“Unauthorised Absence” film to feature BAFTA award-winning actors, in kickstart to debate over parental fines
Emily Bruni and Beatrice Flaherty as the mum and her daughter, Thea, in the film. Pic: "Unauthorised Absence" production team.
“There is a huge disconnect between government policy…and what’s actually happening in thousands of homes up and down the country,” warns the film’s writer, who says families are being pushed towards home education by the policy.
A crowdfunded short film about the pressure a child faces over going to school is poised to launch later this year, with an award-winning cast including the well-known actors Cathy Tyson and Anna Maxwell Martin.
“Unauthorised Absence” stands to further stimulate debate about the mental health pressures on young people and the extent to which education policy is a contributory factor, with a powerful message about the human impact of drives to raise school attendance.
Its writer, Jo Clayton, said last month that government policy, including fining parents for their child’s non-attendance, was pushing many families towards “enforced” home education.
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By Warwick Mansell for EDUCATION UNCOVERED
Published: 16 September 2026
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