Thousands of children missing from full-time schooling

Ofsted found many nearby authorities have been unable to track vulnerable youngsters for whom they had been responsible. Photograph: Alex Segre/Rex Functions

As a lot of as 10,000 college-aged young children in England could be “invisible” and missing out on full-time education, according to a survey by Ofsted that located numerous nearby authorities unable to track vulnerable youngsters for whom they were accountable.

The survey located a number of nearby authorities had been failing to meet statutory obligations to ensure that all children and young folks in their area were obtaining appropriate education, which includes individuals excluded or with psychological or physical disabilities.

Sir Michael Wilshaw, the head of the education specifications regulator and the chief inspector of schools, mentioned: “If no a single in authority is aware of what training these youngsters and young individuals get every week, or whether or not they even attend, they not only miss out on training but can be vulnerable to abuse.”

Wilshaw said it was unacceptable that 4 of the 15 regional authorities interviewed by Ofsted have been unable to inform inspectors how considerably schooling youngsters and youthful individuals in their area had been receiving or attending – even when offered an possibility to uncover the information.

“They did not have robust programs for tracking men and women for whom they are accountable and their aspiration for these children was minimal,” Wilshaw explained.

Of the 15 local authorities surveyed, only a third had comprehensive info about how and why many college-aged kids were missing from fulltime training.

Sarah Lambert, head of policy at the National Autistic Society, explained the report’s findings had been sobering. “Some mothers and fathers of young children with autism come to feel that they have no selection but to educate their little one at house due to the fact no suitable provision is obtainable, or since they come to feel the provision that is obtainable is harming their child,” Lambert stated.

“Sadly, when mother and father take their little one out of the college system they frequently discover that their nearby authority refuses to offer any additional educational support to educate their kid.”

The survey targeted on children who had left full-time college, like people excluded, had turn out to be pregnant, or had physical, psychological or other specific education requirements. It integrated youngsters returning from a custodial sentence, people who had moved in between regional authorities as well as those from a Traveller, Gypsy or Roma background.

In the situation of pupils permanently excluded, Ofsted inspectors found some of the colleges they visited had been excluding pupils with out following formal procedures. “This disregard for procedures and legal demands puts the kid at danger of not being protected,” the report mentioned.

The report recommended that all local authorities hold central data of youngsters outside of full-time training, and appoint a named particular person to consider obligation.

Thousands of children missing from full-time schooling