Thousands of children were missing from education last year, report finds

As galore arsenic 300,000 children aged 5 to 15 were missing from acquisition successful England past year, a study from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) has found.

The figures - which comparison GP registrations with schoolhouse enrolment information - people a 40% summation successful unaccounted absences since 2017.

According to the EPI, an estimated 400,000 children are not successful school, a 50% summation successful 7 years. Of these, astir 95,000 are registered for location acquisition - treble the fig from 2017.

More than 50,000 students were besides recovered to person near the authorities education strategy by Year 11, with nary wide records explaining their exits.

Associate manager astatine EPI Whitney Crenna-Jennings said: "Many thousands of children are missing oregon spell missing from acquisition successful England - this is simply a captious contented that demands our attention."

The information shows that dropouts highest successful Year 10, conscionable earlier students instrumentality their GCSEs, making up astir a 5th of each exits.

The study besides states that susceptible groups, peculiarly teenagers, are disproportionately affected.

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Ms Crenna-Jennings added: "These children, often the astir vulnerable, look accrued risks of harm and mediocre outcomes.

"The authorities indispensable enactment crossed departments and information systems to guarantee each kid receives their ineligible entitlement to education."

The EPI says schools should papers reasons for de-registering students to amended oversight and forestall amerciable exclusions.

Campaigners had antecedently welcomed the registry for missing children successful the King's Speech, but this is inactive not compulsory.

The EPI besides recommends that determination is simply a mandatory registry by integrating information from education, wellness and different administrative information sources.

Data from the study uses GP registrations arsenic determination is presently nary information root capable to supply a definitive fig of children successful England.

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The caller information suggests that amended links betwixt antithetic sectors specified arsenic education, health, and section authorities are needed to way susceptible children better.

The study besides says much probe is needed to make interventions for preventing disengagement and enactment for the missing children.