• Home Page
• -
• Education and Learning
• -
• Schools and colleges
• -
• Children in employment and entertainment

Access Tools

Knowsley School Attendance Service is responsible for the licensing of all school aged children who appear in a performance either on the stage or on television, who take part in certain sporting activities, or who work as models. The School Attendance Service is also responsible for addressing matters relating to child employment.

Our aims:

• the child's health, welfare or ability to take full advantage of his/her education should not be jeopardised by their employment, whether this is a part-time job or a performance
• to give advice and information to: children; parents/carers; schools; employers; chaperones; production companies and agents on legislation relating to children in employment and entertainment
• to register children in part-time employment
• to license both children who are participating in the entertainment industry and child chaperones
• to inspect the premises where children are working, or are suspected of working.
  

Entertainment

The person creating the production is known as the "applicant" and is responsible (legally) for licensing (and adhering to the legislation as laid down in the Children Performance 1968 Regulations) all the children he/she employs for a performance, with the Local Authority in whose area each child lives.

All adults chaperoning (matron) children must be licensed with the authority in which they reside. Chaperones (matrons) are acting in loco parentis throughout.

For further information see Children in entertainment (licensing children performing in the entertainment industry) and Child chaperones (licensing chaperones of children that are performing in the entertainment industry).

Licensing of children in entertainment

Under the Children and Young Persons Act of 1963 and Children (Performances) Regulations of 1968, Knowsley School Attendance Service is responsible for the licensing of all school aged children who:

• appear in a performance either on the stage or on television
• take part in certain sporting activities
• work as models.

Licences will be granted if the authority is satisfied that all relevant conditions are met and that all applicable information has been provided.

If you wish to apply for an entertainment licence please contact the School Attendance Service on 0151 443 3218.

Licensing of matrons

Under section 37 of the Children and Young Persons Act of 1963 and the Children (Performances) Regulations of 1968, a matron or chaperone must be appointed to look after any child of school age taking part in a public performance.

The local education authority (LEA) carries out checks on anyone applying to become a matron through the Criminal Records Bureau.

If you wish to apply to become a matron or chaperone or would like further information on the duties of a matron, please contact the School Attendance Service on0151 443 3218.

Children in Employment

Under the Knowsley Council byelaws 'Employment of Children' (1998) the Knowsley School Attendance Service is responsible for the employment of any young person of compulsory school age employed within Knowsley:

• an employer who wishes to offer work to a young person who is of compulsory school age must apply to the School Attendance Service for a work permit 
• a work permit is issued provided that all relevant information is completed by both the parent or carer and employer and complies with the byelaws laid out on the application form
• the application must be signed by the young person's parent or carer to confirm that they are happy for the employment to go ahead, and also the employer, who 
• must sign to say that they have carried out a full risk assessment for the young person.

Permitted child employment

When you are 13

You may only be employed in 'light work' in the following:

• agricultural or horticultural work
• delivery of newspapers, journals and other printed material
• shop work, including shelf-stacking
• hairdressing
• office work
• car washing by hand in a residential setting
• in a cafe or restaurant
• in riding stables
• domestic work in hotels and other establishments offering accommodation

When you are 14 and 15

• you may only be employed in light work.
• you may engage in street trading if you are employed by your parent in connection with their business and if you are supervised by them or if you have been granted a street trader's licence by the local authority.

When you are 16

The above restrictions will still apply whilst you are of compulsory school age.

Child employment - permitted hours

For 13 and 14 year-olds

You can work on school day

Not more than a total of two hours in one day during the following periods:

• in the morning between 7am and 8am
• in the evening between the close of school and 7pm

Saturdays *

• 5 hours a day between 7am and 7pm

Sundays

• Only 2 hours between 7am and 7pm

School holidays *

• 5 hours a day on any weekday (except Sundays) between 7am and 7pm

The total worked each week must not exceed 25 hours and you must have 2 consecutive weeks of break in a year.

For 15 year olds

You can work on:

School days

Not more than a total of two hours in one day during the following periods:

• in the morning between 7am and 8am
• in the evening between the close of school and 7pm

Saturdays*

• 8 hours a day between 7am and 7pm

Sundays

• Only 2 hours between 7am and 7pm

School holidays*

• 8 hours a day on any weekday (except Sundays) between 7am and 7pm

The total hours worked each week must not exceed 35 hours and you must have 2 consecutive weeks of break in a year.

When you are 16

The hours of employment specified for 15 year-olds will apply yo you whilst you are of compulsory school age. If you wish, you are legally able to leave school on the last Friday in June in the school year in which you reach the age of 16.

You are not able to take up full-time employment until after that date.

* No child of any age may work more than 4 hours in any day without rest break of 1 hour
* No child of any age may work more than 12 hours per week during term time.

A copy of Adobe Acrobat reader is needed to enable access to the PDF document(s) above. If you do not already have this click to Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (Link opens in a new window) now.

To read the PDF document with a screen reader please visit Access Adobe website (Link opens in a new window), which provides useful tools and resources. Adobe also has a free online conversion tool for PDFs.