Petition · Department for Education
Ban school attendance fines for parents of reception age
Open for signatures
43 signatures
What the petition asks
Ban fines for parents of reception-age children taking term-time leave Move the "compulsory attendance" fine threshold to the start of Year 1 or Year 2. Currently, a child reaches "Compulsory School Age" the term after they turn five. This creates an unfair "birthday lottery".
We are calling on the Government to revise the rules surrounding school attendance penalty notices for children in their reception year. We urge the Government to raise the threshold at which attendance fines apply to the start of Year 1 or Year 2, aligning legal penalties with the beginning of the formal academic curriculum and national assessments instead of being based on just age.
Timeline
| 5 Mar 2026 | Petition opened for signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
43
Status
Open for signatures
Department
Department for Education
Opened
5 Mar 2026
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 26 Jul 2026.