Children Missing Education (CME)

Children Missing Education (CME) are children of compulsory school age (5 to 16) who are:

not registered at a school, and
not receiving suitable education otherwise (for example, home education or alternative provision)

These children are at greater risk of:

underachieving academically
becoming victims of harm, exploitation, or radicalisation
becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) later in life

Local Authority Responsibilities

Under Section 436A of the Education Act 1996, local authorities have a legal duty to:

identify children in their area who are not receiving education
make arrangements to ensure these children are supported back into suitable education

This includes:

making reasonable enquiries to locate children
working with schools, health services, police, and other agencies
keeping accurate records and tracking transitions between schools

Why it matters

Every child has the right to a good education. When a child is not in school and not learning elsewhere, they can:

miss out on important learning and friendships
be more vulnerable to exploitation or harm
struggle to catch up later in life

How parents can help

You can help by:

making sure your child is registered and attending school regularly
letting the school know if you move or change contact details
informing the school if your child is going to be absent for any reason

When to report a CME concern

You should contact the local authority if:

a child has stopped attending school and their whereabouts are unknown
you know a child who is not in school and not being educated at home
a family has moved into the area but the child is not enrolled in a school
a child is being withdrawn from school and no alternative education is confirmed
you know a child who is not in school and not being educated at home

West Berkshire residents or professionals can report CME concerns by contacting the Education Attendance Team / CME Officer: cme@westberks.gov.uk.

Complete our CME online referral form here.

Further information

For more details, you can refer to the Department for Education's statutory guidance on CME.