Children Missing Education

Solihull Council is concerned about any child or young person missing education or at risk of missing education.

If you know of a child who does not regularly attend school please contact the Children Missing Education Officer.

Background

In 2002, the Department for Children, Schools, and Families (DCSF) set a target in its strategic framework document, that robust multi-agency systems should be in place in each local authority to identify and track children missing education or at risk of doing so.

The Children Act 2004 places a duty on all agencies to work together to promote the welfare of the child and to share information.

The Solihull Children Missing Education policy sets out the joint responsibilities of all staff in schools, the local authority (LA) and Children’s and Young Persons Trust in ensuring that all children and young people have the opportunity to access appropriate and suitable educational provision. This guidance is intended to inform all agencies about the policy and procedures to be followed in order to:

• Identify, maintain contact and re-engage with children who reside in Solihull that are missing education;
• identify and maintain contact with children and young people residing in Solihull that are at risk of missing education; and
• track children that move out of Solihull until such time as they are known elsewhere.

What do we mean by children missing education?

• Children of compulsory school age but not on a school roll or being educated otherwise (privately or in an alternative provision).
• Children registered at a school but for a substantial period of time (usually agreed as 4 weeks or more), have not attended school or alternative education provision.
• Children registered at school but their family has moved without providing a forward address or details of a new school.
• Children below compulsory school age but have become known to the Local Authority through an application for admission into a school nursery or reception class, and
• Children and young people deemed to be at risk of becoming children missing education such as pupils registered at school or alternative provider but with extremely low or intermittent periods of attendance.

Why do children go missing from education?

Children fall out of the education system for a variety of reasons including:

• failing to start appropriate provision and hence never entering the system;
• ceasing to attend, due to exclusion or parental withdrawal;
• failing to complete a transition between providers (e.g. being unable to find a suitable school place after moving to a new LA);
• failing to make the transition between phases (e.g. primary to secondary transfer); or
• are part of a transient or mobile population.

How can you help?

The Children Missing Education Officer can be contacted by any agency or member of the public at:

Children Missing Education Officer
School Place Planning and Admissions
P O Box 20
Council House
Birmingham
B91 9QU

Phone: 0121 704 6663

Email: childrenmissingeducation@solihull.gov.uk