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What is the T code?
Schools record your child’s attendance every morning and afternoon, with a registration mark. This ‘T’ code is a code that schools can record on their attendance register and is similar to an authorised absence.
When can you use the T code?
School attendance: Your child must have attended at least 200 school sessions in the past 12 months if they are over six years old. (One school day has two sessions.)
Travelling for work: You must be travelling for work and agree with the school beforehand. This means moving from place to place for your job. You can also choose dual registration, meaning your child can attend a different school while travelling and still keep their place at their main school (the one they have attended for the last 18 months).
You do not need to be of no fixed abode/travelling permanently: Some of the wording of the 2024 guidance has caused confusion. The Department for Education have confirmed that the ‘mobile child’ only needs to be of no fixed abode whilst the parent is trading/working.
The definition of ‘no fixed abode’ under the new guidance means that someone either does not have a settled place where they can live full-time, or they have a place where they can live full-time but they spend substantial periods of time not living there.
A mobile child could be a child whose family travels all year round as part of their trade or business and has no permanent address at all, but it also includes a child who does have a fixed place to live (like a house), but does not live there for a substantial part of the year, if their parent is engaged in a trade or business that requires them to travel from place to place.
If the child is absent from school while travelling with that parent, then code T applies.
When can you not use the T code?
- You cannot use the T Code to take your child out of school for events like weddings or funerals. Different codes are needed for these absences.
- Non-parent travel: The T Code cannot be used if someone other than the child’s parents is taking them travelling.
Responsibilities of the parent/guardian
- Ensure that your child’s ethnicity has been registered with the school. You can ask the school to correct this or update it.
- If you are travelling for work, ensure you tell your child’s school ahead of time, 2 weeks’ notice is useful.
- Your child should attend as much school as possible so it does not impact on their learning.
- To have regular contact with your child’s school whilst travelling. Once a week is suggested.
- To support your child to complete the work set by schools whilst travelling.
- If staying in a new area for a week or more, you can register their child for a temporary place at any school – this is called ‘dual registration’.
Responsibilities of the school
- To allow children to travel with their parents for work purposes.
- To create work packs for children to complete when they are away.
- Arrange times for at least a weekly ‘check in’ with you. This can be through a call or email.
- Contact the Local Authority if they have concerns.
- Mark children’s work and provide valuable feedback.
- Ensure missed opportunities such as parents evening, vaccinations and careers advice are supported on the child’s return.
Important things to remember
- Speak to the school: Tell the school the dates you are travelling for work as early as possible.
- Head teacher’s decision: The head teacher decides if the T Code can be used.
- Attendance expectation: Traveller children are still expected to attend 380 sessions each school year.
- Fines for unauthorised absence: You can be fined £80 (rising to £160 if not paid within 21 days) if your child misses school without permission.
- Authorised absence: If the T Code is used correctly, it counts as an authorised absence, which will affect attendance but should not result in a fine.
- Speak with your Traveller advisory teacher if you have any concerns.