Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many adult asylum seekers have been found attending (a) primary, (b) secondary, and (c) post-16 schools by local authority annually since 2015.

The law requires children of compulsory school age living in England, including foreign nationals, to receive a suitable full-time education.

If a school has concerns about an individual’s age and lack documentation, they should refer this to the local authority, which may conduct an assessment. Age assessment is the responsibility of local authorities and the Home Office. The local authority may liaise with the Home Office age dispute team and may also seek support from the National Age Assessment Board.

The department does not hold the data requested.