Birmingham schools have issued 9,697 fines to parents for taking children on term-time holidays since the start of the year, according to exclusive data obtained by BirminghamLive. The figure marks a continued crackdown by headteachers as they face new government pressure to improve attendance.
The fines, which have been increased to £80 in recent years, have done little to deter some families. Research suggests households save over £500 on average by booking trips outside school holidays, making the penalties a contentious issue.
Headteachers under pressure to meet attendance targets
From September, every mainstream state school in England will be given its own attendance target by the Department for Education as part of a wider government crackdown on absence. Headteachers are being set individual targets, which is likely to lead to stricter enforcement of the rules.
Tom Vaughan, from Confused.com, said: "For some families, taking some extra holiday days during term-time can seem appealing, with rates often being cheaper outside peak school holiday periods."
He added: "Our research found that parents or guardians say they saved £567 on average when taking trips during term time. But it doesn't come without financial consequences, with UK parents issued £41 million in fines for term-time holidays between 2022 and 2024."
Majority of parents say fines are unfair
A recent BirminghamLive poll showed that most parents believe term-time penalties are unfair. Some 68% said it wasn't fair to fine parents, while 29% said they did think it was fair and 3% weren't sure. The results indicate that the majority are against the Government and schools on the issue.
Despite the opposition, schools are only likely to enforce the rules more strictly. The new attendance targets mean headteachers will come under greater pressure to drive up standards, and parents who break the rules may find it harder to avoid penalties.
