Reception and Year 7 pupils who do not join your school as expected in September, and whose admission to another you have not been able to verify, must be treated as Children Missing Education. Rather than sending in individual children missing education (CME) referrals for pupils who do not arrive in September, as expected, a single return for all non-arrivals was introduced in September 2022. All schools are expected to complete this return as part of their CME duty.

September no show returns form

Please complete the September no shows return form and send it to CME@ealing.gov.uk by secure email with your school’s name and ‘September return’ as the title of the email.

The return can be sent in as soon as all enquiries have been completed for every non-arrival but must be sent in by 29 September 2023.

Schools can withdraw their offers once CME have confirmed receipt of the return. This should take no longer than ten school days from sending the return in to CME@ealing.gov.uk. Please be aware that enquiries must be completed by both the school and CME for all non-arrivals before you are able to withdraw their place.

CME enquiries must include the following:

As per all pupils you believe to be missing education, the school is expected to make enquiries to try to establish their whereabouts. Enquiries must begin within three days of the first absence. The enquiries must include:

• A check on SAM to see if place is still accepted
• Calls to all numbers held for the pupil's family and, if recorded prior to admission, their emergency contact
• Emails to all addresses held for the pupil’s family
• Checks on whether any known siblings are absent
• A letter must be sent to the pupil's home address on the third day of absence (See September non arrival letter template under downloads below)
• A home visit must be completed as soon as possible.
• You are welcome to send an email to mainroundadmission@ealing.gov.uk to see if another school has been offered. Please be aware that the Admissions team are unable to withdraw the place early and cannot make additional enquiries for you.
• Your Link Attendance Officer may be able to verify whether the family remain at the address.

For all other pupils not in Reception or Year 7 who do not return in September please follow the usual CME processes.