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Contents

1. Children Missing Education
2. Children at Risk of Going Missing from Education
3. If a Child Goes Missing
4. The Out of School Register
5. New Admissions
6. Children Removed from Roll having Failed to Return from Family Holiday
7. Primary to Secondary Transition
8. Children Missing Education - Not on Roll in a Bradford School
9. Contact Information

1. Children Missing Education

Definition;

"All Children of compulsory school age who are not on a school roll, nor being educated otherwise (eg at home, privately or in alternative provision) and who have been out of any educational provision for a substantial period of time (usually agreed as four weeks or more)"

Over the course of any academic year lots of children leave schools to move to other parts of Bradford or other parts of the country. In most cases parents give schools notice that they are moving, details of their new address and they arrange new schools for their children. In these cases this transition, from an administration point of view is very smooth. However there are occasions when children suddenly disappear from schools with scant details as to where they have gone. We know from experience that often these children who go missing are some of our most vulnerable pupils.

Going missing from education for any reason is damaging to the well-being of a child/young person, but of even more concern is when the disappearance from school is an indication that a child/young person's safety is at risk. Assessing the child and/or young person's level of vulnerability is essential in order to determine the appropriate timescales and actions. When the child/young person's safety is deemed to be at risk of significant harm then actions should be taken without delay.

Every Child Matters sets out the Government's aim to ensure that every child and young person has the opportunity to fulfil their potential, and no child slips through the net.

This guidance sets out the responsibilities of schools and Education Bradford in respect of children who go missing from education.

The Education (Pupil Registration) Regulations 1995 (SI 1995/2089) state that the name of a pupil of compulsory school age may only be deleted from the attendance register on the grounds prescribed by these regulations. Where a pupil has been continuously absent from school for a period of four weeks his name may not be deleted from the admission register "until both the school and the LEA have failed, after reasonable enquiry, to locate the pupil." This guidance provides a definition of a "reasonable enquiry".

2. Children at Risk of Going Missing from Education

There is general agreement that some children who have experienced certain life events are more at risk of going missing from education. These include:

• Young people who have committed offences;
• Children living in women's refuges;
• Children of homeless families perhaps living in temporary accommodation, house of multiple occupancy or Bed and Breakfast;
• Young runaways;
• Children with long term medical or emotional problems;
• Unaccompanied asylum seekers and refugees or children of asylum seeking families;
• Looked after children;
• Children with a Gypsy/Traveler background;
• Young carers;
• Children from transient families;
• Teenage mothers;
• Children who are permanently excluded from school.

3. If a Child Goes Missing

If any pupil in your school is absent for 10 consecutive school days (two weeks) and no reasonable explanation has been provided a referral should be made to your Link Education Social Worker. If however you believe the child may have left the area and details of a new school have not been provided, the Education Social Work Service (ESWS) will expect the school to have conducted reasonable enquiries prior to referral and these enquiries should be detailed on the ESWS referral form.

• If there is firm evidence that the child and their family have left the area or that there are serious concerns regarding the child's welfare, schools should make an immediate referral.
• There is an expectation that the School will:
• Check with all members of staff who the child/young person may have had contact with;
• Check with the pupil's friends, siblings, and known relatives at this school and other schools;
• Make telephone calls to any numbers held/identified;
• Send a letter to the last known address;
• Carry out a home visit where school based staff are able to do this;
• Consult with Education Social Work Service;
• Make a referral to your Education Social Worker.

The information your ESW will require is:

• Name of the child;
• DOB;
• Last known address;
• Names of Parents or carers;
• Names of any known siblings;
• Details of the child's attendance;
• Plus any information you may have gathered regarding the child's whereabouts. This may be very vague information gathered from the wider school community e.g. "we have heard they have moved to the other side of Bradford" "they have moved to Blackpool" etc.

Please enter this information on to the Education Social Work Service referral form.

The Education Social Worker will:

• Visit the last known address if it is still unclear if the family have moved;
• Send out a standard letter to Housing, Health, Social Services, Welfare Benefits, Police (if appropriate) requesting any information they may have as to the child's whereabouts;
• Contact partner agencies in person if serious concerns regarding the child's welfare and safety exist e.g. the child has a Child Protection Plan.

If there is information that the child has moved to another Local Authority and there has been no contact from a receiving school the Education Social Worker will contact that LA informing then that this child may be in their area and asking them to make reasonable enquiries to try and establish this.

• If after four weeks the ESWS have not been able to establish the whereabouts of the child. The child will be placed on the Out of School Register (formerly known as the Mislocated Children's List) and circulated throughout Bradford Schools;
• The Education Social Work Service will advise the School by letter to remove the child from the school roll;
• The School will also be advised that the Child's Common Transfer File (CTF) should be uploaded by the school to the DCFS School to School (S2S) Missing Children Database.
  
  

If at any time after the child has been removed from the roll the school receive any information regarding the child’s whereabouts or are contacted by a receiving school, the Education Social Work Service must be informed.

If a child's whereabouts have not been established within 6 weeks of being placed on the Out of School Register, the Education Social Work Service will:

Again contact Housing, Health, Social Services, Welfare Benefits, Police etc. in case any further information has been received during the intervening period.

Check the DCFS School to School (S2S) Missing Children Database to see if the CTF has been downloaded by another school.

NB. From January 2007 pupil information data collected via the School Census will be entered and updated every four months on the 'Key to Success' national pupil database. LA's will be able to use this database as a tool to establish the whereabouts of missing children.

4. The Out of School Register

The Out of School Register will be circulated to all schools and partner agencies by Education Bradford every month. If your school has admitted any of the children on the list you should contact the Education Social Work Service Tel. 01274 385761.

5. New Admissions

If your school admits a new pupil from another Local Authority or Bradford School, good practice would suggest a courtesy telephone call to the child's former school to inform them of the admission as the child may have been reported missing. The child's common transfer file should be downloaded from DfES School to School (S2S) Missing Children database or from the last school the child attended.

6. Children Removed from Roll Having Failed to Return from Family Holiday

The Bradford City Council policy on Holidays in Term Time and Extended Leave state that Headteachers may grant up to 10 days absence for the purpose of family holidays. Extended Leave is anytime longer than the suggested 10 days and should only be granted in exceptional circumstances.

It is policy that if a child fails to return from a family holiday or extended leave within 10 school days of the agreed return date that the child is removed from the roll of the school.

Prior to removal from roll the school should attempt to make contact with the family or extended family members to establish the reasons for non return. If there is no good reason for the non return then school should write to the family informing them that their child has been removed from the roll of the school.

A referral should be made at the same time to the Education Social Work Service who will also attempt to make contact with the family by visiting the last known address at regular intervals.

Following the family's return to this country, they are likely to approach you to re-admit their child. This may or may not be possible due to the size of your roll.

In either circumstance please inform your Education Social Worker.

7. Primary to Secondary Transition

From September 2006 the 'nominal' roll of new Year 7 pupils will cease to exist instead all pupils allocated to a Secondary School will be deemed to be on roll there from the first day that they are expected to attend the school. (Pupil Registration Regulations 2006).

We know from experience that a number of children fail to attend at their new Secondary school for a number of reasons:-

• The family have successfully appealed for a place at another Secondary School;
• A Secondary School place has been found for the child in another LA (e.g. North Yorkshire, Leeds);
• The family have opted to place their child in private education;
• The family have opted to educate their child at home;
• The family are unhappy with the place that has been allocated and are refusing to send their child to that school.

If by the end of the first week of the new academic year a new Year 7 pupil has failed to attend the school should make reasonable efforts to establish which school the child is attending by contacting the parents and or Education Bradford, Pupil Access. Enquiries should also include contacting the new school and confirming that the child is on roll and attending.

The child should not be removed from the school roll until it has been established beyond reasonable doubt that he/she is on the roll and attending another school. If possible confirmation in writing should be obtained from the new school.

In those cases where the school are unable to establish if the child is attending an alternative school or provision an immediate referral should be made to the Education Social Work Service who will investigate the circumstances of the child's non-attendance. While this investigation is being carried out, the child should remain on the roll of the school in line with the provisions set out by The Education (Pupil Registration) Regulations 1995 (SI 1995/2089.)

8. Children Missing Education - Not on Roll in a Bradford School

Over the course of any academic year many children will move into the Bradford area and you may be approached for a place in your school. If you are approached and are not able to offer the pupil a place in your school because you are currently over subscribed and you believe that the child is not on the roll of any school. You must contact your Link Education Social Worker in order that we can contact the family and offer help and advice about finding alternative schools.

9. Contact Information

If you require further information regarding 'Children Missing Education' please contact;

Barbara Lawrie - Principal Education Social Worker

Tel 01274 385761

Email: barbara.lawrie@educationbradford.com

Or the Senior Education Social Workers for your area

Bradford South - George Workman

Tel 01274 385786

Email: george.workman@educationbradford.com

Bradford West - Angy Luty

Tel 01274 385776

Email: angy.luty@educationbradford.com

Shipley & North Bradford - Sue Hollings

Tel 01274 385756

Email: sue.hollings@educationbradford.com

Keighley, Bingley & Ilkley - Neil Hellewell

Tel 01274 385730

Email: neil.hellewell@educationbradford.com

For further information regarding the DCFS School to School Missing Children Database please contact:

Paul Staincliffe

Tel 01274 385638

Email: paul.staincliffe@educationbradford.com

Further copies of the document can be downloaded at Bradford Schools website in the Useful Information - Downloads - Education Social Work Service Section.

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