Fines for taking children on holiday during term time have soared to a record high of 459,288 in the last academic year, as parents increasingly accept penalties to secure more affordable travel deals. New statistics released by the Department for Education reveal a 4 per cent increase in these fines during the 2024-25 period compared to the previous year.
Overwhelming Majority of Penalties
Term-time holiday fines now represent a staggering 93 per cent of all penalties issued for unauthorised school absence. This significant proportion highlights how families are consciously making the decision to take holidays during school terms, fully aware they will face financial penalties.
The Financial Calculation
For many households, the mathematics is straightforward: paying the fine remains substantially cheaper than covering the peak season premium charged by travel companies during school holidays. The cost of flights and accommodation can more than double when families attempt to travel during official school breaks, as travel firms capitalise on heightened demand.
Parents can save thousands of pounds by removing their children from school during term time, while the current fine stands at just £80 per parent, per child. This represents the first comprehensive data collected since the penalty amount increased from £60, suggesting the higher fine has failed to act as an effective deterrent.
Industry and Union Responses
Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the heads' union ASCL, expressed concern about the situation. 'We cannot continue like this, with parents choosing between an affordable holiday and good school attendance for their child,' he stated. 'We really need the Government to consider any ways they can limit how travel firms raise their prices during school holidays. This is the driving factor behind these statistics.'
A Parent's Perspective
Lucy, a farmer from East Sussex who preferred not to disclose her surname, explained to the BBC why she took her family to Lanzarote during term time. School holidays simply didn't align with the demanding schedule of farm work. While she acknowledged saving approximately £1,500 compared to travelling during February half term, she insisted financial considerations weren't her primary motivation.
'A week's holiday for us as a family is more important than our children being in primary school,' Lucy explained. 'I'm quite happy to pay the fines, but I just don't want to be prosecuted. I potentially face huge fines and a stint in jail for just wanting to spend a bit of time with my children.'
Regional Variations and Historical Trends
The latest data reveals interesting geographical patterns. Yorkshire and the Humber, which maintains the highest rate of penalty notices, experienced a slight decrease to 103 notices per 1,000 enrolled pupils. Meanwhile London, with the lowest rate, saw a modest increase to 36 per 1,000 pupils.
Fines are administered by individual local councils, which has historically resulted in significant variation between different local authority areas. The trend of increasing fines for unauthorised term-time holidays has been consistent since the 2020/21 academic year.
Questioning the Current Approach
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the school leaders' union NAHT, questioned the effectiveness of the current system. 'The use of fines to manage absence increasingly appears to be an overly-simplistic solution to a more complex issue, and it is becoming clear that this approach is ineffective,' he commented.
'The fact that unauthorised absence figures have continued to increase suggests that the current approach is simply not working. It is clear that for many families the threat of a fine is not acting as a significant deterrent.'
Government Position
A Department for Education spokesperson defended the current policy, stating: 'We're determined to give children growing up in our country the best start in life. But that can only happen if children regularly attend school.'
The spokesperson highlighted progress already made, noting 'five million more days in school last academic year and 140,000 fewer pupils persistently absent.' They emphasised that 'term time holidays place the burden on teachers to support missed learning – affecting the entire class. That's why fines have a vital place in our system, so everyone is held accountable for ensuring our children are in school.'
