Attendance

The Education Welfare Service promotes the importance of regular school attendance and investigates the causes of poor attendance, working with parents and carers, school staff and other agencies, including the courts, to restore attendance. An Education Welfare Officer is available to every Barnsley school to help in the drive to improve and maintain pupil attendance. Court action is processed by the Education Welfare Service, on behalf of the Local Education Authority, and in the interests of the pupil, when parents or carers are failing to fulfil their legal obligations to provide an appropriate education.

Advice and guidance is available to parents and carers on all aspects of school attendance. If you are concerned about your child's attendance, contact the Education Welfare Service through your child's school (the staff there will know who their Education Welfare Officer is and how to make contact).

Guidance for Parents

Parents and the LEA have clear duties and responsibilities. The duty of a parent, in relation to the education of their children, is found in the Education Act 1996, Section 7 of which says: "The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him / her to receive efficient full time education suitable to his / her age ability and aptitude, and to any special educational needs he / she may have, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise." These pages contain important information about parents' duties and responsibilities in relation to school attendance.

There can be all sorts of reasons why young people are late or absent from school without permission. Education Welfare Service staff will listen to parents and pupils and take their concerns seriously. A young person may be staying away from school because they can't catch up with their work, because they feel that someone is giving them a hard time or because they are being bullied. These are things that we can help pupils and their schools to sort out together. Sometimes things can be solved quite quickly and, at other times, we have to work together for longer to sort things out, so that everyone is happy and no-one is breaking the law on attendance. Every year the Education Welfare Service helps young people and their families to:

• get back on track;
• sort out problems at school;
• develop their self respect and confidence;
• get the best deal from what is on offer.

We understand the pressures and difficulties that happen in every family, from time to time, and we have years of experience in helping families. Education Welfare staff work:

• with school staff and with teams supporting special educational needs, improving behaviour, managing exclusions and extended work experience;
• with the health service, social services, police, youth and Connexions service.

We are more effective by working together. We offer support and guidance through:

• a school visiting service;
• a home visiting service;
• an appointments service.
• School Attendance Law - supporting attendance with the law

Penalties and Orders available to the Courts

The Education Welfare Service (EWS) has a statutory responsibility to ensure parents and carers cause their children to receive a full time education appropriate to their age, ability, aptitude and any special educational needs, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise. When children or young people are on the roll of a school, and have a high level of unauthorised absence, and the difficulty has not been resolved by the intervention of the school, they may be referred to the named Education Social Worker for that school. Similarly, if a parent fails to secure a school place for their child, and is not educating otherwise than at school, the EWS has a responsibility to ensure that the parent/carer registers their child at a school. As part of their social work intervention, the Education Welfare Service may have recourse to use the following legislative tools:

Section 444(1), Education Act 1996

Parents and carers can be fined for failing to ensure their children attend regularly, at a school where they are registered pupils. Fines can be up to a maximum of £2,500 per parent per child plus costs. This offence also carries a custodial sentence (up to 3 months imprisonment).

Education Supervision Order

A young person can be made the subject of an Education Supervision Order, for persistent failure to attend school. This order empowers the Supervising Officer to make "reasonable directions". In Barnsley, the Supervising Officer is an Education Welfare Officer.

School Attendance Orders

This order names the school that the LEA requires the young person to attend, in cases where the parent has failed to secure a school place. If the parent does not comply with the order, a fine may be imposed in the Magistrates Court.

Parenting Orders

These orders may be made against parents, or guardians, to help them address the young persons offending behaviour or failure to attend school. Parents may be obliged to attend counselling or guidance sessions for up to 3 months, or to exercise particular controls over their children. Breach of the order is a criminal offence.

For further information please contact:

Education Welfare
Tel: (01226) 773543 or 773547
Email: education@barnsley.gov.uk

• Surestart