Figures have found that around 12,000 children are 'missing' from the education system.
In a Freedom of Information Request sought by the Times Educational Supplement (TES), local authority figures revealed that 11,911 children are not receiving any form of schooling.
The authorities were asked to state how many youngsters were known to them who were not in ANY kind of education, be that home educated, privately educated or at state school.
Leicester returned the highest number with 2,611 children missing from education, according to the figures obtained by the TES.
Other local authorities, including Birmingham, Kent, Bradford, Brent, Sheffield, Southampton, Doncaster and Westminster, all had more than 360 missing children.
Speaking to the TES Enver Solomon, the director of policy for the Children's Society, said:
'It is vital children don't disappear from the school roll. There's a danger this could happen to vulnerable pupils if schools just focus on attainment and their welfare is overlooked.'
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