Parents and carers are by far the most important influence on children’s lives and learning and it is parents and carers who are responsible for making sure their child is educated.
Attending and taking part in learning – wherever learning takes place – is fundamental to making sure that our young people become successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens.
Scotland’s children and young people need to be included, engaged and involved throughout their education. This booklet helps you, as parents and carers, understand how you can help to achieve this.
The Scottish Government wants all children and young people to feel happy, safe and secure at school. We want to make sure children and young people receive day to day or additional support to attend school and engage in their learning.
Pupil Absence Reporting
Glasgow’s mainstream primary and secondary schools operate a generic pupil absence reporting phone line during the school week.
If you have to report your child off school for any reason then you should phone 0141 287 0039 and provide the details requested by the operator. The operator will then make sure the information is passed on to your child’s school.
If your child attends an additional support for learning school or a Glasgow nursery then you should continue to phone your child’s school/ nursery directly to report the absence.
Can my child be referred to the Children’s Reporter if there are problems with school attendance?
If a school feels that it cannot successfully work with you to improve your child’s attendance at school it might involve other services like Social Work or Children’s Services in the Council or a voluntary sector agency who it works with to support families. Then, if the school feels that there is still not enough cooperation and progress – and it has other worries about your child on top of not attending school – it might decide to make a referral to the Children’s Reporter.
The Reporter is the person who will decide if a child needs to be referred to a Children’s Hearing. Children’s Hearings are a way of addressing all kinds of situations where a child or young person is in need of care and protection or if they have committed an offence. Anyone who is concerned about a child or young person can tell the Children’s Reporter about their worries.
When the Reporter gets a referral, she/he must make an initial investigation before deciding what action, if any, is necessary in the child’s interests. The Reporter decides on the next step. She or he might decide:
- That no further action is required. The Reporter will write to the child/young person and usually the parent to tell them of this decision.
- To refer the child or young person to the local authority so that advice, guidance and assistance can be given on an informal and voluntary basis. This usually involves support from a social worker.
Arrange a Children’s Hearing because she/he considers that compulsory measures of supervision are necessary for the child. If the Reporter decides a Hearing is necessary, decisions about the child’s needs are made by a Children’s Hearing which is made up of three members of the public who have received training. The Reporter gets information about the child to help them make a decision – they might speak to a social worker if the child has one, or their teacher. There is more information about Children’s Hearings at: www.childrens-hearings.co.uk
