Children Missing Education (CME)
Lincolnshire County Council has a duty under section 436A of the Education Act 1996 to establish the identities of children who are missing from education. The Department for Education publishes statutory guidance for CMEs that local authorities must follow.
These children could be:
- not registered at a school
- their family’s whereabouts are unknown
- not attending or receiving an alternate education provision
- no longer habitually and ordinarily residing at their MIS registered address
A child is not missing from education, if they are
- registered as Elective Home Educated (EHE)
- on the roll of a school or alternative provision and their whereabouts are known but are not attending
- on holiday
- ill
- have been absent for a long period but are still residing at their MIS registered address
- are temporarily absent from home but they have indicated they will return
How to refer a CME
Anyone can refer a child as CME. If you are not a Lincolnshire school and you believe a child is missing from education, please contact the CME Team by emailing CME@lincolnshire.gov.uk.
If you are a Lincolnshire school, you can report a CME using the link below.
Elective Home Education (EHE)
All schools are required to notify their Local Authority when a parent wishes to remove a child from their register, to elect to Home Educate.
Please note, schools are encouraged to request a meeting with parents to fully discuss their decision to withdraw, and on contacting our department a member of our team may attend the meeting, if appropriate. The aim of this meeting is for parents to share any concerns they may have but also an opportunity for school to share all relevant information about EHE, including duties and responsibilities of the parent, to support parents in making a fully informed decision.
If your school needs to inform the Local Authority of a child who has been withdrawn to home educate, please use the link below.
Pupils Not Attending Regularly (PNAR)
Regulation 13(7) and (8) of the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024 requires schools to inform the local authority of any pupils who have 10 or more consecutive school days absence without the school's permission.
The current agreed criteria is to provide:
- The name and address of any school age pupil who has missed ten continuous school days where their absence had been recorded with one or more of the codes as unauthorised (G, N, O and/or U).
Schools are also under a safeguarding duty, under section 175 of the Education Act 2002 to investigate any unexplained absences. Schools can use the link below to report a pupil not attending regularly (PNAR).
Reduced Timetable (RTT)
All pupils of compulsory school age are entitled to a full-time education. In very exceptional circumstances, where it is in a pupil’s best interests, there may be a need for a temporary reduced timetable to meet their individual needs.
A reduced timetable:
- must only be in place for the shortest time necessary and not be treated as a long-term solution.
- should have a time limit by which point the pupil is expected to attend full-time.
- should be regularly reviewed with the pupil and their parents.
In agreeing to a RTT, a school has agreed to a pupil being absent from school and therefore must treat the absence as authorised.
Schools can report a pupil's RTT using the link below.
Sickness returns
From August 2024, schools are required, as part of the statutory guidance Working together to improve school attendance, to inform the Local Authority of sickness returns.
Schools are required to provide the Local Authority with the full name and address of all pupils of compulsory school age who have been recorded with code I (illness) and who the school has reasonable grounds to believe will miss 15 days consecutively or cumulatively because of sickness
In the majority of cases it is anticipated that schools will ensure the appropriate provision is in place to enable pupils with health needs to have continuity of education that is reasonably accessible. Lincolnshire’s Medical Needs Policy provides more information.
This information will be used to form part of the discussion in your TSMs with the local authority and to provide strategies and signposting as required. However, if you require advice or guidance outside of these meetings please contact the Attendance team by emailing attendance@lincolnshire.gov.uk.
Schools are required to provide a return in each of the six terms in an academic year for all pupils this applies to.
Alternative Provision Notifications
Schools can make their own arrangements with Alternative Provision providers. However, local authorities are expected to have a good understanding of any Alternative Provision, regulated or unregulated, directly commissioned or purchased by schools.
To enable us to achieve this, we expect all Lincolnshire schools to complete and return information regarding all Alternative Provision providers you commission, which we do not arrange. For example, you do not need to complete this information for Springwell Academy or Pilgrim Hospital School.
Alternative Provision Guidance: guiding principles for Lincolnshire schools to ensure that children and young people benefit from high quality alternative provision, which is safe, secure and appropriate to their individual needs.
The return for each Alternative Provision provider you commission must be completed at the start of each academic year and then as and when you commission more, if applicable, throughout the year.