Parents to be fined more for school absences

Parents in England who take their children out of school without permission will now face higher fines.

As part of a drive to boost attendance following the pandemic, the Department for Education (DfE) has said school absence fines - considered if a child misses five days of school for unauthorised absence - will be increased. Fines currently start at £60, rising to £120 if they are not paid within 21 days.

But the DfE has said fines will now start at £80, rising to £160. This comes after nearly 400,000 penalty notices were issued to parents in England in 2022-23 for unauthorised school absences, which was much higher than pre-pandemic levels.

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Nearly nine in ten - or 89.3 per cent - of the fines were for unauthorised holidays as families looked to book cheaper holidays outside school term times, according to DfE figures released in December. Government guidance is expected to clarify when financial penalties for school absences should be used to ensure councils issue fines appropriately.

The DfE has said school absence fines will be brought under a national framework to help tackle inconsistencies in their use across England. Under the new measures, which have been announced as part of the Government's efforts to try to cut down on the number of children who are regularly missing school, every state school in England will share their daily attendance registers with the DfE, councils and academy trusts.

It is understood the higher fines for absences will come into effect from September. The DfE hopes the data set will help schools spot and support children at risk of persistent absence, or in danger of becoming missing from education.

Rob