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Petition · past parliament · Department for Education

Make flexischooling for 1 day a week a parental right for the next academic year

Closed 3,221 signatures

What the petition asks

We want to change the law for 1 school year to introduce a presumption that parents may have their school children study 1 day a week at home to help anxious children returning to school after the school closures. Currently parents must seek permission to do so and such requests are often refused.
Flexischooling is an arrangement between school and parents where their children spend an agreed time in study based at home. This does not count as absence. Many children will be anxious returning to school in September after nearly 6 months off school, resulting in CAMHS being overwhelmed and children’s mental health affected and truancy rates and fines rising. We believe parents should be able to flexischool by right. Schools should only refuse on evidenced, known, safeguarding issues.

Timeline

28 May 2020 Petition opened for signatures
28 Nov 2020 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 3,221
Status Closed
Department Department for Education
Opened 28 May 2020
Closed 28 Nov 2020

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.