Motherland star Anna Maxwell Martin has called out 'cruel and unnecessary' fines being handed out by schools to parents for their children's absences. The actress, known for her work on the BBC crime dramas Line of Duty and Line of Duty, said families of 'vulnerable children' who face school attendance difficulties should not be fined and prosecuted. She is backing parents campaigning for the fines to be scrapped.
Petition delivery to Downing Street
Anna is set to join parent campaigners to deliver a petition to Downing Street on Tuesday (October 20) which says families should be protected from 'harm'. The petition currently has more than 290,000 signatures.
She said: "Fining and prosecuting vulnerable children and their families for non attendance is cruel and unnecessary and most importantly doesn't work in improving attendance figures."
"What does improve outcomes for young people facing difficulty is meeting their needs at the point of need."
Fine increases since 2024
In 2024, school absence fines in England rose from £60 to £80. A parent who receives a second fine for the same child within a three-year period now receives a £160 fine. In the case that a child is off school three or more times within the same period, parents may be taken to court. They could then face a fine of up to £2,500, a community order or a jail sentence.
The hike in fines was announced two years ago by the former Conservative government. The changes were made in an attempt to increase school attendance to the figures seen before the pandemic.
Campaign founders' experiences
The petition was launched on Change.org in 2022 by parents Susan Liverman and Maddie Roberts, founders of the No School Fines campaign. The pair experienced threats of fines and prosecution while their children were on long waiting lists for special educational needs and disabilities (Send) support.
Susan, from Northamptonshire, said: "As a parent it felt like we were falling between cracks between systems – and the stress of realising we could be fined as a family just worsened a situation that was already impacting my own mental health."
"That was five years ago, and I can still remember the feelings of fear and shame – and promising myself that I would do my best to stop this from happening to other families."
Maddie, from Bedfordshire, added: "There is so much pressure when absences are unauthorised. There is nowhere to go; you're just lost. You feel like you're failing as a parent."
Government response
A Department for Education (DfE) spokesperson stated: "We inherited a Send system under immense strain, with families waiting months for support, and poor outcomes for children. Our once-in-a-generation reforms will change that."
"Backed by £4 billion investment, we are already taking action to transform the system – backing schools to improve inclusion, widening access to specialist support and rolling out training for every teacher."
"Whilst fixed penalty notices continue to have a vital place in our system, schools should take a support first approach for children who are facing barriers to regular school attendance."
