025
💔 Why Managed Moves & Off-Site Directions Fail Children with SEND
For children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), school should feel safe, stable, and supportive. But when a managed move & off-site directions (OSD) are suggested, it often does the opposite.
A managed move & OSD might sound like a “fresh start,” but for a child with SEND, it can mean losing trusted teachers, friends who understand them, and the routines they rely on to feel secure. Instead of solving problems, it often creates new ones.
Too often, these moves are suggested because the right support hasn’t been put in place. That isn’t fair – and it isn’t right. Children with SEND deserve help where they are, not to be moved on as if they’re the problem.
This isn’t just unsuitable, it feels discriminatory. Our children should be included, understood, and valued – not pushed aside when the system struggles to meet their needs.
👉 Parents, if a managed move or OSD is suggested for your child, ask questions:
What support has already been tried?
Has every reasonable adjustment been made?
Could moving my child cause more harm than good?
You have every right to challenge a managed move or OSD and to fight for the support your child needs in their current school.
Together, we can stand up for inclusion and make sure our children are not moved out, but lifted up. ❤️