Who are Travellers?
‘Traveller’ is a general term that covers a number of different groups:
- Roma
- English and Welsh Gypsies
- Irish and Scottish Travellers
- Showmen (fairground people) and Circus people
- Bargees (occupational boat dwellers)
- New Travellers
This is explained in the DfE's attendance guidance (page 60).
Traveller children are expected to attend school regularly
Parents/carers must ensure that, when their children are of compulsory school age, they are registered at a school and attend ‘regularly’.
However, parents/carers of children with no fixed abode have a defence against prosecution if they can prove all of the following:
This applies to parents/carers of pupils