5.4.5 Absence and Missing from School |
SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER
This Chapter is new: June 2009.
It summarises what steps should be taken by carers in the event of a child being absent from school e.g. through sickness.
RELEVANT PROCEDURES
Procedures for arranging holidays and trips for children during school term are provided in: School Trips within the UK Procedure and Holidays and School Trips Outside the UK Procedure.
Procedures relating to children who are missing from school are provided in the London Child Protection Procedures: Supplementary Procedures Chapter 2, Safeguarding Children Missing from School.
The carer must notify the school and the social worker immediately if the child does not attend school for any reason.
In any case where the child has been absent from school for more than 10 days, the social worker should liaise with the school, the child, carers and others to address:
- the reasons for the absence
- how to ensure the child returns to education as soon as possible
- whether and how the child can be helped to catch up on what s/he has missed.
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