Children Missing Education Service
The Government has placed a duty on local authorities to make
arrangements to establish (so far as it is possible to do so) the
identities of children in their area who are of compulsory school
age and not receiving a suitable education. These children are
referred to as Children Missing Education.
Who are Children Missing Education (CME)?
Children of compulsory school age who are:
- Not on a school roll
- Not being educated other than at school
- Identified as having been out of any educational provision for
a substantial period of time (4 weeks)
Children go missing from education for a number of reasons
including:
- They don’t start school at the appropriate time and so they do
not enter the educational system;
- They are removed by their parents
- Behaviour and/or attendance difficulties
- They cease to attend, due to exclusion, illness or
bullying
- They fail to find a suitable school place after moving to a new
area
- The family move home regularly
- Problems at home
The law requires all children
between the ages of 5 & 16 to be in full time
education
Children and young people in the following groups are more
likely to be missing from education:
- young people who
have committed offences;
- children living in women’s refuges;
- children of homeless families perhaps in temporary
housing;
- young runaways;
- children with long term medical or emotional problems;
- unaccompanied asylum seekers and refugees or children of asylum
seeking families;
- looked after children;
- children with a Gypsy/Traveller background;
- young carers;
- children from transient families;
- teenage mothers;
- children who are excluded from school.
Why is it important to get Children Missing Education back in
school?
Children who are not in school could be missing out on vital
educational and social opportunities and experiences. Some of them
may be at risk of harm or be in situations that are unsafe.
Children who are not in school are at greater risk of
involvement in criminal activity and becoming victims of crime
themselves. There is also a higher risk that these children will be
victims of abuse.
What can you do to help?
Bath & North East Somerset’s Children’s Service are
keen for you to tell us about these children so that we can make
sure that they are safe and that they receive an appropriate
education.
If you are aware of children who are not either in school or
receiving education at home then please contact us. You can
do this confidentially either by phone, letter or e-mail.
Please also tell us if you have any concerns about children who
have gone missing from your area or neighbourhood.
Someone will then make contact with the family and children to
make sure that they are safe and to arrange for some appropriate
education.
If the children need some support to help them get back into
school this will be provided.
Although the vast majority of children are located and returned
to education, we will work with other agencies such as the Police
if we cannot trace a child quickly.
Where children go missing from the Bath & North East
Somerset area we will use the national missing children database to
inform other parts of the country that there may be children new to
their area in need of educational support.
