If your child is between five and 16 and is registered with a school, you are legally responsible for making sure they attend school regularly.
If your child skips school, talk to their teacher or headteacher. They might be able to tell you about problems that your child may be having at school.
If that doesn't help, please call our early help team on 020 8753 6600 for advice and support.
For the small minority of parents who don't send their children to school regularly or co-operate with us and their school, we may need to consider legal sanctions. Repeated truancy can result in fines and jail for parents.
What you can do
You can help to prevent your child from skipping school by:
- making sure your child understands the importance of good attendance and getting to school on time
- taking an interest in your child's education – ask about school work and encourage involvement in school activities
- getting involved in their homework
- listening to your child when they tell you about problems at school and telling their teacher or headteacher about serious problems.