School Admission Register and Local-Authority Returns Procedure

This procedure applies to maintained and academy primary and secondary schools in England. The school should use the applicable local-authority process for [local authority name] where a return is required.

1. Entering a pupil on the admission register

Enter the pupil’s name on the admission register from the beginning of the first session on the first day that the school and a person with control of the pupil’s attendance have agreed that the pupil will attend.

If the school has a duty to admit the pupil, enter the name on the first day that a person with control of the pupil’s attendance has told the school that the pupil will attend. If no date has been agreed or notified, enter the pupil’s name on the first day the pupil attends the school.

If a pupil fails to attend on the agreed date, undertake reasonable enquiries to establish the child’s whereabouts.

A school being named on an EHC plan alone does not automatically mean that the child is, or should be, on the school admission register.

2. Keeping the admission register accurate and up to date

Keep the admission register accurate and up to date. Record changes promptly when information relevant to the admission register is notified or otherwise becomes applicable.

2.1 Change to a pupil’s normal address

When a parent notifies the school that the pupil will normally live at another address, whether in addition to or instead of the current address, record the new address, the full name of each parent with whom the pupil will normally live, and the date on which the pupil will start normally living there.

3. Returns when a pupil is added or removed

Make a return to [local authority name] in line with regulation 13 of the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024 whenever a pupil’s name is added to or removed from the admission register outside standard transition times.

A local authority may extend the return requirement to include standard transition times. Apply the return requirement at standard transition times where [local authority return scope] requires it.

3.1 New-pupil return

When a pupil’s name is added to the admission register at a non-standard transition point, make a new-pupil return to the local authority within 5 days. Provide all the information held within the admission register about the pupil.

The new-pupil return requirement applies at non-standard transition points unless the local authority has asked for the information at another point, including a standard transition time.

4. Deletion return

When deleting a pupil’s name from the admission register, provide the local authority with the required information held in the admission register.

The deletion return must include the pupil’s full name and current address; the full name and address of any parent the pupil normally lives with; and at least one emergency telephone number for any parent the pupil normally lives with.

Where applicable, include the pupil’s future address, the full name and address of the parent with whom the pupil is going to live, and the date on which the pupil will start living there.

Where applicable, include the name of the pupil’s new school and the date on which the pupil began or will begin to attend. Include the reason set out in regulation 9 under which the pupil’s name has been deleted.

5. Applying the procedure to the relevant event

Apply the address-recording steps only when the relevant change to the pupil’s normal address has been notified. Apply the deletion-return fields concerning a future address, parent, or new school only where those details are applicable. Apply the local-authority return requirements at the relevant transition point or where the local authority extends or requests the relevant information.