'School fines unfair to low income families' - mum

Alice Cunningham & Wayne Bavin
BBC News, Suffolk
PA Media Three pupils sit at a classroom desk while a teacher writes on a whiteboard in front of them. Two of the pupils have their hands raised.PA Media
A Suffolk mother said she could not afford to take her four children on holiday outside of school term-time

A mother-of-four said attendance fines discriminated families who could not afford to take their children on holiday during school breaks.

The mum, from Suffolk, said she had received two fines from her children's schools after taking them away when they should have been in the classroom.

She felt the fines were an "unfair, one-size-fits-all approach" and believed her children's education had not suffered.

Dave Lee-Allan, chair of Suffolk Association of Secondary Heads, recognised the challenges faced by low-income families, but said schools were not to blame for high priced holidays outside of term-time.

'Left with no choice'

"For me, holidays are completely unaffordable during the school holidays," the mother told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"It's just not something my children would have access to at all, if that was my only choice.

"While I appreciate that children should be in school at every available opportunity, I work five days a week, I think I should be just as entitled to take a holiday as someone who can afford to pay the inflated prices.

"Unfortunately, it feels like it leaves me with no choice."

She added that her children's results in school spoke for themselves and the holidays were "not disrupting" their education.

The mum also raised that she had seen inconsistencies between schools.

For example, one of her children's primary schools had issued her with a fine, but the secondary school attended by her other children had not.

Dave Lee-Allen is pictured mid-interview talking in an office setting. He has thin grey hair as well as a grey beard. He wears a black suit with a white shirt and tie.
Dave Lee-Allen said he understood the fines were a "last resort"

New Department for Education figures showed the number of fines handed to Suffolk parents whose children had missed school for holidays had increased by about 25% since the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the year from April 2018 to the end of March 2019, just over 7,400 fines were given out. But in the 12 months from April 2022, that increased to nearly 9,900.

About seven in 10 of those fines were paid and in 2022, about £500,000 was raised.

The money had previously been given to the government, but since last year local authorities have kept the money to invest it back into attendance support.

In August 2024, the Department for Education introduced new national framework to bring schools across the country in line with each other.

Fines were set at £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days.

'Enormous pressure'

Mr Lee-Allen, from the association that represents head teachers and principals, explained school attendance had become a "significant issue".

He said schools faced "enormous pressure through Ofsted and the Department for Education", but "rightfully so" to ensure children were safe and attending.

"We recognise there is enormous value in a holiday, but what schools are saying is that we have holidays and we have term-time, and we expect you to be in in term-time," he said.

"I don't think anyone is saying these fines are perfect... it's not our fault that these holiday companies increase their prices so much in holiday time."

PA Media Bridget Phillipson is pictured walking out of Downing Street. She has short brown hair and is smiling. She wears a navy coloured coat.PA Media
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said children needed to be given the "best start in life"

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said a "national effort" was needed to tackle the issue that she described as an "epidemic".

"This government will do everything in its power to tackle the problem, but behaviour like term-time holidays cannot be changed with support alone - which is why fines have a vital place in our system, so everyone is held accountable for ensuring our children are in school," she said.

"When children miss school unnecessarily, all children suffer, as teachers' attention is diverted to helping them catch back up, and we will not apologise for ensuring every child is in school accessing high and rising standards so they can achieve and thrive."

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