Overview
Children missing education are children of compulsory school age who are not:
- registered pupils at a school
- receiving suitable education otherwise than at a school
We are required to make arrangements to identify children missing education as far as is reasonably possible. This is our duty under section 436A of the Education Act 1996.
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. The cost of not identifying that a child is missing education or notifying the appropriate professionals and responding quickly can be very high.
All children, regardless of their circumstances, are entitled to an efficient, full-time education. This should be suitable to their age, ability, aptitude, and any special educational needs they may have.
Children missing education and without access to a school placement are at significant risk of:
- underachieving
- being victims of harm, exploitation or radicalisation
- becoming NEET (not in education, employment, or training) later in life
Why children go missing from education
Children go missing from education for many reasons.
They might:
- fail to start appropriate provision and never actually enter the education system
- fail to complete a transition between providers, for example by being unable or not trying to find a suitable school place after moving between local authorities
- not complete transition between key stages/schools, particularly if parents are unsuccessful with preferred schools (for example, year 2 to year 3, year 6 to year 7)
- have a family or carer that does not alert the local authority of the fact they are resident in Hounslow or does not know how to access education provision
- have been withdrawn by parents (for example, parents have no confidence in the school, behaviour and truancy issues)
- have had difficulty getting a school transfer
- be on the point of permanent exclusion from school and they leave or are persuaded to seek a fresh start in another school
- be permanently excluded from schools out of the borough, particularly independent schools
- be on alternative curriculum arrangements which are not monitored effectively
- have SEN placements that are not completed due to one or more parties not complying with arrangements or able to meet needs
- be looked after children within family arrangements, unaccompanied from abroad, placed in Hounslow by other local authorities and not known to Hounslow education LAC team
- be in the youth justice system and returning from secure accommodation
- have been placed in Hounslow by other local authorities without notification (for example, temporary housing, safety move and witness protection schemes)
- have been let down by system failures between partners where information is not shared effectively regarding children in Hounslow (for example, education sections, schools, parents, social care, health, housing, other local authorities, Home Office, Immigration Office, asylum/refugee dispersal arrangements, temporary accommodation, databases)
- “dip in and out” of elective home education at the request of parents or carers or do not follow the published local authority procedures to inform the local authority that parents have decided to educate at home
- have parents who take extended leave or holiday and schools take them off roll or families leave the UK or Hounslow area for a period, then return and the local authority are not notified to monitor their return to school
- have been bullied in and around schools and difficulties cannot be resolved in school
- be young runaways who leave their normal residence, to live on the streets or in temporary emergency situations
