The Education (Pupil Registration) Regulations 2006 Margaret Smith – Lead Attendance Officer Nigel Shaddick - Senior Education Welfare Officer

Registers Schools must have 2 Registers An Admission Register An Attendance Register [Regulation 4] The names of all children on the Admission Register must also appear on the Attendance Register.

Admission Register An alphabetical list of all pupils in the school containing the following details for each pupil: Legal Name in full (may add ‘to be known as’ ) Gender Name & Address of every person known to be a Parent of that child, noting the parent with whom the pupil usually resides. And at least 1 telephone number at which a parent can be contacted in an emergency Date of Birth Date of admission or re-admission. Name and address of the school last attended, if any.

When a Pupil is placed on the roll of a school Under the new Regulations a pupil must now be registered on the admissions and attendance from: “ the beginning of the first day on which the school has agreed OR has been notified that the pupil will attend the school” [Regulation 5 (3)]

Every entry in the Admission Register (paper versions) shall be in ink and any corrections made in such a manner that the original entry and correction are clearly distinguishable. Many schools will be using an electronic system to record the Admission Register. This will be acceptable providing it can be produced as an Admission Register. Regulation 15(2) states that “an additional back-up copy of the admission and attendance register is made not less than once a month in the form of an electronic, micro-fiche or printed copy.”

Retention of Registers Every entry in an Admission or Attendance Register shall be preserved for a period of 3 years after the date of the entry being made. [Regulation 14]

Attendance Register The Attendance Register shall record, at the beginning of the morning session and once during the afternoon session, whether a pupil is present, absent or attending an approved activity. For pupils of compulsory school age the register will record whether the absence is ‘authorised’ or ‘unauthorised’.

Absences shall be authorised IF: a)Leave of absence has been granted by the school in accordance with Regulation 7. b) By reason of sickness or any unavoidable cause c) On a day of religious observance by the religious body to which the parent belongs d)Because the school is not within walking distance [2 miles for a child under the age of 8; 3 miles over 8] Where the reason for a pupil’s absence cannot be established when the register is taken, that absence shall be recorded as ‘Unauthorised’

Leave of Absence Regulation 7 Leave of absence may only be granted by the person authorised in that behalf by the proprietor of the school Leave of absence shall not be granted to enable a pupil to undertake employment [paid or unpaid] during school hours except:- a) for the purpose of performing within the meaning of Section 37 Children & Young Persons Act 1963[7], under the authority of a licence granted by that LA b) for the purpose of employment abroad as mentioned in Section 25 of the Children & Young Persons Act 1933[8], where a licence has been granted under that section by a Justice of the Peace.

Leave of Absence Holidays in Term Time Regulation 7 (3) Subject to (4), a pupil may be granted leave of absence from the school to enable the pupil to go away on holiday where – a) An application has been made in advance to the proprietor by a parent with whom the pupil normally resides AND b) The proprietor considers that leave of absences should be granted due to the special circumstances relating to that application.

Deletions from the Register Registered as per School Attendance Order and another school substituted by the LA (a) Pupil has been registered at another school (b) Parent has written to school, notifying that pupil is receiving education otherwise (d) Pupil no longer resides within reasonable distance from the school (e) Admitted for nursery education and not transferred to reception (n) School Medical Officer has certified that pupil unfit to return to school before SSLA (g) Continuous absence for a period of not less than 20 school days & enquiries have failed to locate (h) Pupil is detained by Final Order of the Court, that order being for a period not less than 4 months (l) Pupil has ceased to be SSLA (k) Pupil is permanently excluded (m) Failure to return from holiday (f) Pupil has died (j)

Use of Computers Both Admission and Attendance Registers maybe kept by means of computer. A print must be made of the Attendance Register at least once a month and of the Admission Register at least once a year Where any correction to an original entry is made prints of the register made after correction must clearly show the correction.

Inspection of Registers Regulation 10 Admission and Attendance registers of every school shall be available for inspection during school hours by: OFSTED Inspector An Officer of the Local Authority authorised for the purpose (Education Welfare Officer) Extracts from registers: The persons authorised by Regulation 10 to inspect the registers of any school shall be permitted to make extracts from those registers for the purpose of their functions under the Education Acts. (Regulation 11)

Returns to LA Schools are required to notify the LA (Education) of any pupil of compulsory school age a) fails to attend school regularly OR b) has been absent for a continuous period of not less than 10 school days where the absence has not been treated as authorised. Exemptions to this are 1)where pupil attends another school 2)where the pupil was attending an approved education activity