In February, the Department of Education (DfE) disclosed that parents whose children skip five days of school could face fines for unauthorised absence.
The fine for missing school is now £80 instead of £120, and if it is not paid within 21 days, it will grow to £160.
The fine is £160 from the beginning if the same parent is penalized twice in a three-year period.
This is not the time to issue a third penalty notice; instead, “alternative action,” which most certainly entails prosecution, should be taken into consideration.
In comparison to pre-pandemic levels, about 400,000 penalty letters for unapproved school absences were issued in England in 2022–2023.
According to DfE numbers issued in December, nearly nine out of ten (89.3%) of the fines were for illegal holidays, as families sought to schedule cheaper vacations outside of school terms.
The guidelines state that in order to assist students and their families in overcoming obstacles to attendance, schools and local authorities should adopt a “support-first” strategy.
If necessary, a family court order should be sought, or a “formal attendance contract” should be agreed upon; if all other options are exhausted, a fine will be imposed.
