Truancy
Education Welfare Advisers give support and advice to parents and carers of young people with attendance difficulties and other matters affecting children's welfare at school.
We can work with families when a pupil is being considered by school governors for permanent exclusion from school and offer help in getting a place in another school if necessary. Our contact details are given below.
Truancy and your child
If your child is between five and 16 and is registered with a school, you are legally responsible for making sure they attend school regularly. Talking to your child and their teachers may help to stop truancy.
School attendance and the law
Local education authorities (LEAs) are legally responsible for making sure that parents of children aged between five and 16 provide their children with an education either at home or at school.
If your child is registered with a school but is not regularly attending, an Education Welfare Officer may come to visit you. If you do not co-operate with the Education Welfare Officer and school, the LEA may impose an Education Supervision Order through a court. This order appoints a supervisor to help and give advice to you and your child.
Repeated truancy can result in fines and possibly even time in prison for parents. Prosecution can result in a fine of up to £2,500, a jail sentence of up to three months or a community sentence.
Education Welfare Officers, police officers and headteachers can issue penalty notices to parents of up to £100. If you do not pay a penalty fine, you could be prosecuted.
Truancy: what you can do
You can help to prevent your child from skipping school by: making sure your child understands the importance of good attendance and getting to school on time; taking an interest in your child’s education – ask about school work and encourage involvement in school activities; listening to your child when they tell you about problems at school and informing their teacher or headteacher about serious problems.
If your child starts missing school against your wishes, first talk to their teacher or form tutor. They might be able to advise you about problems that your child may be having at school. You can also talk to an Education Welfare Adviser by calling 020 8753 2877.
For more information about truancy issues and attendance initiatives telephone 020 8753 2877.
Find out more about school attendance and your responsibilities here
Find more information on truancy from the Parents' Centre
Education Welfare Advisers are also responsible for child protection issues within schools. Schools and nurseries are required by law to report all cases of actual or suspected child abuse to the Education Welfare Advisory Service, who will pass on the concern to the Social Services Department. A leaflet is available from the address below which explains the procedures in more detail.
