ACE guidance documents on school attendance, children in employment and entertainment, elective home education, children missing education, and exclusions.
Privacy statement for ACE reference manual
Section 1 - Supporting school attendance
Information for parents, carers, school staff and other professionals working with school age children in relation to absences from school.
In addition to an attendance policy, the section includes actions school staff may take to support improving attendance, guidance on school register keeping, registration codes, authorisation of absences and guidance explaining when it is permissible to remove a child's name from a school roll. Support and help for individual children with attendance issues can be got from the Early Help teams.
1-2, Register keeping (pdf 88KB)
1-5, Attendance contract template (word 19KB)
1-6, Register inspection form (word 21KB)
1-7, Removal from school roll (pdf 84KB)
1-9, Record of untraceable child (word 23KB)
Section 2 - Children missing education (CME)
CME are children who have no education provision - this does not include children who have a school place but are not attending. Information can be found in this section in relation to what will be done by the local authority to ensure a child has a place in a school or establish what provision they are in. Information is also available here in relation to missing children and what checks need to be done before they are deemed untraceable.
2-2, CME policy August 2021 (pdf 2MB)
2-3, Referral form for child missing education (CME) (word 88KB)
Section 3 – Legal action
Local authorities have a responsibility to ensure all statutory school age children, living in the area they cover, have education provision. Parents and carers are responsible in law for making sure their children are in school or receiving a suitable education. This section contains information on the processes the Local Authority will follow if legal action in relation to a child's poor attendance needs to be taken. This may involve prosecuting parents and carers. There is also information for schools, parents and carers explaining penalty notices – a fine that can be imposed on parents and carers for their child's absences from school.
3-2, Guidelines for school initiated prosecutions (pdf 136KB)
3-3, Referral to ACE for legal action (word 19KB)
3-7, ACE Penalty notice frequently asked questions (pdf 99KB)
Section 4 – Exclusions and suspensions from school
Exclusions are sanction head teachers can use if they believe a child's behaviour warrants a time away from school. Head teachers must tell the local authority immediately if they have decided to permanently exclude a child. This section includes guidance for schools on the exclusion process, with links to relevant DfE guidance.
There is also a set of template letters for schools to use to communicate with parents and carers when they have decided to exclude a child from school. The referral form used to ensure any child who has been permanently excluded from school is referred to alternative provision is also available in this section.
4-8, Primary Permanent Exclusion Referral form (word 25KB)
4-9, Secondary Permanent Exclusion Referral form (word 26KB)
Section 5 – Elective home education (EHE)
Parents and carers legally have to ensure their child is in receipt of a suitable education but this does not have to be in a school, some will choose to electively home educate their child. If a child has previously been on roll at a school, parents and carers must confirm their intention to EHE in writing to the head teacher of the school. Some guidance is available here for parents and carers who are considering or have decided to EHE and our policy on EHE is also available here.
5-1, Elective home education guidance for parents (pdf 268KB)
5-2, Elective home education policy (pdf 175KB)
5-3, Elective home education policy questions (97KB)
5-4, Elective home education flowchart revised 2021 (pdf 180KB)
5-5, Elective home education information sheet revised September 2023 (word 47KB)
5-6, Elective home education - Professionals background report
5-8, H&F Unregistered Schools Strategy April 2018 (pdf)
Section 6 - Children in entertainment and employment
Some children have part time work and others are involved in entertainment productions or modelling. Although this is allowed, to ensure all children are kept safe and not exploited, the local authority has to follow very strict guidance and procedures to protect children. Further information in relation to this can be found here.
6-1, Child employment overview (pdf 116KB)
6. 2a. Entertainment Standard Application Form (doc 44KB)
6-4, Restrictions in relation to all performances (pdf)
Section 7 - ACE information leaflets for parents, carers, school staff and children
This section contains a range of leaflets which are designed to help everyone understand the different issues that might be impacting on a child's access to education or their welfare. School and support staff can use the leaflets in their work with children and young people, and parents and carers have found them a useful source of information on a variety of issues.
7-3, School children and part time work - Information and advice for children (pdf 53KB)
7-4, Do you know of a child who you believe is not receiving education? (pdf 43KB)
7-5, Lateness - it does you no favours - Information and advice for children (pdf 49KB)
7-6, Minor sickness and school attendance - A guide for parents and carers (pdf 47KB)
7-7, Attendance at nursery school (pdf 45KB)
7-9, Absence due to religious observance - Information for parents and carers (pdf 43KB)
7-10, Safeguarding and child protection - Information and advice for chaperones (pdf 56KB)
7-13, Young people who are responsible for others at home (pdf 50KB)
7-14, Young people who are responsible for others at home - information for staff (pdf 49KB)
7-15, Employing a private tutor or using a supplementary school (pdf 144KB)