A recent flurry of publications and press reports have highlighted the issue of children missing from mainstream education. This topic has been high on the Association of Directors of Children's Services' (ADCS) agenda for some time, led by the Educational Achievement Policy Committee.

Children can fall out of view for many reasons, ranging from permanent exclusion and being educated in non-mainstream settings, such as in the home or at an illegal school, or because of unacceptable delays in the admissions process.