Pupils Absconding From School Policy September 2026
Pupils absconding from school Policy
Policy details
Date created - 01/09/ 2026
Date reviewed - 01/09/ 2026
Next review date - July 2027
Contents
Appendix 1: Flowchart for use in association with the pupil absconding from school procedure 6
Introduction
The purpose of this non-statutory policy and procedure is to set out clearly for all stakeholders, the process that will take place should a pupil abscond from the academy. Whilst the academy and its staff endeavour to maintain supervision over all pupils at all times, there may be instances whereby pupils leave adult supervision without permission to do so. The academy has designed this policy in order to respond to such events in the safest and most effective way.
Roles and Responsibilities:
- The head teacher is responsible for all decisions made when a child absconds from the academy.
- The class teacher is responsible for caring for the child (until the child leaves the premises). They will be responsible for seeking additional help if this is felt necessary.
- Parents/carers of pupils are responsible for supporting the work of the academy. They are responsible for encouraging their child to keep to all academy procedures and policies.
- Once the academy has informed the parents that their child has absconded, parents and carers are responsible for actively supporting the academy with the subsequent procedures and actions. This could include coming to the academy to help secure the safety of the child and working with the academy to agree any subsequent actions.
Definition
- To abscond is to ‘leave without permission’.
- Internal absconding is where a pupil has left adult supervision, without permission, but remains inside the academy premises.
- External absconding is where a pupil has left adult supervision, without permission, and is known to have left the academy premises or academy site.
Under Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974 and in Common Law, schools and other education settings have a duty of care towards their pupils. This duty of care requires that all reasonable steps are taken to ensure that pupils are safe and remain within the care of the academy at all times throughout the school day and during academy-led activities.
Missing Pupil
Where a pupil, present at registration, is found to be absent from the academy without authorisation the following procedures should be followed:
The member of staff who identifies a pupil is missing must inform the Headteacher or Senior Leader immediately upon establishing that a pupil is missing.
Co-ordination of the search should be conducted by a member of the Senior Leadership Team (the Search Coordinator)
The Search Coordinator will need to know when the child went missing, time the pupil was last seen, full description of the pupil including clothing and any details that led up to the incident. This information should be communicated immediately to the staff responsible for checking campus CCTV.
The Search Coordinator coordinates a search of buildings using available staff. Responsibility should be allocated to individuals for search zones, coordination of CCTV and parental contact, and campus office staff informed. Staff checking zones should be given clear direction and time limit to complete before reporting back.
Radio contact will be established and maintained between all those involved in the search throughout the search process.
The Search Coordinator will contact, or arrange to be contacted, parents/carers to inform them of the situation. Parents will be given the Search Coordinator’s contact number to call if the child arrives home. If contact cannot be made with home, two identified members of staff should go to the home address of the pupil and endeavour to make contact with the parent / carer. They must provide updates to the Search Coordinator as necessary.
The Search Coordinator will deploy staff members to various points inside and outside of the academy to enable an ‘inward’ sweep to be conducted. An inward sweep is one that starts from external parts of the academy perimeter. This sweep is designed to minimise the risk of an internal absconding event becoming an external absconding event.
The Search Coordinator should identify staff to conduct sweeps with clear direction of areas to sweep. Staff must take potential dangers into account and not put themselves at risk. Staff must report back once their area has been swept.
The Search Coordinator will contact the Police, either when the campus has been fully checked or no later than 20 minutes after the child was last seen (in person / on CCTV), whichever comes first. The Search Coordinator should be prepared to give a clear description of the pupil, clothing and other distinguishing features. A photograph of the pupil can be found on Arbor or academy systems and shared. The Search Coordinator should inform the parent/ carer where possible of Police involvement. The above response and timescales must be determined by the circumstances involved, determining their developmental level (age, mental capacity and maturity) and their emotional state.
Consideration will be given to whether the search should be extended beyond the academy perimeter. This decision will be based on the member of the academy's knowledge of the pupil, the levels of risk, and what action is in the pupil’s best interests. All staff involved in the extended search who have left the academy grounds must carry a mobile phone in order to be contacted and to contact school. The mobile number should be given to the Search Coordinator prior to leaving the academy grounds.
Once a pupil has been found then the member of staff will use their professional judgement to escort the child back to the correct area of the school. Once the pupil is back safely in school or the search has been handed over to the Police the following must be completed:
- Search Coordinator to brief police and / parents.
- A written report will be filed on the incident. This will be recorded on Parago.
- Risk Assessment completed (or the risk assessment reviewed).
- Behaviour Support Plan to be written or reviewed.
- Where appropriate, a meeting with parents/carers to discuss and agree in depth future risk reduction strategies.
External Absconding
Where a pupil is seen to be leaving the academy premises without authorisation the following procedures should be followed:
Staff must follow or shadow, not chase, the pupil to the perimeter fence or gate and use appropriate de-escalation skills to support the pupil to remain in school.
If a pupil is deemed to be a high risk to themselves or other people then staff should adhere to the pupil’s Positive Behaviour Support Plan and/or Behaviour Individual Pupil Risk Assessment (BIPRA) to support the pupil to a safe place.
At all times staff must be aware that active pursuit may encourage the pupil to leave the immediate vicinity of the academy and may also cause the pupil to panic, possibly putting him or herself at risk by running onto a busy road, for example. The most appropriate responses must be determined by the circumstances involved, determining the pupil’s developmental level (age, mental capacity and maturity) and their emotional state.
If the pupil has left the immediate vicinity of the academy the Head teacher / member of the SLT and the school office must be contacted immediately and the lead person will direct the course of action.
Staff will follow the pupil and engage in a local search, following the pupil at a safe distance if in view.
The SLT lead may direct additional staff to join the search in a vehicle, taking a mobile phone to contact school.
The SLT lead will contact the pupil’s parents/carers.
If the searching staff lose sight of the pupil they must contact the Police, giving details of their location and the clothes the pupil is wearing. This individual should then contact the Safeguarding Lead or Search Coordinator and brief them of what has happened.
If the young person returns of their own volition, parents/carers and the Police will be informed as soon as possible.
When the young person returns to the academy, and when the pupil is ready, a debrief must take place to reinforce and remind the pupil of keeping safe, their rights and their responsibilities and the reasons for absconding.
All relevant paperwork must be completed, parents informed and a written report must be filed on the incident.
A meeting to discuss the circumstances of the incident and the effectiveness of the current procedures will be convened both between staff involved and also with parents and carers to agree in depth future risk reduction strategies.
A review must take place of the pupil’s individual risk assessment and Positive Behaviour Support Plan.
Appendix 1: Flowchart for use in association with the pupil absconding from school procedure
Pupils absconding from school procedure |