Suffolk County Council is concerned to identify quickly any
children who are missing from education.
Who is a child missing from education?
A child or young person is missing from education if they are of
compulsory school age (age 5-16) and they do not have a school
place and no alternative education arrangements have been made for
them.
A child is not classed as missing from education if they have a
school place but are not attending regularly or they are being home
educated or they are in temporary alternative provision such as a
Pupil Referral Unit.
Some children and young people are at greater risk of going missing
from education. These include:
- looked after children
- young runaways
- children permanently excluded from school
- young carers
- children from transient families
- teenage mothers
- young offenders
- children of homeless families, perhaps living in temporary
accommodation
- children living in women’s refuges
- children with long term medical or emotional
problems
- unaccompanied asylum seekers
- children of refugees or asylum seeking families
- children in new immigrant families not yet established in the
UK
Children missing from education are at much greater risk
of:
- physical harm
- becoming involved in crime
- demonstrating anti-social behaviour
- abusing drugs and alcohol
- sexual exploitation
- being illegally employed
It is vital therefore that the local authority, schools and other
agencies work closely together to help safeguard children.
Why do children go missing from education?
Children fall out of the education system for a variety of reasons,
these can include:
- 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?
Help us to keep children safe and ensure that they receive an
appropriate education.
If you know of, or suspect, that a child is missing education
please let us know. You can contact us in the following
ways:
E-mail:
cme@suffolkcc.gov.uk
Phone the area Education Attendance team and ask
to speak to an Education Welfare Officer
Northern Area Education Attendance Team: 01502 405261
Western Area Education Attendance Team: 01284 352122
Southern Area Education Attendance Team: 01473 584787
Or write to:
Children Missing Education
Senior Education Welfare Officer
Western Area Education Office
Shire Hall
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk
IP33 1RX
Help us keep children
safe.