Children missing from education are children of compulsory school age:
- who do not have a school place
- whose parents have not applied for a school place
- who are not receiving a suitable education in any other way
Children are not missing from education if they:
- have a school place but aren’t attending regularly
- are being educated at home.
Referring a child missing from education
Referrals can be completed by professionals, school staff, local education agency (LEA’s) and the public.
Referrals from a school must include:
- dates
- outcomes of all home visits
- all forms of contact - telephone, email and letter contact
- actions taken by the school
- outcomes of discussions with other professionals and agencies known to be involved with the family