Dealing with truancy

When a pupil fails to attend school without their parent's knowledge, or leaves the school after registration and without permission, they're truanting. This will be recorded as an unauthorised absence.

The Early Help Inclusion Manager, together with the Metropolitan Police, regularly undertake truancy patrols ^{(PDF, 21kb)} of the borough. Students who are found truanting are removed from the streets and returned either to school or a designated place of safety until a responsible adult arrives to collect them. The matter is then followed-up by the Early Help Education Welfare Officer. Adults with young people may also be stopped and asked to confirm the reason for the young person's absence from school.

If you think your child might be truanting from school, contact their class teacher, head of year or the headteacher.

They can work with you and your child to find out why they're not attending. If necessary, they can involve Southwark's integrated child support service to help resolve the situation.

Parents whose children fail to attend school and who refuse to cooperate with the school or the integrated child support service, face prosecution.

This could lead to an appearance in the magistrates' court, a criminal record and a fine of up to £2,500 or up to three months in prison.

Page last updated: 07 September 2017