School Attendance and Pupil Welfare
Children Missing from Education (CME)
Child Missing Education (CME)
By law, every child in Wales has the right to a full-time education. Children Missing Education are those who are of compulsory school age but are not registered at a school, not receiving suitable education otherwise (such as home education), and are not known to be attending any other educational provision.
Local authorities in Wales have a legal duty to identify, track, and support children missing from education to ensure their safety and promote their right to education. This includes working with schools, parents, and partner agencies to locate children, assess their needs, and help them re-engage with appropriate education.
Children can fall out of education for a variety of reasons, including family relocation, exclusion, bullying, illness, or lack of awareness about school registration processes.
What you can do
If you believe a child is not receiving an education, please make a referral now or contact Pembrokeshire’s Education Welfare Service. Acting early helps us ensure that children are safe and supported back into learning.
You do not have to give us your personal details but if you do these details will be treated with the utmost confidence and not revealed to anyone other than Education Officers responsible for dealing with children missing from education.
Contact information
Educationwelfareservice@pembrokeshire.gov.uk
01437 764551