The rules for taking children on holiday during term time explained - as holiday fines hit record high

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New figures show plenty of parents are still flouting the rules 🙅‍♀️
  • More than 9 out of 10 fines issued for unauthorised absences in the last school year were for term-time holidays
  • These penalty notices hit their highest level since records began
  • The Government recently increased the amount parents can be fined for doing this
  • Not paying your fine can lead to more serious consequences

Taking children out of class during term time for a more affordable holiday still appears to be fairly common, despite Government efforts to curb the practice.

New official figures released this week showed that the total number of fines issued for unauthorised absences shot up by 22% during the last school year (2023/24), with the lion’s share of them being for family holidays when children were supposed to be at school. The number of fines issued for these term-time holidays is three times higher than when records began in 2016/17, the BBC reports, meaning that it has hit a record level.

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Last year, the Government increased the standard amount parents could fined for unauthorised absences from £60 to £80. The change took effect in mid-August, and is just one of a number of actions the Government has taken in recent years to improve school attendance overall - for young people’s own good.

But just how bad has the problem become - and what do the rules actually say about unauthorised absences? Here’s what you need to know:

A record number of notices for term-time holidays were issued in the last school yearA record number of notices for term-time holidays were issued in the last school year
A record number of notices for term-time holidays were issued in the last school year | (Image: National World/Adobe Stock)

Just how bad is the issue?

The new data on unauthorised absences showed that of the 487,344 penalty notices issued in the 2023/24 school year, nine out of 10 were for term-time holidays (specifically 443,322 of them, or 91%). This represented an increase of 24% on the previous year.

The use of penalty notices also varied greatly by area, the official data showed. Three local authorities issued no penalty notices in the last school year, while 26 out of 153 local authorities accounted for half of all penalty notices issued.

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By region, the worst offenders was Yorkshire and The Humber, making up 10.7%. The lowest rates of penalty notices issued were in inner London (3.5%) and outer London (3.4%).

It is worth noting, however, that parents who took children out of school for term-time holidays during the 2023/24 school year only had to pay fines of £60, as they didn’t rise until August. This means we’re unable to see how much of a deterrent the increase has been yet.

When the fines for unauthorised absences were increased last year, a Department for Education spokesperson told us that it was a child welfare decision. “Strong foundations of learning are grounded in attendance in the classroom.”

In an earlier blog post, the department wrote that missed days added up quickly. “Evidence shows that pupils who have good attendance enjoy better wellbeing and school performance than those who don't... For most pupils, the best place to be during term-time in is school, surrounded by the support of their friends and teachers. This is important not just for your child’s learning, but also for their overall wellbeing, wider development and their mental health.”

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What are the rules for taking children on holiday during term time?

There are a number of authorised absences, where a child is actually permitted to not attend school. These include sick days; exceptional circumstances like the death of a family member, a funeral, or a crisis at home (so long as you let the school know); taking part in a religious observance; or if you belong to a traveller family, needing to move or travel for work. If your local council is responsible for arranging your child’s transport to school but are not able to that day, your child is also permitted to stay home.

In most cases, absence from school during the term time for any other reason are considered to be unauthorised. Although term-time holidays are by far the most common reason behind unauthorised absences, holidays are not considered an exceptional circumstance, the Government has specified. This means you are not supposed to take your child out of school for this reason, which is why all schools are now legally required to consider a fine once a child has missed five or more school days.

You can’t just decide not to pay either, with the potential for penalty escalation. If you don’t pay your fine within three weeks (21 days), it will be doubled to £160. Parents are only given four weeks - or 28 days total - to pay the fine.

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After that, or if you’re on your third fine in three years, you may face further action. This can include the local authority seeking an Education Supervision Order from the family court. This means a supervisor will be appointed to make sure your child is attending school. In serious cases, you may be prosecuted. This can lead to steep fines of up £2,500 - or a court issued Parenting Order, a community order, or even a jail sentence of up to three months.

Do you think families should be able to take children on holiday during the school term? Is it a unique learning experience, or disruptive to a child’s education? Have your say and make your voice heard by leaving a comment below.

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