Action needed to keep children in state education

A report from the children’s commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza has found that an estimated 10,181 children left the state education system to unknown destinations between spring 2021/22 and spring 2022/23.

And an estimated 2,868 children left the state education system and became a child missing education, meaning they were not registered at a school or receiving an education elsewhere.

An estimated 13,120 children left the state education system for home education. This was often a forced choice influenced by shortcomings in support for children with SEND, the report found.

The children's commissioner's analysis showed that children known to social care were much more likely to become a child missing education, compared to their peers. The proportion of children missing education recorded as a child in need was 2.7 times higher than the proportion of child in
need recorded among pupils in state-funded school.

And children living in most disadvantaged areas were much more likely to be a child missing education.

The report calls for a more inclusive school system and more support for schools to improve of school attendance. The report calls for the government to introduce family liaison officers for all schools and roll out national training for existing family liaison officers. These officers should develop relationships with families and help children to access the support they need to engage with education.

The report also calls on the government to introduce updated guidance on alternative provision which details clear expectations around how schools and local authorities should proactively commission alternative provision to help children to reengage in education. This guidance should make clear who
should pay for alternative provision and how safeguarding duties will be met when a child remains on the school roll. The guidance should also make clear what steps the commissioner should follow to assess the suitability of alternative provision. The government should ensure that local authorities have sufficient funds to do so.

The government should also introduce a register of all unregistered alternative provision with clear minimum standards and mechanisms for quality assurance.