• Children missing education local guidance
• Children missing education statutory guidance
• Children missing education referral form

What do we mean by Children Missing Education?

• Children of compulsory school age whose whereabouts and circumstances are known to the Local Authority but who have, for whatever reason, been out of education for 20 school days or more
• Children of compulsory school age whose whereabouts and circumstances are unknown to the Local Authority

Following reasonable enquiry, if the child’s whereabouts are unknown, a referral should be made to the children missing education team. 

We rely on schools to tell us when:

• A child on roll fails to attend without explanation, or
• A child who is expected to join a school fails to start  

For advice on non-school attendance issues and legal interventions, schools should refer to the following secure webpage: School Attendance

Anyone who comes into contact with children and their families has a role to play in safeguarding children as described in statutory guidance Working together to safeguard children. Local Authorities have a duty to take all reasonable steps to identify and track children missing from education.

Where there are wider concerns about the safety of a child, schools and professional bodies may wish to refer directly to the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub.  Please refer to the guidance and the CSE screening tool here.

For further advice and to forward referrals, please contact:

Children Missing Education Team
cme@milton-keynes.gov.uk
Telephone: 01908 253338