I know you are asking about in England and I am an Australian in Australia. I have noticed that there has been several questions asked about the same thing on AB, so I thought I would let you know about truants over here, if that is any help. A lot of kids skip school, a period here to a day or two They mostly write their own absent note and sign off as a realative. Many schools here, are now sending TXT msg to kids parents if they do not turn up to school after the roll has been called first thing in the morn. We do have some kids that just refuse to goto school and they and/ or their parents can be taken to court. We also I think still do, have a law that allows kids from 13 y/o to quit school due to parents or family hardship and can legally work if that is the case. Another option is that you can home school your own children, provided that you follow the education board standards. When I was 14 y/o, I waged school for a whole term except for the fist week and the last day of the term. I just left home every morn like usual and returned after my mum had left for work. She was taken to court and find. As to me, I hated school soo much, I quit it as soon as I turned 15 y/o. So what did I do, I worked in a factory for 9 months, then got a job in a recording studio and stayed there for 2 1/2 years then left and home delivered bread for about a year and since then, I have driven local and interstate busses, trucks, trams, taxi's, vans for Australia Post etc. I am now an owner driver in my own van working 5 days a week. I have recently tried to employ young ones part time as an off-sider. One left school at 14 and he was pretty good and went on to better things after a year. Another one, left school at 14 and, well he was so so. His IQ was a bit low but he did the work ok and he left after 4 months for a better job. My last one, left school at 13, and he showed it. He liked to be in a gang, wore colors and a baseball cap the wrong way around, didn't know much with what was happening anywhere and never smiled. I had to let him go as customers were not feeling easy with him around. But then, we look at some people whom left school at very young ages and became multi millionairs. Our very own Ex Prime Minister, Paul Keating, held the countries top job for years after leaving school at 13. Thomas Edison left school at 12 I think, and look what he has done for mankind! There are many such people walking around today, left school at 12 or 13 and are now multi millionairs, and yes, a lot of our prison population, left school at an early age and are behind bars.