diff --git a/resources/schema/valency_lexicon.xsd b/resources/schema/valency_lexicon.xsd
index be5b93d..4363759 100644
--- a/resources/schema/valency_lexicon.xsd
+++ b/resources/schema/valency_lexicon.xsd
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
               <xsd:element name="head">
                 <xsd:complexType>
                   <xsd:sequence>
-                    <xsd:element name="status" type="statusType"/>
+                    <xsd:element name="status" type="statusType" minOccurs="0"/>
 	            <xsd:element name="headword" type="headwordType"/>
 	            <xsd:element name="lexicalUnit" type="lexicalUnitType" minOccurs="0"/>
                     <xsd:element name="grammar" type="grammarType" minOccurs="0"/>