Your 300,000 Voices Reached Downing Street: Thank You

Hello everyone.

What a week!

On Tuesday 20 October, we stood on the steps of 10 Downing Street and handed in our petition, carrying the names of more than 300,000 of you who believe that families of vulnerable children should be supported, not fined or prosecuted when they can't go to school.

When Maddie and I started this petition in 2022, we were two parents waiting for support for our children, who had been threatened with fines while the help we needed was nowhere in sight. We never imagined that so many of you would stand with us. Every signature is a person sending a message: ‘This is not right.’

We were grateful to be joined at Downing Street by Anna Maxwell Martin, Baroness Natalie Bennett, and MPs Lee Barron, Hannah Spencer, Adam Dance and Claire Young. A special thank you to Claire Young, who has tirelessly championed this issue in Parliament.

We were also proud to stand alongside Claire Barratt from Not Fine in School, Ellie Costello from Square Peg, and Natalie Lauren from the film Unauthorised Absence, a brilliant group of changemakers in this area.

Together we carried a simple message to the Prime Minister’s door: Support not Court.

And the country saw us! Our delivery and campaign were covered on the day by BBC News, ITV News, Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine show and BBC Two’s Politics Live! With countless more radio and press appearances.

In response, the Department for Education said that schools should take a support-first approach for children facing barriers to attendance, but that fixed penalty notices still have a place. We welcome the words about support. But while fines and prosecution remain a possibility, families who are already struggling will continue to be at risk. So our work is not finished, and we are seeking an audience with the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, to hear our message.

Thank you for your continued support, and please keep sharing this petition. Every new signature shows the government that this issue is not going away.

With heartfelt thanks,

Maddie and Susan