The Warwickshire way when addressing children missing education (CME)

Ethical Leadership virtue:

“Courage: leaders work courageously in the best interests of children and young people. We protect their safety and their right to a broad, effective and creative education. We hold one another to account courageously.”

Navigating the educational moral maze p10

Achieving Ethical Inclusion: The Warwickshire way when addressing children missing education (CME)

Did you know:

• Warwickshire County Council identifies children who are absent from school and their whereabouts is unknown or when a child is not on a school roll and there does not seem to be any education in place through direct referrals and data analysis.
• We receive over 500 referrals every year; two thirds of the referrals are for Warwickshire children
• In 18/19 45% of referrals were closed within 10 days
• The service offers advice and guidance to any professional worried about a child missing in education
• We have established links with MASH, NHS, Housing, Police and Youth Justice to ensure all referrals into the service can be dealt with effectively
• We have robust links with local authorities all over the country to locate children missing from education

Arrangements for dealing with children missing education features strongly in Keeping Children Safe in Education 2019 and the new Ofsted inspection framework 2019.

Please share this information with key people in your school.

Please note: If a child is missing and their whereabouts is known this is addressed through the attendance policy of a school.

For further information please visit the Children Missing Education webpage.