School Attendance: Update to Parent Fines

Dear parent/carer,

We need to make you aware of some important changes that could affect you if you choose to take your child out of school during term time.

In February 2024, the Department for Education published a Working Together to Improve School Attendance.  Within this document, it lays out the changes to issuing penalty notices that come into effect on 19th August 2024.  We have summarised these changes below.

Per Parent, Per Child
Penalty Notice Fines will now be issued to each parent, for each child that is absent.

For example: 3 siblings absent for term time leave, would result in each parent receiving 3 separate fines.  

Please note: Section 576 Education Act 1996 defines ‘parent’ as:

  • Any natural parent, whether married or not
  • Any parent who, although not a natural parent, has parental responsibility as defined in the Children Act (1989) for a child or young person
  • Any person, who although not a natural parent, has care of a child or young person on a day to day basis.

Five Consecutive days of term time leave
Penalty Notice Fines will be issued for Term Time Leave of 5 or more consecutive days.  Inset training days are school days and can be included in the 5 or more consecutive days where there was intent to be absent for term time leave.

10 Sessions of unauthorised absence in a 10-week period
Penalty Notice Fines will be considered when there have been 10 sessions of unauthorised absence, 10 sessions are equivalent to 5 days unauthorised absences and this can include missed AM marks due to a student arriving after registration.

Please make sure that you make first day of absence contact with us to explain any absences for your child, no contact will result in an unauthorised absence.

Illness and medical appointments will require medical evidence.   If illness exceeds more than 3 days, then medical evidence will be required to authorise the absence. 

First Offence
The first time a Penalty Notice is issued for Term Time Leave or Irregular/Unauthorised Attendance the amount will be:

  • £160 per parent, per child paid within 28 days
  • Reduced to £80 per parent, per child if paid within 21 days

Second Offence (within 3 Years)
The second time a Penalty Notice is issued for Term Time Leave or Irregular/Unauthorised Attendance the amount will be:

  • £160 per parent, per child paid within 28 days
  • There will be no offer of a reduction.

Third Offence and Any other Offences (within 3 Years)
The third time an offence is committed for Term Time Leave or Irregular/Unauthorised Attendance, a Penalty Notice will not be issued, and the case will be presented straight to the Magistrate’s Court. 

Magistrates fines can be up to £2500 per parent, per child
Cases found guilty in Magistrates Court can show on the parent’s future DBS Certificate, due to failure to safeguard a child’s education,’

New two Penalty Notice Limit in a 3-year period
The 3-year rolling period starts for parents when the first penalty notice is issued after the 19th August.

We understand that financially times are very tough for many families and so we wanted to make you aware of the changes being made by the government to combat holidays being taken in term time and low attendance generally.  As you can see, the fines applied from August of this year will be far more substantial than in recent years.

With kind regards

Mrs L Clarke (Vice Principal)          Miss S Jinman (Senior Attendance Officer)