School Attendance and Pupil Welfare

Child Employment and Child Performance

Child Employment

Pembrokeshire County Council believes that children of compulsory school age can benefit from experience gained in undertaking work, providing that this work is suitable and there are proper safeguards in place. The official date for leaving school is the last Friday in June in the school year in which the pupil is 16. Before this date children between the ages of 13 and 16 must have an employment permit from the Council if they wish to be employed.

The Council has a set of byelaws setting out the conditions under which children of compulsory school age may be employed. These legal provisions include requiring the employer to send to the Council notification of the child’s employment with certain details being required in that regard.  

The notification application form must be completed by a parent and the employer, and submitted to the Principal Education Welfare Officer within the Education Welfare Service for consideration.

The Council will only then issue an employment permit for the child, if it is satisfied that the proposed employment is lawful, the child’s health welfare and ability to take full advantage of his/her education would not be jeopardised, and the child is fit to undertake the work for which he/she is to be employed.The child may be employed only in accordance with the details shown on his/her employment permit.

Child Employment guides for employers, parents and pupils and the Notification Application Form can be downloaded from the links below. The byelaws can be obtained on request from the Principal Education Welfare Officer.

Contact details:

Kelly Hamid
Education Welfare Service Manager
Education Directorate
County Hall
Haverfordwest SA61 1TP

Tel: 01437 774658 
Email: kelly.hamid@pembrokeshire.gov.uk

Child Performance 

The legislation governing children in entertainment covers children from birth to statutory school leaving age (the last Friday in June of the school year in which a child reaches 16 years of age).

The requirement to licence:

The legislation requires Performance licences to be issued by each Local Authority to children who take part in the following categories:

• A live broadcast or recorded performance for example, a television or radio programme or film.
• A theatre performance where a charge is made
• Any performance on licensed premises
• Child modelling and sport where the child or any other person is paid (other than payment for expenses)

The person responsible for the production of the performance in which a child is taking part is the person who should make the application for the licence.

The application must be made to Pembrokeshire County Council who will process the application.

When does a child not need a licence to perform?

• If the child performs for only 4 days in any 6 month period and they do not need time off school to undertake the performance
• If a child takes part in their full time school performance (this is an educational school not a school of dance).
• Performances put on by a ‘Body of Persons'
• Any activity that the Local Authority does not consider to be a performance such as a child being interviewed or filmed whilst taking part in some normal activity not specifically arranged for the purpose such as doing school lessons, playing in the park
• If the activity is directed in any way it may be reviewed and converted into a performance.

If a Child Performance Licence is not required we still request that the organiser of the performance/show register all children taking part. This allows us to keep a register of all Pembrokeshire children taking part in a performance. Even if a licence is not required most of the rules and regulations still apply.

Completed application forms together with all documentation needs to be submitted to the Business Support Unit, 21 days prior to the date for which they are required. The Local Authority must be satisfied that arrangements for the supervision and protection of the child are adequate and that the disruption to the child's education is kept to a minimum, prior to granting a licence. The person who applies for the licence will be the licence holder and will be responsible for ensuring the conditions of the licence are met.

If you a require an application form for any of the following then please contact educationwelfareservice@pembrokeshire.gov.uk

• Body of Persons Application
• Child Employment Application
• Child Performance Application
• Chaperone Application

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