PUPILS who attend school well generally achieve more and enjoy better wellbeing than those who don’t. Evidence exists to support something that seems obvious.

Sometimes it’s not quite that easy. Children may have medical needs, disabilities or mental health conditions. Some children have caring responsibilities: for them, too, life (including school attendance) can be complicated. 

From September 2024, all schools in England will be expected to consider a fine if a child has been absent for 5 days, if the absence is unauthorised. The fine will be £80 if paid in 21 days or £160 if paid in 28 days. Repeated incidences will escalate the punishment, possibly resulting in prosecution or a parenting order.

Nearly 400,000 penalty notices were issued to parents in England in 2022-23 for unauthorised pupil absences. Does it work? One headteacher said fines have no impact, pointing out that the relationship between school and parents is the most powerful factor; conversations make a difference. Most absences are caused by family holidays which can double in price outside term-time, a price unaffordable to many parents. If holiday costs were static, term-time absences wouldn’t be so frequent. 

What happens in the rest of the UK? In Wales, headteachers can authorise 10 days in certain circumstances but repeated unauthorised absence can result in a fine. In Scotland, education authorities can issue attendance orders to make parents explain absence; refusal to comply can be penalised. These measures are infrequently used. Parents in Northern Ireland can be referred to the Education Welfare Service if attendance falls below 85%. Again, a fine can be used if there’s a failure to engage. The differences seem to be in emphasis and timing.

The Department for Education states schools and local authorities should use punitive measures ‘where deemed appropriate.’ 

Some parents are nervous and some will pay the fine in order to afford a holiday. Meanwhile, home schooling is increasing while the best headteachers are working hard to maintain healthy, meaningful and respectful communication. Parents are torn, seeing affordable holidays as essential to family wellbeing and, potentially, as a way of broadening horizons. One parent asked me ‘Whose child is it anyway?’ That could be the subject of another blog!