Petition Stop classifying SEN Pupils as "Persistently Absent" for medical absences

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.

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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.

This petition closed early because of a General Election Find out more on the Petitions Committee website

856 signatures

Progress of the petition towards its next target: 856 of 10,000 signatures required to get a government response

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10,000 signatures required to get a government response

Date closed 30 May 2024
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