00:00For many families, keeping children in school every day can feel like a balancing act,
00:06especially when illness, family pressures or the cost of holidays come into play.
00:11But in North Tyneside, parents are being reminded that unauthorised absences can come at a significant financial cost.
00:18Figures released by North Tyneside Council show parents and guardians were issued 1,283 fines
00:26over a 14-month period between September 2024 and November 2025.
00:32In total, those fines added up to £98,120.
00:38Under current rules, parents can be fined £80 per child per parent for unauthorised absences
00:43covering the whole period away from school. If that fine's not paid within 21 days, it's doubled.
00:49The council says repeat offences are treated more seriously,
00:52with second penalty notices within three years set at £160 with no early payment discount.
00:58I think it depends on what year the kids are in.
01:02Like, if they're in their crucial years, like GCSEs or A-levels or whatever,
01:05then it's, that's bad because, you know, every day counts.
01:09But if it's, like, primary school, then it's fine. Like, they'll learn. It's okay.
01:14They'll get jobs as general. Yeah.
01:16They inflate the holiday prices during the six weeks of Christmas, whenever.
01:21I think, yeah, it's obscene, really, how much they can charge.
01:26You know, and I've got friends who've, you know,
01:29having to pay £6,000, £7,000, £8,000 for a fortnight in the middle of July,
01:33and pay £3,500, £4,000 for other times of the year. It's not great.
01:37Failure to pay fines or continued unauthorised absences can ultimately lead to prosecution.
01:44North Timeside Council says that could result in a fine of up to £2,500 per parent, per child,
01:50a community order, or even a prison sentence of up to three months.
01:55I think it's a very difficult decision for families
01:58because to be able to take your children out of school, out of intern time,
02:03holidays much cheaper, and you understand that families are on a tight budget.
02:07However, I think it's difficult then for teachers.
02:11My sister-in-law used to be head of the department at the school,
02:14and obviously trying to catch children back up causes of problems for the teaching staff,
02:20and children may potentially lose quite a good time in education.
02:23Well, I can see why somebody would pay the £80,
02:26because it's a cheaper option than paying £2,000 later on.
02:32So, you know, it's negligible, I guess, and it's a principle of the matter.
02:37School Standards Minister Georgia Gould said the country is still facing
02:41what she described as an absence epidemic,
02:43underlining the importance of keeping children in school wherever possible.
02:48North Timeside Council says any money raised from attendance fines
02:51is reinvested into local support services,
02:54working directly with schools and families to improve long-term attendance.
02:59So, it should be quite something.
03:00How many people do you know?
03:01Well, they moved into school.
03:02So, you've gotten a good job with students.
03:03It's a good job with students and students.
03:04To and the students.
03:05To a classCome on.
03:06You'll see that you have a little bit.
03:07They went over to go to school for service.
03:08You may not use it.
03:09I'll never do anything but not go to school in school.
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