Open letter to MP: Parent fines for school attendance are damaging and counterproductive

I spoke earlier this year on the topic - How to help the disengaged; 'Can't, not won't', on a panel with Lucy Alexandra Spencer and Diego Melo about the complexity of school attendance across the country.

It's become a personal matter for me as a parent and as I've not had a response to my recent letter to my local MP regarding my daughter's emotional based school absence, I thought I'd share it publicly here too to raise awareness of the broader issues facing parents and children.

Dear Rt Hon John Glen MP ,

I am writing to you not only as a concerned parent but also as a member of our community deeply invested in the welfare and education of all children within our jurisdiction.?

My 12 year old struggles with an eating disorder and her mental health and this has impacted her school attendance as she has transitioned to year 7 in a new school. Despite her bravery in asking for support at school from her tutor and pastoral and counselling support being implemented in school, her attendance has suffered. Bullying in school has led to her also self harming. She has been on a waitlist for CAHMs for nearly 2 years, the GP will not see her for this reason and the school attendance officer does not authorise absence for mental ill health so this week I received a penalty notice from the Council for a fine and threat of court if I didn’t pay.?

While I have reluctantly paid the fine imposed due to my daughter's school attendance record, I must express my profound concern over this matter, not merely from a personal standpoint but as a broader issue affecting many families in our area.

The decision to fine parents for their children's non-attendance at school is a punitive approach that fails to consider the myriad underlying reasons why a child might struggle with regular school attendance. These reasons often include, but are not limited to, mental health issues, special educational needs, and broader socio-economic factors. In my case, as in many others, these factors significantly impact our children's ability to maintain consistent attendance. The anxiety imposed on children if they become aware their parents have been fined for something they can’t control is hugely unhelpful.

Through my professional work and personal experiences, I have come to realise that our current educational framework often does not accommodate the diverse needs of all students, particularly those who are neurodivergent or facing other challenges. The imposition of fines does little to address the root causes of non-attendance and instead places additional strain on families who may already be navigating complex challenges.

I urge our local council to reconsider this approach and to seek more constructive, compassionate, and individualised strategies to support children and families facing attendance issues. There is a pressing need to create a more inclusive, understanding, and flexible educational environment that recognises and respects the unique circumstances of each child.

Furthermore, I believe that our community could benefit from a broader dialogue about educational reform and the diverse needs of our student population. As someone deeply invested in this issue, I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter further with you and to explore potential collaborative efforts to address these challenges more effectively.

Please consider this letter not as a mere complaint but as a call to action and an offer to assist in creating positive change within our educational system. In 2019 I set up Gaia Learning as a single parent reluctantly home educating my neurodivergent son here in Salisbury. The company which has since been accredited as a Cambridge International School online and given the ADHD Friendly Schools Award by the ADHD Foundation has grown and now supports schools, MATs and Local Authorities to reengage children in the classroom. We support parents and teachers to understand neurodiversity and how to work positively with the challenges it presents at school and at home. The learners we support have tripled since September, with schools using our platform as a supplement to enhance their existing school provision.

We are on alternative provision directories in East Sussex, Hampshire, Norfolk and work with school groups across the country including Ark Academy, New Bridge Group and the Springboard Project, Brighter Futures for Children, Keys Group and are a strategic partner with the Federation for Education Development.

Like every parent, I want my kids to thrive in school and be prepared for their future, to find their purpose and be productive members of their community. I know there’s a better, more empathic joined up approach than fining parents and look forward to the possibility of working together for the betterment of our community's children and families.

I’d therefore welcome the opportunity to discuss the needs of neurodivergent children and their families in your constituency with yourself - both as a mother and entrepreneur of thriving online learning platform, which allows me first-hand to understand how the educational system struggles to deliver tailored solutions for the more than 1.5m neurodivergent children in the UK within their educational budget. We can’t keep doing more for less, and need to work together to look after neurodivergent children and their families - setting up an educational framework and system fit for the 21st century.?

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Kirstin Coughtrie

As I discussed recently with Benjamin Palmer it's vital that Local Councils and Local Governments listen to parent and community voices on this matter. I'm looking forward to my next LinkedIn Live with Marie Martin on this topic too. If you're a parent affected by the same, please get in touch. We can all do more for our children and create sustainable solutions for happy, healthy communities if we work together and seek to understand, not punish.

#attendance #inclusion #send #semh #parentfines #ebsa