ABBEY GATE PREP SCHOOL

Missing Child Procedure

This Policy relates to all children in the school including those in Early Years foundation Stage and those receiving ‘Out of School’ care.

Written by Mrs Rhodes-Leader & SLT

Reviewed May 2017

Next review May 2018

Children must be accounted for at all times of the day and staff must familiarise themselves as to where individuals are expected to be at any time. They must be vigilant in ensuring that they know every child’s whereabouts.

Morning registration takes place at 9.00 am. The name of any child not present at registration must be recorded in the register. If the child has not arrived within half an hour, a phone call will be made to the parents/carers to ascertain the reason for absence and to ensure that the child is safely at home.

In the event of a child being unaccounted for at any point in the day, the following procedure must be carried out:

  • All staff must be alerted
  • A systematic search must be made of all areas of the building including all classrooms, toilets, hall, storerooms, cupboards etc.
  • A thorough search must be made of the grounds, including the adventure playground area, the grassy area and bushes

If the search does not result in the child being found, the parents / carers must be notified immediately. The Police must be notified and given the child’s name and a full description together with the time and place where the child was last seen.

The telephone must be manned constantly and must not be used for non-essential outgoing calls that might prevent incoming information.

While making sure that all the children in the school are adequately supervised any staff not required in the classroom may be sent out to search the surrounding areas including the playing fields and local park.

When the child has been found an internal inquiry must be carried out to establish how and why the child went missing and an urgent review of security arrangements must take place to ascertain what steps are needed to ensure that such an event could not reoccur.

If the internal inquiry reveals that a member of staff has been negligent, then disciplinary proceedings will follow.

A full explanation must be given to the parents/carers of the child concerned.

On school trips children must never be allowed to wander around without a member of staff. If a child goes missing while on a school trip, every effort should be made to search the area whilst keeping the other children together. If the visit is to a museum or other building, the person in charge of the facility should be informed.

If the child cannot be found, then the procedure (as above) must be put into operation.