ATTENDANCE ADVICE FOR GYPSY, ROMA & TRAVELLER PUPILS
If a child has a good school attendance, it improves their future life chances. However, the law recognises that Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen and Boater (GTRSB) families may need to take their children out of school to travel for work purposes which therefore prevents their children from attending school.
The Education Act 1996 Section 444(6) recognises that children may be absent while parents are travelling for their trade or business. This applies to children who meet both the following criteria:
- The pupil is ascribed as:
- Gypsy (including Romanies, Romanichals, Welsh Gypsies/Kaale, Scottish Gypsies/Travellers)
- Irish Traveller, Minceir
- Roma from Eastern and Central Europe
- Occupational Traveller (Showmen/Fairground)
- Circus people
- Boat Traveller / Bargee
- New Traveller or New Age Traveller
2. The parent/carer is in a trade or business of such a nature that requires them to travel from place to place. (Education Act 1996 Section 444(6)
Nevertheless, each child must attend school as regularly as that trade or business permits and children over six years old must attend at least 200 sessions in each rolling 12-month period. The law does not automatically reduce the number of days that children from GTRSB families are expected to attend school; schools and local authorities should seek to secure GTRSB pupils’ attendance at 380 sessions each school year.
The law also makes no reference to a physical dwelling so a Traveller family that lives in a house but travels in the course of their trade or business can have absences authorised through use of the ‘T’ Code.
WHAT IS ASCRIPTION?
By law, schools are required to collect information about pupils’ ethnic backgrounds. When your child starts school, you will be asked to ascribe. When you ascribe, you are asked to say what ethnic group best matches your family. Sometimes you will be asked to do this by choosing a box to tick on a form. The decision of which box to tick is yours to make and school cannot tick a box for you without you knowing.
Ethnicity is a personal awareness of a common cultural identity and relates to how a person feels and not how they are perceived by others. It is not the same as nationality.
WHICH ETHNICITY CODE SHOULD I USE?
- WROM: Gypsy/Roma
- WROG: Gypsy
- WROR: Roma
- WROO: Other Gypsy/Roma
- WIRT: Traveller or Irish Heritage
- WBRI or WOTH: Fairground/Showman/Show-woman/Circus (write “Showman” on the form)
You should also know that you don’t have to give the information to school at all. There is another box to tick if you refuse:
- REFU Refuse
WHY SHOULD I ASCRIBE?
- Schools can use the ‘T code’ to authorise your absences but only when you are travelling for work purposes.
- You can dual register your child or children at another school while you are away or staying on another area.
- Schools and families can access additional support for issues relating to your child’s education from services such as Traveller Education Services (TES) / Race Equality & Minority Achievement Services (REMA) / Ethnic Minority & Traveller Achievement Services (EMTAS).
AUTHORISING ABSENCE (The T’ code)
The ‘T’ code can only be used if the child is travelling for work purposes with their parents/carers, not with any other relatives.
When deciding whether to authorise a child’s absence from school, a Headteacher considers if:
- The child has good attendance when not travelling.
- The child has been in school for at least 100 days (200 sessions) in the 12 months before their expected return date (Education Act 1996 Section 444(6).
- Parents have completed a leave of absence request form before the period of travel for work.
- Parents have given the school a date when they expect the child will return to school. If this changes they will need to let the school know along with the reasons why.
- Parents intend to dual register their child whilst away or whether distance learning possible.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
No. The Headteacher can only authorise these types of absence in exceptional circumstances.
Choose a realistic date and stay in touch with school while you are away and tell them if your plans change. Call the school to tell them of any changes to your travel plans or your child could lose their school place.
If you go travelling and have not spoken to the Headteacher, you could lose your school place after 20 days or get a fine.
If you go travelling and have not spoken to the school or Headteacher, you could lose your school place after 20 days or get a fine.
If you need further advice please speak to your child’s school, college or early years setting or email tes@cognus.or.uk.