Schools: Attendance

(asked on 8th January 2024) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of children not attending school on safeguarding.


Answered by
Damian Hinds Portrait
Damian Hinds
Minister of State (Education)
This question was answered on 16th January 2024

The department is clear that regular school attendance is important for children’s educational progress, for their wellbeing, their safeguarding and for their wider development.

Local authorities have duties to ensure all children in their area are receiving a suitable education and are safe. They have powers to make enquiries with parents as to whether a suitable education appears to be being provided.

​Local authorities should be ready to use safeguarding powers appropriately and when warranted. Local authorities also have a duty to make arrangements to identify children missing education (not in school or receiving suitable education).

​The government ran a call for evidence on improving support for children missing education from 18 May to 20 July 2023. Evidence will be used to inform future policy to ensure all children, especially the most vulnerable in our society, are safe and have access to an excellent education. The government will issue a response in due course. ​

Reticulating Splines