Changes to school fines: How much are they going up by?

The fine for parents of children who take unauthorised time off school is about to go up for the first time in twelve years

Transcript

00:00Parents are being warned that taking your child out of school for no good reason during term time

00:05will soon come with a harsher punishment. From August 2024, the fine for school absences across

00:10the country will be £80 if paid within 21 days or £160 if paid within 28 days.

00:17It's the first increase since 2012 and is in line with inflation. At the moment,

00:21the local authority decides upon when to fine parents, meaning the process can vary depending

00:26where you are. However, under the new national framework, all schools will be required to

00:31consider a fine when a child has missed 10 or more sessions, that's five days, for unauthorised

00:36reasons. If a parent receives a second fine for the same child within any three-year period,

00:42this will be charged at the higher rate. The upping of fines comes after a reported increase

00:47in absenteeism and also homeschooling following the pandemic. But critics of the fixed penalty

00:52notice scheme say the increase won't make a difference as it's still cheaper to book foreign

00:56holidays during term time and that fines disproportionately target lower-income

01:01families. Would it change your decision to take your child out of school?