As a parent/carer, you're responsible for making sure this happens, either by registering your child at a school or by making other arrangements which provide a suitable education. Once your child is registered at a school you're responsible for making sure he or she attends regularly.

We're responsible for making sure that parents fulfil their responsibilities.

The Education Access Service is here to help both us and parents meet the obligations and duties placed on us by successive education acts and childcare legislation.

Every school in Shropshire has an education welfare officer allocated to their school. They each have their own 'patch' giving them responsibility for a number of schools, where they assess and advise on the managing of whole school attendance.

Education welfare officers will monitor whole school attendance on a regular basis and request information on all children with less than 90% attendance.

Early intervention is proven to ensure that attendance remains a high priority by school staff and parents, and helps to identify and resolve issues before they become entrenched.

Education welfare officers work closely with:

• Parents/carers
• Pupils
• School staff
• Education support staff
• Psychologists
• Social workers
• Police
• Health personnel
• Other voluntary and statutory agencies