Children missing education (CME)
Children Missing Education (CME) is the term given to children who are of compulsory school age, but are not enrolled at a school or otherwise receiving a suitable education.
This does not include pupils who are:
- Suitably home educated
- On the roll of a school but are having difficulties with attendance
Children most often become CME when moving into a new area, or transitioning from one school to another. Sometimes a child may not start school when they reach compulsory school age, or when they arrive in a new area. This can be because parents are unaware of when and how to apply for a school place.
We will carry out enquiries to identify and support any children missing education in Southampton. We also seek to track pupils who have left the area, when a school have exhausted their own enquiries.
Schools, professionals or members of the community may wish to let us know of a potential Child Missing Education. They can do so using the Children Missing Education dropdown option on our contact form.
Southampton schools using Arbor or BromCom should submit a pupil leaver notification when a pupil leaves their school. Unless this is a normal phase transfer. This can be found as a dropdown option on our contact form.
| Document | Type | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Children Missing Education policy 2024 | 485.4 KB |
