Chilton Cantelo School
Lost and Missing Children Policy
Missing/Absconding Pupils
Procedure A – Pupil reported missing
Registration of all pupils is conducted at 0840 at morning Registration, and on entry to the
Dining Room at lunchtime. Pupils who are boarding are registered informally before dinner
each evening (at House Meetings or otherwise, depending on the routine in each boarding
house) and at their bedtime.
In the day
Tutors register pupils electronically during morning registration. Where a pupil is absent the
Tutor places an N (No reason for absence) in the attendance column of the register. The
Attendance Officer checks the registers and amends them as required. Thus accounting for
students who have arrived late or who are engaged in activities away from the tutor group
such as Choir practice or Prefect duty. If a student remains unaccounted for, then the
Attendance Officer will contact parents as applicable. Students reported as being absent
because of illness are marked in the register as I (illness) by the Attendance Officer.
Where a pupil fails to arrive at a class, it is the responsibility of the subject tutor to notify the
Attendance Officer without delay. Ordinarily, it will be the The Head/Assistant Head
Boarding and Pastoral who will conduct a thorough search.
Once the missing pupil has been located, the Attendance Officer will notify the relevant
member(s) of staff and the pupil will be required to report to the Assistant Head Boarding and
Pastoral, who will decide what further action is to be taken.
If the pupil cannot be located, The Head /Assistant Head Boarding and Pastoral will be
contacted to decide whether to sound the evacuation alarm. It is most likely that the missing
pupil will be located at this point. If not, it may be that they have absconded (Procedure B),
and the Head/Assistant Head Boarding and Pastoral should therefore make enquiries of their
peers to ascertain whether they have any relevant information that will enable him to account
for the student’s whereabouts
In the evening
Any pupil or member of staff, who believes a boarding pupil to be missing in the evening,
must notify the House Master/Mistress immediately.
He/she will:
Notify the Head/Assistant Head of Boarding and Pastoral and appoint two members of staff
to conduct a thorough search of the premises and grounds who will stay in radio/mobile
phone contact with him if possible.
Immediately they have located the ‘missing’ pupil they will notify the pupil/member of staff
who alerted them initially.
If, however, the pupil cannot be located, the Assistant Head will decide whether to sound the
evacuation alarm. It is most likely that the missing pupil will be located at this point. If not, it
may be that they have absconded (Procedure B), and the Assistant Head/House
Master/Mistress should therefore make enquiries of their peers to ascertain whether they have
any relevant information, having first notified The Head.
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Chilton Cantelo School
Lost and Missing Children Policy
Procedure B – A Pupil absconding
It is a rare occurrence that a pupil will abscond from the School premises. All pupils are
encouraged to share any concerns which they may have with a member of staff of their
choosing, and are made aware of the safety implications of absconding from the premises.
Experience has shown, however, that exceptionally, a pupil may abscond:
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generally heading for home in order to resolve a ‘home-based’ difficulty
having discussed their plans with their peers and
possibly persuading a friend to join them
There are often two scenarios:
i)
ii)
a pupil is seen (intentionally or otherwise) leaving the premises.
In this instance, the member of staff who has observed them will notify the office
during the School day (either in person or via a colleague or responsible pupil)
and make after them on foot. The office will send a second member of staff after
them by car/minibus and carrying a mobile phone.
Once the pupil has returned to the premises (either in the car/minibus or on foot),
he/she will report to the The Head/Assistant Head Boarding and Pastoral who will
decide on what further action to take. Only the Head/Assistant Head Boarding and
Pastoral will notify the parents.
A pupil’s absence is noted by another pupil or a member of staff, in which case
Procedure A is followed. If the missing pupil still has not been located, then in
the day The Head/Assistant Head Boarding and Pastoral(and in the evening, the
HouseMaster/Mistress) will appoint one or more members of staff to conduct a
wider search by car and a further search of the premises, taking a mobile phone
with them and will question the missing pupil’s peers and any other pupil who
may be able to offer useful information.
Member of the SLT will:
 ascertain how long the pupil has been missing
 obtain a description of what the missing pupil was wearing when last seen and judge
the severity of the situation with reference to the pupil’s age, perceived state of
distress, clothing, available funds etc.
In the evening, the House Master/Mistress will then notify The Head/Assistant Head
Boarding and Pastoral obtain (where available) a photograph from the school office, in case
the police may later have to circulate a description
 ask a member of staff to accompany some of the missing pupil’s peers to his/her dorm
to see if there are any obvious clues as to their intended destination – address book,
note etc.
In the evening, the House Master/Mistress will discuss with The Head/Assistant Head
Boarding and Pastoral whether to notify the parents and/or the police.
GENERALLY, /THE HEAD/ASSISTANT HEAD BOARDING AND PASTORAL WILL
CONTACT THE PARENTS WITHIN AN HOUR AND ADVISE THEM THAT HE IS
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Chilton Cantelo School
Lost and Missing Children Policy
CONTACTING THE POLICE. PARENTS MAY BE ABLE TO SHED SOME LIGHT ON
THE PROBLEM.
The staff conducting the wider search by car/minibus will remain in phone contact with The
SLT throughout. When the missing pupil is returned to School either by them or by the
police, either The Head or Assistant Head Boarding and Pastoral will notify the parents
immediately and allow the pupil to speak to his/her parents. The Head, together with the
Assistant Head Boarding and Pastoral will then decide on what further action is necessary.
IMPORTANT NOTE
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Should a member of staff consider it necessary to use force to control or restrain a
pupil who has absconded, the guidance is that contained in the DfES’ circular 10/98.
Whilst the safety of pupils is paramount, no member of staff is required by the School
to place themselves in a situation which is uncomfortable for them or which is likely
to endanger them, having due regard to discharging their responsibility to act as a
reasonably competent schoolmaster/mistress and/or houseparent – the standard of care
at Law is that of ‘an ordinary skilled person exercising and professing to have that
special skill (ie. teaching and/or house-parenting). A member of staff who finds
themselves in such a situation should, where practical, notify the Office (in the day) or
the Head of Boarding (in the evening) who will generally appoint appropriate staff to
assist, when he is on site.
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All members of staff are authorised by the Head to have control or charge of pupils
and are therefore able to use reasonable force to control or restrain a pupil as per
circular 10/98, if he is available it will generally be Mr B Dunford whose skills in
these matters are called on.
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Where a pupil has absconded, regardless of any other action which the School may
wish to take, the relevant staff will impress upon not only that pupil, but all pupils, the
dangers and anxiety which absconding causes. It will be dealt with in keeping with
the School’s published disciplinary procedures.
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Whether in a House Assembly or in School Assemblies, or both, the issues
surrounding absconding will be dealt with as soon as possible after the event, as
experience dictates that although the incidence of absconding from school is rare,
there is often a chance of a ‘copycat’ incident very soon thereafter.
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