👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 For Parents & Carers

✅ Your Responsibilities

• Report your child’s absence by 9:00am on the first day of an unplanned absence.
• Call the school office on 0121 464 6921.
• Provide a clear reason for the absence (e.g. illness, appointment).
• For planned absences, submit a request in advance using the school’s leave form

🔄 Ongoing Absence

• If your child remains absent, please continue to contact the school daily.
• Let us know:
  • How your child is doing.
  • When they are expected to return.
• This helps us support your child and ensures their absence is correctly recorded.

📄 Medical Evidence

• If your child is absent for 4 or more days due to illness, the school may request:
  • A doctor’s appointment card.
  • A prescription slip.
  • A surgery stamp.
• You are not required to provide evidence, but if the school has reasonable doubt about the reason given, the absence may be recorded as unauthorised.
• The school will inform you before making this decision.

🏫 What school will do

📅 Day 1

• If no contact is received:
  • The parent/carer will be called
  • If still no response, second and third emergency contacts will be called.
  • If the your child is subject to a Child Protection Plan or is a Child in Need, school will inform the social worker
  • For any unexplained absence, where we cannot confirm a child's whereabouts or well-being, school will carry out a home visit

📅 Days 2–3

• School will continue to contact parents for updates, if they do not make contact with us
• If no explanation is received:
  • If the child’s whereabouts and wellbeing remain unknown, school will Escalate to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).
  • School will consider whether the situation meets the threshold for a referral to children’s social care.
  • If there is a genuine concern for the child’s safety, we will contact the police for a safe and well check

📅 Days 4–5 (Illness Only)

• School may request medical evidence if illness is the reason and absence continues.
• Acceptable forms:
  • Appointment card.
  • Prescription slip.
  • Surgery stamp.
• If no evidence is provided and absence is suspicious:
  • School will record as Code N, O (unauthorised), or G (holiday not agreed).
  • School will inform parents of the decision.

✅ When to Refer a Child to CME

Children Missing Education (CME) refers to children of school age who are not attending school and are not receiving education elsewhere. If a child is missing from school and we don’t know where they are or what education they’re receiving, we must report this to the local authority. This helps keep children safe and ensures they get the education they deserve.

If your child is moving school or leaving the area, please let us know so we can update records and avoid unnecessary concern.

A referral is appropriate if a child of compulsory school age:

1. Has 5 or more days of continuous unexplained absence, and:

   • Their whereabouts are unknown
   • They are not at their last known address
   • The school has exhausted reasonable enquiries to locate them

2. Has left school suddenly, and:

   • Their destination is unknown
   • There is no confirmed transfer to another school

3. Has moved away (within Birmingham, elsewhere in the UK, or abroad), and:

   • The family has not informed the school
   • The school cannot confirm the child is receiving suitable education elsewhere

4. Is at risk due to safeguarding concerns, and:

   • The school has significant concerns about the child’s welfare
   • The child may be missing from home or care (in this case, also refer to CASS and/or the Police)