Management Information Sheet

You will be aware that since February 2007 all Local Authorities have had a statutory responsibility to have robust multi-agency systems in place to identify and track children missing education, or at risk of doing so.

The definition of Children Missing Education refers to all children of compulsory school age who are not on a school roll, receiving a suitable education or who are not receiving education otherwise than being at school (for example, at home, privately or in alternative provision).

The duty does not apply in relation to children who are registered at a school but who are not attending regularly. The duty complements and reinforces duties that already exist for schools to monitor attendance and it is important that local authorities work with schools to make sure they do it effectively. Schools already have a duty to monitor attendance through the daily attendance register and to make returns to local authorities where the attendance of individual pupils gives cause for concern.

The duty does not apply to children who are being educated at home. Monitoring arrangements already exist for children being educated at home. Parents have a duty to ensure that their children receive a suitable full-time education either by regular attendance at school or otherwise (under section 7 of the Education Act 1996) and they may choose, as is their right, to provide this by educating their children at home.

Norfolk County Council is committed to ensuring that all children and young people receive an education appropriate to their age, ability and aptitude and to any special educational needs he/she may have.

The majority of children and young people attend school regularly. However, some children go missing from education and these children are vulnerable in a number of ways.

Norfolk’s Children Missing Education Practices and Procedures document emphasises the link with both safeguarding children and child protection and the need for information to be shared between agencies. Whilst it has been in place for a number of years reviews are undertaken regularly.

Attached is the latest revised document for your information. If there are any queries about the process contact details are at the back of the document for me and Tracy Henry, CME Assistant.