School holiday fines surge from 150 to 3,812
Willie B Thomas/Getty CreativeFines for parents of children missing school have surged in a county from 140 to 3,812 in one year.
The two councils covering Cumbria said the sharp rise was in response to a change in rules on holiday fines from 2024, which prompted a change in processes while increasing the cost of each fine from £60 to £80.
Andy Brewerton, from the National Education Union (NEU) in Cumbria, said the fines did not address a potential "class" issue, with people not being able to afford trips due to prices going up by "fantastic amounts" during school holidays.
The government said fines "have a vital place in our system" and term-time absences can affect entire classes due to missed learning.
The vast majority of fines handed out by both councils related to children being taken out of school for unauthorised holidays.
In Westmorland and Furness, a total of 2,074 fines were given out last year, up from 89 in 2023-24 or a rise of more than 2,200%.
Cumberland Council handed out 1,738 fines last year, up from 51 in 2023-24, which is an increase of more than 3,300%.
Nationally, the number of term-time holiday fines rose by 4% in 2024-25 when compared with the previous year and accounted for 93% of all fines issued for unauthorised school absence.
What are the rules on fines?
The government says in most cases schools and local authorities will try to provide support to help improve a child's attendance, but if this is ineffective, or the absence is for an unauthorised term-time holiday, parents may face a fine.
According to Department for Education guidelines issued in August 2024:
- Schools must consider fines if a child misses five or more days unauthorised
- Fines cost £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days, per parent per child
- If a parent gets a second fine for the same child in three years, it costs £160 immediately
- For a third unauthorised absence, other action including prosecution is considered which could result in a fine of up to £2,500, or a jail sentence of up to three months
- Money from fines is paid to the local authority
Brewerton said: "It's almost becoming a class thing... if you've got money, you can go on holiday.
"People would rather take the fine than pay more money in the summer."
He said he understood that "we need our children in school to learn" and "there was a potential for some of the families to take far too much time out of school".
"However, I don't see how the old way of doing things - which involved applying for a holiday for maybe two weeks out of a year - doesn't work better."
Brewerton said NEU members were finding there was a "misunderstanding that parents feel that it is the schools that it is doing this to them".
He said the current system "was not working" and a more flexible way of looking at holiday requests on merit would be better.
Westmorland and Furness Council said: "Every lost day at school has an adverse impact and we are committed to giving each of our children the best possible opportunities for their future."
It said the income generated is ringfenced to support improved attendance for all pupils.
A spokesperson for Cumberland Council said the majority of notices it issued related to unauthorised absences where there were no extenuating circumstances.
"Each case is considered on an individual basis and schools and our teams work with parents to support school attendance," they said.
"Following the guidance, any money collected from the fines is ringfenced, to cover the administration of the notices and to support work that helps children attend school regularly."
