UK school fine changes: When do they go up and how much will parents be fined for term-time holidays?

• New fines for parents whose children miss more than 5 days of school kick in next month.
• The initial fine will double if you don’t pay it within three weeks.
• If you don’t pay it within a month, you may even be prosecuted.
• The government says the new measures are important not just for children’s education, but for their wider development and mental health.

The government will be cracking down on unauthorised school absences in just one month’s time - imposing heftier fines and stricter nationwide enforcement.

Many families opt to take their children out of school for a couple of days for family holidays to prevent blowing out the budget. It can often be more expensive to take children on holiday during the official school holiday period, as there is increased demand from other families.

But these families are likely to fall into the firing line of the new rules - and the government says it’s for children’s own good.

So how much will the new fines actually be, and what happens if you don’t pay? And what reasons ARE you allowed to take your child out of school for? Here’s everything you need to know:

Why have the rules changed, and who are they targeting?

The government first announced the new national framework back in February, but it comes into force in August 2024. The changes are centred around child welfare, the Department for Education says.

“Every moment in school counts and days missed add up quickly. Evidence shows that pupils who have good attendance enjoy better wellbeing and school performance than those who don't,” it wrote in a blog post. “For most pupils, the best place to be during term-time in is school, surrounded by the support of their friends and teachers. This is important not just for your child’s learning, but also for their overall wellbeing, wider development and their mental health.”

Although the changes were not explicitly targeting any parents in particular, it has been linked to increasing numbers of parents taking their child out of school during term time for family holidays.

These families will likely be affected by the new rules. The Department for Education says that currently, a whopping 89% of fines for unauthorised absence are being issued for term time holidays - and unauthorised term time holidays are explicitly listed in official guidance as a reason parents might be fined.

What will the new fines be - and what happens if you just don’t pay?

From next month, the new rules mean fining parents won’t just be left up to local authorities. All schools will be legally required to consider a fine once a child has missed five or more school days for unauthorised reasons.

This initial fine will be £80. However, if you don’t pay it within three weeks (21 days), it will be doubled to £160. If you rack up more than one for the same child within three years, your next fine will also be £160.

Parents are only given four weeks - or 28 days total - to pay the fine. After that, or if you’re on your third fine in three years, you may face further action. This can include the local authority seeking an Education Supervision Order from the family court. This means a supervisor will be appointed to help make sure your child is attending school.

In serious cases, you may be prosecuted in court. This can lead to steep fines of up £2,500 - or a court issued Parenting Order, a community order, or even a jail sentence of up to three months.

These have been the first school absence fine increases since 2012. The rate is currently £60, doubled to £120 if you don’t pay.

When ARE children permitted to miss school?

There are a number of authorised absences, where a child is actually permitted to not attend school. Sick days are probably the most well known - although if your child has a serious medical condition or disability that requires them to miss a lot of class time, your child’s school should also be working with your family on ways to support their education.

So long as you let the school know, your child may also be absent in exceptional circumstances. This can include the death of a family member, attending a funeral, or a crisis at home. If your local council is responsible for arranging your child’s transport to school but are not able to that day, your child is also permitted to stay home.

Children may also be excused if they are taking part in a religious observance that day. If you are a traveller family with no fixed abode and you are required to travel for work that day - meaning your child cannot attend their usual school - their absence may also be approved.

If your family is facing other barriers causing your child’s school attendance to slip, there is help available. You can learn more about this - as well as what else the government is currently doing to address attendance issues - online here.