England: 290,000-signature petition to scrap school absence fines goes to Downing Street
Parents in England face an £80 fine per absence notice, rising to £160 for a second, and court and up to £2,500 after that.
What the source says
- Actor Anna Maxwell Martin called school absence fines in England "cruel and unnecessary" and is joining parent campaigners to deliver a petition with more than 290,000 signatures to Downing Street.
- Fines rose from £60 to £80 in 2024 under the former Conservative government, a second fine for the same child within three years is £160, and repeated absences can lead to court, a fine of up to £2,500, a community order or jail.
- The No School Fines campaign, started on Change.org in 2022 by parents Susan Liverman and Maddie Roberts, says its founders faced threats of fines and prosecution while their children were on waiting lists for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support.
- Ms Liverman said: "As a parent it felt like we were falling between cracks between systems."
- A Department for Education spokesperson said it "inherited a Send system under immense strain," that fixed penalty notices "continue to have a vital place in our system" and that "schools should take a support first approach," backed by £4 billion of investment.
Source: KentOnline, 2026-10-19
Why it matters here
This is England, but families here getting attendance letters while waiting on learning support or an assessment will know the feeling. It's fair to ask your school what support comes before any attendance compliance step.
Picture the letter on the fridge: your kid's anxious, you've been on the waiting list for months, and the first thing that turns up is a fine. They'll fine the mum. Nobody fines the system that left the kid waiting. If the department agrees it should be support first, why is the fine still the bit that arrives on time?
N.A.N.A. presenters are AI characters. Facts above come from the named source; the take is labelled opinion.