Sheffield parents paying thousands in unauthorised school absence fines including for term time holidays

Parents and guardians in Sheffield have paid more than £685,000 in council fines relating to school absences over the last five years, The Star has found.

Statistics obtained from Sheffield City Council under the Freedom of Information Act have shown that since the start of the 2019/20 school year, 12,370 term time absence fines have been issued in Sheffield - amassing £687,720.

These fines are issued when parents and/or guardians of school age children take their child out of school without permission from the headteacher.

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Doing this can result in a number of penalties, including a Parenting Order, School Attendance Order, fines (commonly known as Penalty Notices), or prosecution with a maximum punishment of up to three months imprisonment.

Penalty notices are the most common outcome. Local authorities can issue fines of £60 per child, which rises to £120 if it is not paid within 21 days. If the fine isn’t paid within 28 days, parents/guardians can be prosecuted.

Sheffield City Council’s Strategic Director of Children’s Services, Meredith Dixon-Teasdale, said: “Sheffield City Council believes that regular school attendance is paramount for the educational success and well-being of the city’s children. Every child who is the future of our city deserves the chance to thrive academically, socially and emotionally.

“Based on robust academic research, we believe consistent attendance directly correlates with academic achievement. While we acknowledge that higher education is not the preferred pathway for everybody, school attendance can lay a solid foundation for a child’s educational journey and propel them toward a higher education pathway.

“We understand life's challenges may occasionally disrupt this rhythm, but we emphasise the importance of open dialogue between schools and families to address any hurdles quickly and effectively.”

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, no fines were issued during the 2020/21 school year, though the council did receive £1,680 in fines from the year before.

No recent school year saw as many fines handed out as 2022/23, where parents/guardians paid £234,960 from 4,202 fines.

So far in the 2023/24 school year, £98,220 has been paid in unauthorised absence fines. This figure could rise before the end of the year in July 2024.

Government research has shown pupils who performed better both at the end of primary and secondary school missed fewer days than those who didn’t perform as well. 

It said: “Data from 2019 shows that 84 per cent of Key Stage 2 pupils who had 100 per cent attendance achieved the expected standard, compared to 40 per cent of pupils who were persistently absent across the key stage.”

Can you take your child on holiday during term time?

Any absence from school during term-time requires advanced consent from the headteacher. This is not a measure designed to be a barrier to parents, but to ensure that the school is aware (as part of safeguarding responsibilities) and can continue to make sure each child is receiving the education they legally have access to.

You can get permission from headteachers for term-time absences if you make an application to the headteacher in advance; or if there are exceptional circumstances.

It is up to the school headteacher how many days your child can be away from school if leave is granted.