West Sussex County Council: Truancy

All children of statutory school age (between ages 5-16) must receive an education appropriate to their needs. Briefly this means that the child’s parents or carers must ensure that the child is registered in a school and attends regularly or that appropriate alternative provision is in place.

The majority of children and young people access their education through the school system, attend regularly and achieve well. A minority of pupils become involved in incidents of truancy.

How could truancy affect my child?

• S/he may find trouble in keeping up with schoolwork.
• S/he will miss out on the important social side of school, friendships, social activities, clubs, sport etc. which all help them to prepare for adult life.
• S/he may become victims of crime or abuse.
• S/he may be drawn into antisocial behaviour, or crime. Research shows that children who fail to attend their school on a regular basis or persistently truant are less likely to achieve well and more likely to become involved in anti social behaviour and crime.
• S/he will be more likely to be unemployed on leaving school.

What can I do to prevent truancy?

• Set good patterns of attendance and punctuality from the time your child starts school.
• Keep in regular contact with school, attending parents’ evenings etc. so that your child knows that you care about their progress.
• Keep school informed if your child has to be absent for a genuine reason such as illness. Contact school on the first day of absence so that staff know that your child is safe.
• Support the school in their efforts to control poor behaviour and encourage your child to understand and obey school rules.
• Don’t keep your child off school for birthdays, shopping trips or treats or non-urgent medical and dental appointments. These can all be made when school is closed.
• Avoid taking holidays in term time as this can unsettle your child and make it difficult for them to catch up on the work missed.

What should I do if my child truants?

• Don’t cover up or make excuses.
• Let them know that you do not approve.
• Contact the school to discuss any problems your child may be encountering.
• Ask to be put in touch with the Education Welfare Officer for your child’s school. They will be able to offer advice and support your son or daughter if they are experiencing any problems.

What are the legal consequences if my child truants?

• The Local Authority is responsible for checking that children registered at a school and of compulsory school age attend regularly. The Education Welfare Officer for your child’s school will follow up incidents of poor attendance and will be willing to work closely with you to try to overcome the truancy.
• If your child persistently truants or fails to attend school regularly the Local Authority may decide on taking legal action to ensure their attendance.
• There are various actions that the Local Authority may take these include an application to the Court for an Education Supervision Order or a School Attendance Order, the imposing of a Fixed Penalty Fine of £50 or £100 or a prosecution which could lead to a fine of up to £2,500 or imprisonment.

Truancy Sweeps

Truancy sweeps take place on a regular basis in West Sussex and are a partnership between the Police and the Education Welfare Service. Pupils who are found to be out of school for no good reason can be returned to school.

Adults accompanying pupils will be asked for an explanation as to why they are absent. Information is fed back to schools and follow up checks on the pupil’s attendance are made. If you are questioned by a Police Officer and Education Welfare Officer please cooperate with them and understand that the exercise is designed to reduce truancy and ensure that children make best use of their educational opportunities.