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Written question asked by Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 1 September 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 3 September 2026. It was answered by Paul Waugh (Labour) on Wednesday, 9 September 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Schools: Attendance

Question

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

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 where support is not appropriate, has not been engaged with, or is not proving effective.

Recent data suggests this approach is having a positive impact. In 2024 to 2025, the rate of absence due to unauthorised holidays fell from 0.53% to 0.48%, equating to around 1.3 million fewer missed sessions compared with 2023 to 2024. Penalty notices are primarily targeted at term-time holidays, which accounted for 93% of notices issued in 2024 to 2025.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
26450
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Attendance Fixed penalties Schools
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk