School attendance
Addressing attendance is the responsibility of schools whether located within Lambeth or out of borough. Pupil attendance levels should be maintained at a level over 95%, any pupil achieving 85% or less is classed as a persistent absentee and schools will escalate the issue towards prosecution.
Who can use an Education Welfare Officer (EWO)?
The Multi Agency Teams (MATs) allocate Education Welfare Officer support to schools once the school has followed the Attendance Intervention Model (AIM) to address the lack of attendance.
How is a child/young person referred to an EWO?
Schools refer pupils to the MAT via a Common Assessment Framework form and allocation will occur prior to escalating the issue towards Court.
School must provide evidence of following the AIM process including:
- a Common Assessment Framework form (CAF)
- school warning letters
- 2 court warning letters
- evidence of a School Attendance Panel (SAP) meeting
- a log of phone calls made following absences
- a PSP / Parenting Contract (where one exists)
- an Attendance Certificate -see Attendance toolkit.
Why is a child/young person referred to an EWO?
If a child or young person is persistently absent from school at which they are registered at, the school must identify those children to ensure that there are no safeguarding issues and that there are no barriers to learning.
If a school has exhausted early intervention/prevention strategies to engage the parent and child or young person, then a referral will be made to the MAT.
What does an EWO do?
An EWO might contact the parent or carer by telephone/in writing to set a time to carry out a home visit with the intent of identifying the underlying causes of poor attendance.
The EWO will also check that the school have followed the AIM process correctly and have provided appropriate evidence.
Once the case is ready for escalation the EWO will formally refer the matter to the Courts Manager, for further information see the Attendance Intervention Model document.
What does the Courts Manager do?
The Courts Manager will invite the parent or carer, school and EWO to a court panel meeting. At the meeting the parent or carer will be cautioned and informed of the possibility of a £2500 fine and/or a prison sentence if the attendance of their child does not improve. A review period will be set, normally 15 school days, in order for improvement in attendance to be made. If there is no improvement then a Court summons will be issued confirming the court date.
For further information see the Non-Attendance at School and the Prosecution of Parents document.
What happens at court?
If you have pleaded guilty or you are found guilty, the sentencing options available to the magistrates can be a combination of the following:
- A fine - up to £2,500
- A Conditional Discharge - You will be given a set amount of time in which to improve your child's attendance. Should you fail, we may bring a further prosecution against you and, if found guilty, you will be sentenced for both offences
- An Absolute Discharge - The case is proved but you will not be subject to a penalty, although you will receive a conviction
- Deferred Sentence - A new court date will be arranged, during which time you will be expected to have taken steps to improve your child's school attendance. Sentence will be passed at this new hearing
- Imprisonment - Only for the more serious (aggravated) offence but it can be for up to 3 months
- Parenting Order - The magistrates may order you to attend parenting classes
- Education Supervision Order -The Court may also direct that the County Council consider making an application for an Education Supervision Order (ESO).
If your child returns to school and attends regularly, no further legal action will be taken against you.
For advice in the following areas follow the links:
Contact details
Stuart Boffin
Courts Manager
4th Floor International House
Canterbury Crescent
London SW9 7QE
Telephone: 020 7926 9614
Email: sboffin@lambeth.gov.uk
Geraldine Abrahams
Head of South East MAT
7th Floor International House
Canterbury Crescent
London SW9 7QE
Telephone: 020 7926 5724
Email: gabrahams@lambeth.gov.uk
Claudia Smith
Head of North MAT
110 Union Rd
London SW8 2SH
Telephone: 020 7926 9687
Email: csmith2@lambeth.gov.uk
Laurence Hime
Head of South West MAT
2nd Floor, Hopton House
243a Streatham High Road
London SW16 6EY
Telephone: 020 7926 9658
Email: lhime@lambeth.gov.uk