A COUNCILLOR has welcomed news that Ofsted will begin checking if schools are excluding pupils in a bid to improve results.

The schools inspection body recently announced that it would consider the issue of “off rolling” when it visits schools for regular inspections.

The phrase refers to the practice of schools getting rid of pupils who are likely to bring performance scores down. This could be either through excluding them or encouraging them to be home schooled.

It often involves pupils who are preparing to sit their GCSE exams.

The news that Ofsted would focus on the issue has been welcomed by Councillor David Ward (Lib Dem/Independent, Bolton and Undercliffe), who has been investigating the impact being expelled has on the district’s youngsters.

An investigation by the Department for Education found that over 19,000 pupils did not progress from year 10 to year 11 in the same state-funded secondary school.

Although many moved to other schools, around half did not reappear in the census of a different state-funded school.

Although many might have joined independent schools, others fell off the roll completely.

Children with special educational needs, children eligible for free school meals, children looked after, and some minority ethnic groups were more likely to leave their school.

Discussing the news that Ofsted will be cracking down on the practice, Cllr Ward said: “I think this will help. It will make schools more wary if they know Ofsted are due to inspect them and will be looking out for this. Hopefully schools will think twice before they carry anything like this out, which can only be good news.

“What is concerning is the number of young people who just fall out of provision.”

Cllr Ward was on a committee that last week heard how hundreds of Bradford children were at risk of sexual or criminal exploitation, and he believes children who are not on any school rolls could be easy targets.

He said: “If children are not in school then they might not be in the safest place. When they are not in school then can be much more vulnerable.

“I know schools are under a lot of pressure, but it is important that don’t take children who might already be vulnerable out of the system.”