When to remove a pupil from roll?

Here is the guide on when you can safely remove a pupil from roll. For statutory guidance read Working together to improve school attendance (GOV.UK). Here is flowchart on when to remove a pupil from roll.

Did you know the pupil was leaving?

No. Then they are an unknown leaver

Have you been able to contact parent by the third day of absence?

• If yes; this is an attendance issue. Please contact your link attendance officer for help.
• If no, please refer to the CME process

Yes. Then they are a known leaver

Have the pupil’s parents completed a leaver’s form with all of the required information?

No, a leavers form was not completed

• Insist they complete a leaver's form.
• If they refuse, remind them that this is statutory information required by the government, and you will have to refer the pupil to CME if it is not received.
• If you cannot get the parent to complete a leaver's form within three days of the pupil leaving the school, please refer to the CME process

Yes, a leaver’s form was completed. Where has the pupil moved to?

Abroad

If you have it in writing from the parent that the pupil is moving abroad and will not be returning to the UK, you are welcome to remove them from roll immediately. However, the required information1 must be collected within ten school days and you must refer the pupil if you cannot do so via the reasonable enquiry form.

Has not moved or is still close enough to travel to current school

Pupil should not be removed from roll and should continue to attend until they are admitted to a new school. This is an attendance issue. Please contact your Link Attendance Officer for help.

Still lives in Ealing but has been withdrawn to be electively home educated

If the pupil has been withdrawn to be home educated, please refer them to Ben Lundy (blundy@ealing.gov.uk) and Debby Legg (dlegg@ealing.gov.uk) in the Elective Home Education team using the forms available on EGFL. The parent does not need to put the notification of this in writing, but it is helpful if they are happy to provide it. The school should offer the parent a meeting to discuss their decision to home educate, but the parent is not obliged to accept. You can remove the pupil from roll once the Elective Home Education team have advised they have added them to their register.

Has moved within the UK, but too far to continue travelling to current school

If they have moved too far to attend, you can take them off roll as soon as you have confirmation that they have applied for a new school place with their new local authority or county council. You can ask the parent to send you confirmation of this (a forwarded confirmation email or screenshot) or contact the Admissions team in their new local authority or county council. If you are unable to confirm whether the parent has applied within ten school days and making reasonable enquiries.

Notes

• The pupil’s new address, the details of their new school and the name and contact details of the parent the child will be living with are a statutory requirement. This information must be sent to the Local Authority for every leaver, via a Gateway notification before the pupil is removed from roll on your MIS, or via the your weekly Leavers and Joiners returns if this is not possible. If the child will not be living with a parent, please ensure you record the details of the adult they will be living with, and check whether this constitutes a Private Fostering arrangement.
• You should confirm that the child has been admitted to their new school, and it is best practice to request copies of the travel documents for every child who is leaving the UK to live abroad. If you are unable to obtain the statutory information, or confirmation that the child has been enrolled at their new school, please refer them to CME.
• A template leaver’s form can be found here. If you use your own leaver’s form, please make sure it contains the same fields/information.
• The DfE states this is a maximum travelling time of 75 minutes. For further information please see Travel to school for children of compulsory school age. In Ealing we suggest a 30-minute travel time for primary school pupils. However, each case should be considered individually depending on the family circumstances and difficulty of the journey.
• Forms for referring a pupil who has been withdrawn to be home educated to the relevant team can also be found on EGFL.

Pupils with EHCPs

Children with EHCP’s in a special school, cannot be removed from roll without the permission from the Ealing SEN team except in the case of pupils abroad on extended, unauthorised leave abroad where the process has been completed and permission has been given by your Link Attendance Officer/the CME Officer. For further information please see EGFL.

Until the pupil has been allocated a new provision by their new Local Authority they must remain on your roll, as your school will remain the named provision. This is the case for all pupils with EHCPs. Please remember that your school remains responsible for safeguarding while they remain on your roll. Regular contact with both the parents and the child is recommended (video calls are best wherever possible). It is also advisable to contact the SEN team in the pupil’s new Local Authority as soon as possible to request an estimate on how long their consultation process may take, and what resources they can provide in the meantime to help you meet the requirements of the pupil’s EHCP while you remain their named provision. Can they provide transport to and from the school if it is not too far? Is there equipment they can provide (wobble cushions, laptops etc.) that are appropriate? Will they provide access to outside therapies specified in the EHCP until the pupil is allocated a new school place?

All pupils with an EHCP who are being withdrawn to be Home Educated, must have the approval of the SEN team. Please contact the pupil’s SEN Coordinator (EHCCo) to let them know.

Pupils who have a social worker

Please ensure that the Social Worker of any leaver who has one is informed before they are removed from roll. Your school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead will have a list of all the pupils in your school that have a Social Worker.

Pupils who are CLA

Where a CLA child or young person has been placed out of borough long term, and will not be returning to your school, but has not yet been placed please contact their Virtual School teacher for permission to remove them from roll. This only applies if the pupil does not also have an EHCP. If the pupil also has an EHCP their Social Worker should be in contact with the SEN Team in their new Local Authority to ensure a new provision is allocated. Please contact them for progress during this process.