Statutory responsibilities

As part of out statutory offer, local authority maintained schools will receive education welfare officer contact to make sure that the service and the school work together to meet the statutory responsibilities.

Statutory services

We provide the following services:

• Tracking cases where children are missing from education.
  
  
• Managing and tracking of children whose parents have chosen to electively home educate them.
  
  
• Managing fixed penalty notice arrangements.
  
  
• Pursuing of cases through the legal framework in line with current legislation when early intervention fails to improve attendance. This includes the School Attendance Panel and the submission of written evidence to court.
  
  
• Issuing of child employment and performance licences.

Objectives in our core areas of work to help us meet our statutory responsibilities

• To make sure children of compulsory school age receive a suitable education. This is by regular attendance or otherwise.
  
  
• To enforce school attendance under Sections 444, 444A and 444ZA of the Education Act 1996.
  
  
• To undertake enforcement under Section 103 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006.
  
  
• To instigate proceedings under Section 444 of the Education Act 1996.
  
  
• To consider applying for an Education Supervision Order (ESO) before starting legal proceedings against parents and/or carers and delivering directions.
  
  
• To support school improvement through promoting regular attendance at schools/academies. This is as a pre-requisite to raising levels of achievement for pupils in line with Department for Education (DfE) statutory guidance and Ofsted’s inspection framework.
  
  
• To undertake the council's statutory duty in relation to school attendance and children missing from education under:
  • Education Act 1996
  • School Standards and Framework Act 1998
  • Education (Pupil Registration) Regulations 2006 
    
    
• To fulfil statutory duties in relation to child employment under:
  • Children and Young Persons Act 1933 (as amended)
  • Children (Protection at Work) Regulations 2000
  • Barnsley Council employment of children byelaws, children in entertainment and licensing of chaperones
    
    
• To ensure schools/academies are compliant with:
  • Education (Pupil Registration - England) Regulations 2006
  • Section 434 and 551 of the Education Act 1996
    
    
• To assist in fulfilling the obligations placed on the local authority under the Children Act 1989 in relation to:
  • child protection
  • the children in need assessment framework
  • education supervision orders
  • looked after children
    
    
• To ensure that vulnerable children and young people, (identified by schools/academies, parents, carers, self, or other agencies) are supported to access their education where there are issues relating to attendance.
  
  
• To ensure that schools and academies comply with section 157/175 of the Education Act 2002 regarding their safeguarding responsibilities.