Huge change to rules next WEEK affecting any parents booking holidays – will you pay more?

FROM NEXT week parents whose children skip five days of school will have to pay a £160 fine when a new government attendance drive comes into force.

Families planning to book holidays outside of term time from September need to be careful of a truancy fine hike, which comes into effect next week on 19 August.

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At the moment, local authorities determine when to give fines to parents, so the process is different from council to council.

But with the new national crackdown, schools will have to give out a fine when a child misses 10 or more sessions (five days) for unauthorised reasons.

From August 2024, the fine for school absences across the country will rise from £60 to £80 if paid within 21 days.

If you fail to pay a fine issued within 21 days, you'll have to pay double - £160, to be precise, up from the previous £120.

The Department for Education says this rate tallies with inflation, and is the first time the amount has gone up since 2012.

Parents can only accrue two fines within a three-year period.

However, once this limit has been reached, additional actions such as parenting order, or prosecution will be implemented.

If you’re prosecuted and go to court because your child has not been attending school, you may be fined up to £2,500.

The plans were announced by education secretary Gillian Keegan in February, who spoke of the "worldwide rise in absence" because of schools closing in lockdown and the decline in student's mental health.

She said: "Our fantastic schools and teachers unlock children’s imagination, potential and social skills, which is why improving attendance is my number one priority."

Are there circumstances when the fines won't be issued?

Truancy fines will not be given out to parents if their kids miss school in certain circumstances.

For example, you won't be fined if your child is too ill to attend.

Parents will also avoid being fined under the following circumstances:

• You have asked in advance and been given permission by the school for your child to be absent on that day due to exceptional circumstances.
• Your child cannot attend school on that day because it is a day you are taking part in religious observance.
• Your local authority is responsible for arranging your child’s transport to school and it is not available on that day or has not been provided yet.
• You are a gypsy/traveller family with no fixed abode, and you are required to travel for work that day, meaning your child cannot attend their usual school.

When are these fines given out?

If your child is off school and you have not been given advanced permission from the headteacher to take them out of school, the school and local council might take action.

However, your child's school and local council are expected to support you to improve the child's attendance before any measures are put in place.

At first they might issue a fixed penalty notice, which is otherwise known as a "fine".

If this is not paid after 28 days, you might be prosecuted for your child's absence from school.

If that does not resolve the attendance issue, the local authority might seek an education supervision order from the family court.

If the council thinks you require support getting your child to go to school, but that you are not collaborating, they can call court for an education supervision order.

In this instance, a supervisor will be allocated to assist your child into education.

The local council can do this instead of, or as well as, prosecuting you, meaning you would need to go to court.

You might be fined up to £2,500, given a community order, or jailed for up to three months.