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Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller (GRT) pupil attendance

Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller (GRT) pupils need to attend school as regularly and as frequently as possible. School's approach to regular attendance should, however, be balanced with a sensitivity which recognises the lifestyle and cultural traditions of GRT communities.

It is important to monitor the attendance of GRT pupils closely to ensure attendance does not impact on their progress and attainment. Schools may authorise absence of GRT pupils by the use of the T code. Schools should only use the T code in line with the Education Act 1995 to mark GRT pupils absent when they are travelling with their parents for work purposes. Schools should have high expectations with regards to attendance but maintain a flexible approach for pupils who are travelling for long periods during the school year, providing distance learning while they are away and support to help them reintegrate on their return.

What the law says about using the T code

The law recognises that Gypsy, Roma and Traveller families may have a valid reason to keep their children from school.

This reason is where parent(s) are engaged in a trade or business that requires them to travel from place to place and therefore prevents their children from attending school. 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 Gypsy, Roma and Traveller families are expected to attend school; schools and local authorities should seek to secure GRT pupils' attendance at 380 sessions each school year.

The law makes no reference to a physical dwelling so a Gypsy, Roma or 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.

When should the T code be used?

On days when a pupil from a Gypsy, Roma or Traveller family is known to be out of the area for work purposes and is not in educational provision, schools can use the T code to record the absence.

Parents should make sure they let the school know in advance when they are going to be travelling and when they expect to return. This enables the child's attendance and absence to be recorded accurately, their safety and well-being to be monitored and appropriate distance learning work to be set by the school.

The term 'travelling' means travelling as part of the parents' trade or business that requires them to travel from place to place. It does not mean travelling as part of a holiday.

The T code can only be used if the child is travelling for work purposes with their parents, not with any other relatives.

The use of the T code to authorise a pupil's absence is at the discretion of the headteacher.

D code

The law allows for dual registration of pupils at more than one school. To help ensure continuity of education for GRT children it is expected that the child(ren) should attend school elsewhere when their family is travelling Where a GRT pupil is travelling and attending another school the pupil should be dual-registered using D code. The child remains on the D code until the subsidiary school informs the base school they have left and are off roll, or until they return to the school full time.

C code

Only exceptional circumstances warrant an authorised leave of absence. Schools should consider each application individually taking into account the specific facts and circumstances and relevant background context behind the request.

O code

Where GRT children are registered pupils at a school and are known to be residing at a site (official or otherwise) or in a house and are not attending school, the absence must be investigated in precisely the same way as that for any other pupil. If the reason for the absence is not known, it must be recorded as unauthorised.

Apart from travelling for work purposes, Gypsies and Travellers participate in events and occasions that are of particular significant to them, eg Appleby show/ horse fairs. Extended family and religious events such as weddings and christenings or economic gatherings such as horse fairs will draw together extended family groups and reinforce communal identity. Gypsies and Travellers put high value on extended family responsibilities so families may move to care for sick relative or a bereaved family member.

If a school approves leave of absence, the school needs to make it clear the days that are authorised and from what time that approval takes place.

For more information on pupil registers and attendance codes visit the GOV.UK page School attendance: guidance for schools (opens new window).

What actions should school undertake when a GRT child does not return to school after travelling?

If a child/ young person does not return to their base school after travelling the school should:

  • Make regular attempts, beginning on the first day of any unexplained absence to contact the pupil's parents either by telephone or text messaging. Every effort to locate and contact the family must be taken.
  • Contact the GRT access and attendance officers who will make every effort to visit the family and ascertain when the child will be returning to school (contact details below).
  • Contact any other school where the pupil or their siblings are known to attend while they were away.
  • For pupils known to be at risk or where safeguarding is a concern the school should contact social care.
  • If despite these efforts the pupil's absence continues and his/her whereabouts remains unknown where a pupil has not returned to school for ten days after an authorised absence or is absent from school without authorisation for twenty consecutive school days school must contact the Child Missing Education (CME) team in line with the CME Policy.

Home education

Some GRT families may decide they want to remove their child from school and home educate. In this case parents are asked to write to the school clearly stating that they will be taking full responsibility for their child's education at home. The child can then be de-registered from the school roll. The school must inform the Services to Home Education team if a child is removed from a school roll to be home educated.

Ofsted

Ofsted should theoretically not criticise schools for absences of Traveller children, providing the school can demonstrate that it:

  • Has used the registration codes correctly
  • Is strategic and proactive in communicating with GRT parents about their travelling patterns on a regular basis
  • Is strategic and proactive in ensuring excellent attendance when the children are not travelling
  • Provides distance learning materials in accordance with good practice
  • Includes specific guidance for GRT parents and carers in the school's attendance policy and ensures the policy is accessible to parents
  • Evaluates its provision for narrowing achievement gaps for GRT children in the school self-evaluation form

More information

Further advice regarding supporting GRT access to education is available on the GOV.UK Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils: supporting access to education web page (opens new window).

For further advice and support with access and attendance of GRT pupils please contact one of the GRT Service's Community Liaison Officers.