Holiday absence fines increase across South East schools

A government spokesperson said regular attendance was vital for a child's education, wellbeing and future life chances

The number of fines issued to parents in the South East due to student absence has increased sharply, government data reveals.

Unauthorised family holiday absence was listed as the main reason behind the penalty notices, which are £60 per child for each parent.

One academy chain leader said there was "a real urgency for schools to improve attendance".

The Department for Education (DfE) said it backed the use of punitive measures.

"Parents have a duty to make sure their child regularly attends school and holidays should be around school breaks to avoid taking children out of school during term time," a DfE spokesperson said.

Garry Ratcliffe, chief executive of the Golden Thread Alliance in Kent, said there needed to be "consistent rules across all schools in England, with more information given to parents about the impact of their children missing out on one or two weeks of school".

Mr Ratcliffe said the impact of a large amount of missed learning could not be underestimated

The fine for unauthorised absence is £60 if paid within 21 days, but increases to £120 after that period.

The government data for the 2022-23 academic year shows that in Medway, 8 penalty notices were issued per 100 pupils, almost doubling from 4.1 the previous year.

West Sussex's rate increased from 3.2 last year to 5.6 this year, East Sussex rose from 3.0 to 5.2 and in Kent the rate was 4.5, up from 2.8.

Surrey had a rate of 2.4 in 2022-23, up from 1.5 the year before, and Brighton and Hove increased from 4.9 to 7.8.

Jasmine Clarke said her family could not afford to go away during school holidays

Jasmine Clarke, who lives in Brighton, said she took her five-year-old twins out of school during term time as the cost of going away in the summer holidays was "literally double" and the family would not be able to afford it.

She had not yet received a fine from her sons' school, but said the risk was "worth it" as the cost was far lower than the increased price of a holiday.

"We think as a family it is important to be able to spend time together, for everyone's mental health," she said, adding that holidays had educational value as children could "experience new locations, new foods, new languages".

Although the vast majority of penalty notices in the South East were issued to families going on holiday without asking permission from the school, fines can also be given for an attendance rate lower than 90% or repeated lateness.

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