School MOVES: The School Mobility Outcomes, Voices and Experiences Study
This project offers a deeper understanding of pupil school mobility in England, uncovering patterns and implications often overlooked in education research and policy.
Pupil school mobility (PSM) describes the phenomenon of pupils moving school for reasons other than standard age-based, structural transitions (e.g., primary to secondary school). It affects a significant proportion of the English school population, has profound consequences for the lives and education of pupils who move, and is associated with socio-economic disadvantage and lower academic attainment. Despite this, PSM is rarely considered in research on educational disadvantage and when it is, it tends to be analysed in binary terms (mobile vs. non-mobile), thus not allowing for diverse and complex patterns of PSM to emerge. Little is known about the consequences of different mobility frequencies, types and pathways for children’s educational experiences and attainment. There is also a lack of understanding of both risk factors or protective mechanisms at household, school or local level, which would enable the development of more tailored support or targeted policy and practice interventions.
This project aims to provide a detailed and in-depth analysis of PSM, considering mobility frequencies, types and pathways of different groups of children and their consequences for children’s educational experiences and attainment. It also analyses PSM at the school and local authority level to identify particular patterns locally and any school or local authority policies and practices addressing PSM.
Research objectives
The over-arching aims of the project are to:
1) develop a rich, conceptually strong and empirically-grounded understanding of PSM
2) provide robust evidence for informing educational policies and practices and;
3) co-construct, pilot and evaluate a resource with tailored and targeted support for mobile families, schools and local authorities.
Outputs and impact
Project outputs are designed to maximise the benefit of the project for stakeholders and inform policy and practice and include: a PSM typology; co-constructed and tailored resources for families, schools and local authorities, articles, evidence-based policy briefs, and public and policy-facing reports and meetings.
Research team
- Dr Clara Rübner Jørgensen, School of Education, University of Birmingham
- Dr Laurence Lessard-Phillips, School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham
- Dr Thomas Perry, Education Studies, University of Warwick
- Dr Laura Cristescu, School of Education, University of Birmingham
Partner organisations and sponsors
Further details
Find out more about the project on the Nuffield website.