School Children Missing Education Governance Policy

This policy applies, where relevant, to [school name], its governing body or academy trust, and relevant school leaders in England. It is intended for use by maintained schools and academy schools within the supplied scope, taking account of the school’s relationship with [local authority name] and [academy trust or governing body] where responsibilities are shared.

Purpose and status

The school will have regard to the statutory guidance on children missing education when carrying out its responsibilities for identifying and supporting children missing education. The governing body or academy trust and relevant school leaders will be able to demonstrate that they have considered the guidance.

Where the school does not follow the guidance, the school will record the circumstances and the reasonable grounds for that departure. The circumstances of individual cases will be considered.

Governance and responsibilities

The governing body or academy trust will consider this policy and the school’s arrangements for identifying and supporting children missing education. The record of that consideration will identify the date of consideration, the body or person considering it, and any decision or action arising from the consideration.

The relevant school leader, identified as [cme lead role], will coordinate the school’s arrangements for identifying and supporting children missing education, subject to the responsibilities of [local authority name] and [academy trust or governing body] where those responsibilities are shared.

Individuals involved in identifying or supporting children missing education will identify concerns, share relevant information through the arrangements available to them, and take prompt action to help identify and support the child.

Child-centred approach

The school will use a child-centred approach when identifying and supporting children missing education. Actions and decisions will consider the child’s circumstances and welfare, recognising that no single individual or organisation may have a full picture of a child’s needs and circumstances.

Identifying and supporting children missing education

The school will maintain arrangements for identifying concerns about children who may be missing education and for supporting appropriate follow-up. Those arrangements will provide for concerns to be recorded, relevant information to be shared, and prompt action to be taken to help identify and support the child.

Where a concern is identified, the person receiving or identifying the concern will pass it through the school’s arrangements to [cme lead role] or the relevant alternative contact. The school will consider the child’s circumstances and welfare and will coordinate with [local authority name] and [academy trust or governing body] where their responsibilities are relevant.

The school will retain a record of relevant concerns, referrals, information sharing and follow-up action in accordance with its applicable record-management arrangements.

Working with the local authority and academy trust

The school will operate this policy consistently with the responsibilities of [local authority name] and [academy trust or governing body]. Where responsibility is shared, the school will identify the responsible organisation or role for the action being considered and will communicate relevant information through the agreed arrangements.

Considering and departing from the guidance

The school will record that the statutory children-missing-education guidance has been considered by [governing body or academy trust or relevant school leader] on [guidance consideration date].

If the school does not follow any relevant part of the guidance, the decision record will state the part not followed, the circumstances of the individual case or arrangement, the reasonable grounds for the departure, and the person or body approving the decision.

Review and ownership

The policy owner is [policy owner role]. The school will review this policy in accordance with its governance arrangements and when a change in the school’s responsibilities, its relationship with [local authority name], or its relationship with [academy trust or governing body] makes review appropriate.