Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether parents who are required to provide schools with GP letters for a child with SEND are able to charge the cost of that letter back to the school.

In cases where a school has requested medical evidence to support an illness absence, a GP letter is not required. In addition to a doctor’s note, medical evidence can take the form of a prescription, medication, a referral from a clinic, appointment cards and other similar documents.

The department’s working together to improve school attendance guidance for schools and local authorities, states that in the majority of cases a parent’s notification that their chid is ill can be accepted without question or concern. Schools should not routinely request that parents provide medical evidence to support illness, as it places additional pressure on health professionals, particularly if the illness is one that does not require treatment by a health professional. This guidance can be accessed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1099677/Working_together_to_improve_school_attendance.pdf.

The guidance also expects schools and local authorities to recognise that pupils with long term illnesses or special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) may face greater barriers to attendance than their peers. Schools and local authorities are expected to be mindful of the barriers pupils with SEND may face and put additional support in place where necessary to help them access their full-time education. Schools and local authorities should be sensitive and avoid stigmatising pupils and parents and talk to them to understand what they think would help improve their attendance and develop individual approaches that meet an individual pupil’s specific needs.