Starring Anna Maxwell Martin and Cathy Tyson, this powerful new short film explores school anxiety, parental pressure and what happens when an education system designed for everyone doesn't work for every child.
Imagine watching your child become increasingly distressed at the thought of going to school. The tears, the anxiety, the mornings that feel impossible. You ask for help, desperate to do the right thing, only to find yourself facing a fine.
It's a heartbreaking scenario, and one at the centre of Unauthorised Absence, a new 15-minute short film following Anna, a single mother fighting to get support for her nine-year-old neurodivergent daughter, Thea.
Featuring an impressive British cast including two-time BAFTA winner Anna Maxwell Martin (Motherland), Cathy Tyson (Boiling Point), Alix Wilton Regan (Bergerac) and Jennifer English, the film explores the anxiety of watching your child struggle, the exhaustion of advocating for them and the pressure of navigating a school system that doesn't always accommodate individual needs.
The statistics are striking. During the 2024–25 academic year, more than 459,000 fines were issued to parents for unauthorised school absences in England. Under current rules, schools must consider a penalty notice when unauthorised absence reaches five school days within a rolling ten-week period.
Of course, school attendance matters. But what happens when a child isn't refusing to attend, but genuinely struggling to cope? And when getting them through the school gates only adds to the anxiety at home?
Developed and produced by Natalie Lauren, written by Jo Clayton and directed by Georgia Parris, the crowdfunded film puts a human story behind the statistics, raising important questions about school anxiety, rigid attendance policies and whether a one-size-fits-all approach can overlook the children who need the most support.
At just 15 minutes, this is a film we'd encourage every parent to make time for. Not because it promises easy answers, but because it starts a conversation worth having about how we support children who struggle.
Unauthorised Absence is available to stream free on YouTube from 3:30pm today, Tuesday 10 November, via Directors Notes and MIMESIC Films. Community screenings are also taking place, followed by a free live Zoom discussion with the filmmaking team and invited guests at 7:30pm GMT tonight. The film is rated 12A and contains distressing scenes, threat and themes of self-harm.