PARENTS in England risk hefty fines for this common term-time infraction.
Anyone planning to take their children out of school for an early holiday may want to rethink their trip dates.
Parents in England could face hefty fines for taking their children out of school for an early summer holiday (stock image) Credit: Getty
School absence fines have been raised in recent years, with each parent facing £160 charges per child (stock image)
Under current attendance rules in , could face fines of up to £160 per child.
With each guardian billed separately for the same child, households could end up forking over £320 per child.
With summer costs continuing to soar, it may be tempting to take your little one away before the peak season.
However, some parents may not realise how much school holiday penalties have increased in recent years.
The rules were officially changed ahead of the last school, with first-time offenses rising from £60 to £80.
Meanwhile, payments made after 22 days of issue were increased from £120 to £160.
So two parents taking two children out of for a holiday could face a family fine of up to £640.
According to the latest D figures, more than 459,000 fines were issued for unauthorised term-time holidays during the 2024/25 academic year.
Government guidance states that councils across England can issue penalty notices for unauthorised absences, including term-time holidays that haven’t been approved by schools.
Fines are capped at two within a three-year period, with parents the Magistrates’ Court after their third offence, where fines can reach up to £2,500 per guardian.
Under the current national framework, all schools in England must consider a fine if a child misses 10 sessions, the equivalent to five school days due to unauthorised absence within a rolling 10-week period.
These five days can be a consecutive block or split up over the 10 weeks.
operates a separate framework, charging £60 for unauthorised absences, an amount which doubles if paid late.
Meanwhile, there are currently no fixed penalty systems in or the .
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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