Children unable to attend school - Medical and health needs
Darlington Borough Council’s aim is to ensure that all children and young people receive a suitable, full-time education which meets their individual needs to enable them to fulfil their ambitions and thrive.
When a child of compulsory school age is unable to access their educational setting due to illness, exclusion or otherwise, the Council must consider whether it has a duty under section 19 of the Education Act 1996 to make suitable provision for them.
All CYP must receive a good education, regardless of their circumstances or the settings in which they find themselves.
Where the Council has a duty to secure alternative provision, this must appropriately meet the individual needs of the child and enable them to achieve good educational attainment on par with their mainstream peers.
Legislative Context
Under section 19 of the Education Act 1996 Local Authorities must arrange suitable full-time education (or as much education as the child’s health condition allows) for children of compulsory school age who, because of illness, would otherwise not receive suitable education.
This requirement is further detailed within the DFE statutory guidance Education for children with health needs who cannot attend school [external link].
This guidance explains what local authorities and others need to do to ensure that children who are too ill to attend school get a good education.
The statutory guidance applies to children:
- of compulsory school age.
- who are on a school roll or not.
- who cannot attend school or can attend intermittently.
The Home and Hospital Teaching Service will operate within the requirements of this statutory guidance and works in partnership with the Council.
A priority focus for the Home and Hospital teaching service is to be the well-being of the child/young person. Each referral will have individual circumstances and variable factors for consideration including, but not limited to; the nature of the illness and the age of the child. It is with this in mind that it is integral the Home Hospital Teaching Service has a graduated and varied offer to meet the diversity of presenting need.
Referral Criteria
A referral is usually made by a school when a child has missed 15 days of schooling and is under the care of a medical Consultant who will confirm if the child is not able to access their education in the usual manner.
Sometimes a child will be referred before 15 days have elapsed - for example, in the case of planned surgery. The 15 days isn't always consecutive, some children may have a recurring illness which requires a different approach during episodes of illness.
Referrals will be received directly to the Home and Hospital Teaching service, through a designated referral form. Schools are encouraged to phone and discuss any referrals they are considering. It may be that the Home and Hospital Teaching service can provide appropriate advice and guidance or intervention to support the pupil remain receiving education from their school.
All referrals will be reviewed by a multi-disciplinary panel operating as a subgroup of the Vulnerable Pupil Panel (VPP). This group meets every 3 weeks during term times. A decision will be communicated to the school within 15 days of reviewing the notification.
Absence for ‘Otherwise’ reasons:
Apart from illness and exclusion, there may be other reasons why a child cannot attend their education setting. Consideration needs to be given to the specific factors in each case to determine if the Council’s duty under section 19 of the Education Act 1996 to arrange suitable alternative education arises.
If a child of compulsory school age is unable to attend school for a period of 15 days or more, their educational setting must notify the Council using the VPP referral form
All referrals will be reviewed by a multi-disciplinary panel operating as a subgroup of the Vulnerable Pupil Panel (VPP). The panel will carefully consider the referral and determine whether its duty to secure suitable education otherwise than at school (EOTAS) has arisen.
A decision will be communicated to the school within 15 days of reviewing the notification.
For more information call 01325 405901 or email [email protected]