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Introduction
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School attendance is a key safeguarding indicator – children who attend school regularly are more likely to have trusted adults who they can speak to, and who may notice the signs and indicators of sexual abuse. School may be the only place for some children to receive learning about what makes a healthy relationship.
Education settings have a legal duty to record the daily attendance of all children in their settings, and to report concerns if they arise. Schools in England and Wales are required to record attendance twice daily, once in the in the morning and once in the afternoon. They must use a statutory register, which must be completed accurately and promptly. Statutory registers are legal records which can be used in court proceedings if necessary.
Schools must monitor attendance and follow up promptly on repeat and unexplained absence or persistent lateness. There are several measures that a school can consider to support a child’s attendance. If parents refuse to engage in the support, the school may consider a more formal/legal approach, which can include penalty notices and prosecution.
Regular school attendance is key to securing positive outcomes for children; expected attendance for school children is 95%, and a child missing 10% of school is considered persistently absent.
- Persistent absence, erratic attendance and persistent lateness can indicate a serious safeguarding concern, particularly if the family has a history of engagement with children’s services and/or has disengaged from their child’s school.
- Prolonged absence may indicate that a family has moved away from the area without notifying school or other services, or that the family has decided to withdraw their child from school and home-educate.
Schools must use a national set of attendance codes which indicate whether the child is present, has arrived late, or is absent. Absences may be authorised or unauthorised (meaning that a reason for the absence has not been received by the school, or that time off has been requested and taken without the school’s approval.)
| Code | Reason/meaning | Authorised |
|---|---|---|
| / | Present (AM) | Yes |
| \ | Present (PM) | Yes |
| L | Late arrival before the register is closed | Yes |
| I | Illness (not medical appointment) | Yes |
| M | Medical/dental appointment | Yes |
| H | Holiday (authorised) | Yes |
| G | Holiday (unauthorised) | No |
| O | Absent without explanation (unauthorised) | No |
| E | Excluded (no alternative provision) | Yes |
| B | Educated off-site (e.g. training provider) | Yes |
| C | Other authorised absence | Yes |
| U | Late (after register closed) | No |
The full list and description of absence codes, with detail about when they should be applied can be found in statutory guidance (see below).
A child’s attendance information must be shared with relevant agencies in certain circumstances, including if there are any concerns about their safety and wellbeing. Other circumstances in which it may be shared include:
- when a request is made by a school or college they are known to be transferring to
- if the child is suspected of causing harm to another person or committing an offence during school hours.
Additionally:
- Schools have a duty to share attendance information regularly with their local authority and the Department of Education, within agreed timeframes.
- Parents and carers can request their child’s attendance record from the school. Many schools use secure parent apps and portals to provide this information ‘live’ to parents.
In sharing a child’s attendance data with any person or organisation, the school must comply with the law, especially the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Sharing must be justified, proportionate, and in the child’s best interests, particularly where safeguarding or legal duties are involved:
- Attendance information should be stored securely and accessed only by practitioners with a legitimate safeguarding, care or educational role.
- Schools must ensure they adhere to their Data Protection Policy.
However, data protection protocols should not delay the sharing of information if there are safeguarding concerns.