{"id":5532,"date":"2022-03-29T15:06:20","date_gmt":"2022-03-29T14:06:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beta.devon.gov.uk\/supportforschools\/?post_type=dcc_docs_document&#038;p=5532"},"modified":"2025-12-16T16:21:36","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T16:21:36","slug":"safeguarding-no-9-children-missing-from-education","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/support-schools-settings\/safeguarding\/guidance-policy-and-tools-2\/safeguarding-one-minute-guides\/safeguarding-no-9-children-missing-from-education\/","title":{"rendered":"No.9 Children missing from education"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#what-do-we-mean-by-children-missing-from-education\">What do we mean by children missing from education?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#the-law-relating-to-children-missing-education\">The Law<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#significance-of-being-a-child-missing-from-education\">Why is it important?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#why-do-children-go-missing-from-school\">Why do children go missing from school?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#what-should-school-staff-do\">What should school staff do?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\t<div class=\"dcc-documents-cpt-fixed dccdocs-sticky dccdocs-hidden\">\r\n    <div class=\"grid-container\">\r\n        <div class=\"grid-x grid-margin-x\">\r\n            <div class=\"cell medium-12\">\r\n                <a class=\"back-to-top hide-for-print\" href=\"#content\"><svg class=\"app-c-back-to-top__icon\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"13\" height=\"17\" viewBox=\"0 0 13 17\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M6.5 0L0 6.5 1.4 8l4-4v12.7h2V4l4.3 4L13 6.4z\"><\/path><\/svg> Contents<\/a>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:75%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:41.333%\"><div class=\"document-meta-acf-block clearfix \" id=\"block_acf-block-6941870ce02f4\"><div class=\" dcc-documents-meta\"><div class=\"dcc-documents-widget dcc-documents-widget-block\"><div class=\"dcc-documents-widget-box2\"><p class=\"dcc-documents-published\"><span>Published<\/span> <time datetime=\"2022-03-29T15:06:20+00:00\">29\/03\/2022 3:06pm<\/time><\/p><p class=\"dcc-documents-updated\"><span>Last Updated<\/span> <time datetime=\"2025-12-16T16:21:36+00:00\">16\/12\/2025 4:21pm<\/time><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:58.666%\"><div class=\"document-download-acf-block clearfix \" id=\"block_acf-block-6941870ce036f\">\r\n\r\n\t\t<div class=\" dcc-documents-downloads hide-for-print\"><div class=\"dcc-documents-widget dcc-documents-widget-block\"><div class=\"dcc-documents-widget-box2\"><div class=\"content-container\"><div class=\"content-column download-copy\"><h2 class=\"dcc-documents-title\">Document resources<\/strong><\/h2><p class=\"dcc-documents-intro\">These files may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"content-column download-button\"><ul class=\"dcc-documents-widget-dropdown dcc-documents-widget-menu\"><li class=\"dcc-documents-widget-is-dropdown\"><button class=\"button secondary dcc-documents-widget-noarrow dcc-documents-widget-button dcc-documents-widget-download-button\" >Download<\/button><ul id=\"\" class=\"dcc-documents-widget-vertical dcc-documents-widget-menu dcc-documents-widget-is-submenu\" data-disable-hover=\"true\" data-click-open=\"true\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/devoncc.sharepoint.com\/:b:\/s\/PublicDocs\/Education\/IQCfIJL2_HYBSY173eGg6eyEAQuacu4EDkQJjmnWMrpUeVM?e=oNGH04\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"dcc-documents-widget-text\"><span>No.9 Children missing from education (Document)<\/span><\/span><span class=\"dcc-documents-widget-size\">163KB<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-do-we-mean-by-children-missing-from-education\">What do we mean by children missing from education?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Children of compulsory school age (5\u201316 years) who:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Are <strong>not on a school roll<\/strong>,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are <strong>not receiving suitable education elsewhere<\/strong> (e.g., home education, private tuition, or alternative provision),<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>And have been without access to education for a <strong>significant period<\/strong> (commonly four weeks or more).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-law-relating-to-children-missing-education\">The Law<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Section\u202f436A of the Education Act 1996<\/strong> (inserted by the Education and Inspections Act 2006) requires Local Authorities (LAs) to:<br><em>\u201cMake arrangements to enable them to establish, so far as possible, the identities of children in their area who are of compulsory school age but are not registered pupils at a school and are not receiving suitable education otherwise than at school.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under the <strong>School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024<\/strong>, schools <strong>must notify the LA<\/strong> whenever a pupil of compulsory school age is <strong>deleted from the admission register<\/strong>, except at standard transition points (unless the LA requests it).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"significance-of-being-a-child-missing-from-education\">Why is it important?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Children missing education are at increased risk of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Safeguarding concerns<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Poor academic outcomes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Long-term negative impacts on life chances<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"why-do-children-go-missing-from-school\">Why do children go missing from school?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Common reasons include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Not starting school at the expected time<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Parents removing a child due to issues at school or poor attendance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Difficulty securing a school place after moving<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Frequent family relocations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Problems at home<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-should-school-staff-do\">What should school staff do?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If the child\u2019s <strong>future destination is unknown<\/strong> or their <strong>whereabouts cannot be confirmed<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Complete and submit a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smartsurvey.co.uk\/s\/CME1RE\/\" rel=\"noopener\">CME1 Referral Form<\/a> to the Local Authority <strong>immediately<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Treat CME as a <strong>safeguarding concern<\/strong> and follow your school\u2019s safeguarding procedures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Contact details:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have any queries, please contact:<a href=\"mailto:educate.educationchildrenmissingeducation-mailbox@devon.gov.uk\">educate.educationchildrenmissingeducation-mailbox@devon.gov.uk<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What do we mean by children missing from education? Children of compulsory school age (5\u201316 years) who: The Law Section\u202f436A of the Education Act 1996 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2436,"featured_media":0,"parent":5639,"menu_order":8,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"longdocument-template.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-5532","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"updated":"","dccdocs_documents":[{"title":"No.9 Children missing from education","file":"https:\/\/devoncc.sharepoint.com\/:b:\/s\/PublicDocs\/Education\/IQCfIJL2_HYBSY173eGg6eyEAQuacu4EDkQJjmnWMrpUeVM?e=oNGH04","file_size":"","unit_type":"KB","file_type":"Document"}],"section-guidance":"","sections":null},"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-24 21:30:35","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/support-schools-settings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5532","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/support-schools-settings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/support-schools-settings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/support-schools-settings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2436"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/support-schools-settings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5532"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/support-schools-settings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5532\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34977,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/support-schools-settings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5532\/revisions\/34977"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/support-schools-settings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5639"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/support-schools-settings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}