Closed petition: Stop medical appointments counting against school attendance

Closed on 25 March 2026

We believe children shouldn’t be marked down as absent for hospital or GP appointments. These are authorised absences but still lower attendance records. We urge the Government to create a separate code so medical care doesn’t impact students’ attendance records.

At the moment, hospital and GP appointments during school hours count as authorised absences, but they still lower a child’s attendance record. We believe this is unfair on children with health conditions or disabilities who need regular care. We want the Government to bring in a separate attendance code so medical appointments don’t reduce attendance percentages or make families look like they aren’t supporting education.