Petition · past parliament · Department for Education
Stop classifying SEN Pupils as "Persistently Absent" for medical absences
Closed
856 signatures
What the petition asks
The Gov.uk website explains that the term Persistently Absent is used to describe Pupils who regularly "fail to turn up" and have an attendance record of less than 90%. However, this makes no consideration for Pupils with SEN who often have authorised medical absences related to their conditions.
Employers and other educational institutions can and do often ask for an assurance that the pupils attendance has been satisfactory but currently the Persistently Absent criteria makes no differentiation between authorised medical absences and the child simply playing truant. Please make this policy more inclusionary by ending the classification of SEN pupils as "Persistently Absent" when the absences have been authorised and are on medical grounds related to their condition.
Timeline
| 22 Mar 2024 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 29 May 2024 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
856
Status
Closed
Department
Department for Education
Opened
22 Mar 2024
Closed
29 May 2024
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.