DOZENS of children in Barnsley are regularly missing education, prompting a headteachers’ union to call for more to be done to get youngsters back into school.
Department for Education figures have revealed that around 60 children were missing education this autumn school term, slightly up from 50 two years prior.
This represents about 0.2 per cent of children in the area.
Of those, ten had been missing education for between 26 weeks and a year.
Children deemed to be missing education are those of compulsory school age who are not registered at a school and are not receiving suitable education somewhere else.
This includes children who are currently awaiting a school place and those local authorities are supporting to place into suitable education.
However, it does not include pupils who are receiving suitable home education, nor those who are registered at a school but are persistently absent.
National figures show 39,200 children were missing education across England during this year’s autumn school term, up 59 per cent from 24,700 over the same period in 2022/23.
This means 0.5 per cent of children in the country were missing education this autumn, compared to 0.3 per cent two years before.
It also means that Barnsley’s figures are better than the national average.
Records of the number of children missing education by local authorities only began in autumn 2022, and became mandatory in autumn 2024 which was the first time all local authorities across England provided figures.
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the number of children missing education is ‘extremely worrying’.
He said: “In addition to learning loss, many of these children may also be experiencing very difficult personal circumstances which impact on their welfare such as homelessness, or mental health problems.
“It is vital that everything possible is done to support these young people and help get them back into school as soon as possible.”
Dan Paskins, executive director of policy, advocacy and campaigns at Save the Children UK, said the figures are ‘shocking’ and urged the government to address the rising number of children missing education across the country.
He said: “There is more the UK government can do to address these alarming absence rates, and providing further help for families with the cost of living is crucial.”
Nearly half of children missing education across the country this autumn were in years eight to 11 18,900 pupils which are key to GCSE exam preparation.
Across England, 149,900 children were missing education at some point during the 2023/24 academic year, up 58 per cent from 94,900 two years before.
Coun Trevor Cave, cabinet spokesperson for children’s services, said: “Children and young people missing education are amongst the most vulnerable, so it’s vital that practitioners in all services work together to identify and re-engage these children and young people back into appropriate education as quickly as possible.
“Barnsley’s Education Welfare Service co-ordinates the arrangements to identify pupils who are not registered in a school, missing from education or not receiving a suitable education.
“All children, regardless of their circumstances, are entitled to an efficient, full-time education which is suitable to their age, ability, aptitude, and any special educational needs they may have.
“We have secure arrangements in place with our partners locally, other local authorities and with national organisations.
“These include education settings and schools, children’s social care, housing providers, youth justice services, health, HMRC, police and border force.
“Partners are committed to ensuring the effective implementation of the children missing education (CME) process to make sure all children have access to education and those that are missing education are identified and transitioned back into education as soon as possible.”
