Schools: Absent Children
House of Lords

Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Liberal Democrat)

To ask Her Majesty's Government in what circumstances schools must report to their local authority that a child is missing from education.

Lord Hill of Oareford (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Education; Conservative)

The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 set out the circumstances where a school must inform the local authority in which it is situated that a pupil is missing education. The circumstances include a pupil being: deleted from the school register; regularly absent; or "disappearing" following 10 days of unauthorised absence from the school. Notifying the local authority is important because it enables the authority to attempt to trace the child and ensure that any pupil who is no longer on a school roll is receiving a suitable education elsewhere. These regulations apply to all maintained schools, academies and independent schools.

Local authorities in England and Wales also have a statutory duty to put in place effective arrangements to identify those children of compulsory school age who are not on a school roll, and who are not receiving a suitable education elsewhere (for example, being educated at home, privately educated, or in alternative provision).