Guidance for Schools on Children Missing Education

Children Missing Education

When a child is missing from a school or is moving away, schools have the initial safeguarding responsibility to make reasonable enquiries and to establish the whereabouts of a child or the key information of the new address. Children Missing Education - GOV.UK provides the statutory guidance and below are examples of CME:-

• All children you have given a start date to attend your school/academy, must be put on roll on the expected start date, even if they fail to attend and the CME process must be followed. Under the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006, section 5 paragraph 3 'the pupil is a pupil at the school from the beginning of the first day on which the school has agreed, or has been notified, that the pupil will attend the school.
• If a child is on a school roll (has a school place), but not attending school and the school's enquiries have failed to establish the child's whereabouts or confirmed an onward destination.
• If the child is leaving your school at the point of transition but doesn't have a confirmed destination.
• Children without a school place that you become aware of.

In all cases, please complete the Participation Team Referral Form and take advice from the Participation Team. Please keep all children registered at your school, on roll until a destination is confirmed or you have been advised by the Participation Team that all enquiries are completed.

The centralised office phone number for the Participation Team is 01895 250858  (extension 0858)  and the team can be contacted by email on childrenmissingeducation@hillingdon.gov.uk. We operate on a 9am to 5pm working week. Team members can be contacted here.