Written questions

Schools: Attendance

Commons · Question 26450 · Tabled 1 Sep 2026 · Department for Education · Official record

Answered 9 Sep 2026

Question

Asked by Ben Maguire

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department holds any analysis on the potential effects of the national penalty notice threshold, introduced in August 2024, on school attendance rates.

Answer

Answered by Paul Waugh, 9 Sep 2026

The causes of school absence are complex, and penalty notices are one part of a wider toolkit to help ensure children receive the education they are entitled to. The government remains committed to a support- first approach, with enforcement only used whe...