Latest news with #FightSchoolFines
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Parents fined nearly £1m over school absences
Derbyshire County Council has generated nearly £1m from fines issued for unauthorised school absences, a Freedom of Information Act request has revealed. The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) obtained figures which show the authority issued 20,487 penalties since 2021, totalling £961,320, over the three academic years since 2021-22. The county council said the fines had been issued at the request of head teachers and according to the law. However, mother-of-two Natalie, from Marehay near Ripley, has started a national campaign, called Fight School Fines, to get the law changed. She has started a petition, so far signed by 161,000 people, calling for parents to be entitled to 10 days of term-time leave without a fine. "A lot of these fines that are being issued and prosecutions for unauthorised absences aren't due to just going on holiday because they want to get it cheaper, which is the media narrative," Natalie said. "They are marking things down that should fall under exceptional circumstances. "For example, we are seeing loads of stories from parents where they have asked for authorised leave to visit family members who are poorly, or they have gone to a funeral overseas and they are not marking it as authorised, they are refusing it." The number of fines issued in Derbyshire in 2021 was 3,175 and that rose to 10,505 in 2023-24. Fine amounts stand at £160 per parent, per child, with this fee reducing to £80 if paid within 21 days. The council said 16,064 fines were for first-time offenders and 1,567 for second offences, with parents only able to accrue two penalties in a three-year rolling period before being prosecuted in court. Council figures show 1,016 Derbyshire parents have been prosecuted in the past three complete academic years , with six cases being withdrawn. Court fines do qualify as a criminal conviction and are attached to a criminal record, which would need to be added to a DBS check, the LDRS said. "I am not surprised to see it going up," Natalie said. "They say it will act as a deterrent, but clearly it is not doing because people still need to take leave during term-time. "Even if it is a cost thing, they are doing it to save money, we don't know the reason why they can't afford to go in the holidays. "It is not so black and white as people make out. Some people work seasonal jobs or run their own businesses, they can't just shut up shop. "It doesn't act as a deterrent. "It is criminalising parents. "Many parents don't know that what comes with that court fine is a criminal record. "Most of the time, parents are doing it because it is the best decision for them and their children. They are our children, they are not the state's. "Having a criminal record for this is one step too far. "I know families need to access term-time absence and that will never stop. "This isn't just about being on holiday and getting a cheaper holiday." The LDRS said it asked the county council if it felt the penalties were serving as a deterrent, if they could respond to the perception that the penalties were criminalising parents, and if parents were saying they were willing to accept the fines to gain term-time holiday savings. A council spokesperson said: "Headteachers ask us to issue the fines, so this is one for schools and not the council. "We respond to headteacher requests, we do not make the policies that schools make that lead to fines being issued. "The government sets the penalty fines amounts. "This is the law and not the council's decision," the spokesperson added. The Department for Education, responding to Natalie's petition in December, said: "We sympathise with parents who, for a variety of reasons, face barriers to securing their children's school attendance. "This government is taking a new approach to tackling absence based on responsibility, partnership and belonging." It said that involved working with schools and councils to remove barriers to attendance. The spokesperson said: "The government takes seriously its responsibility to ensure that schools are equipped to meet children's needs and help them succeed, but that is matched by parents' legal responsibility to send their children to school every day that they can. The department said it acknowledged some children had long-term physical or mental health conditions or special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) which affected attendance. The spokesperson added: "However, all of these children have the same need and right to a full-time education as any other pupil." Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. 'Paying £240 holiday school fine was a no-brainer' School holiday fines at a record high Derbyshire County Council Department for Education Local Democracy Reporting Service
BBC News
5 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Parents in Derbyshire fined nearly £1m over school absences
Derbyshire County Council has generated nearly £1m from fines issued for unauthorised school absences, a Freedom of Information Act request has Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) obtained figures which show the authority issued 20,487 penalties since 2021, totalling £961,320, over the three academic years since county council said the fines had been issued at the request of head teachers and according to the mother-of-two Natalie, from Marehay near Ripley, has started a national campaign, called Fight School Fines, to get the law changed. She has started a petition, so far signed by 161,000 people, calling for parents to be entitled to 10 days of term-time leave without a fine. "A lot of these fines that are being issued and prosecutions for unauthorised absences aren't due to just going on holiday because they want to get it cheaper, which is the media narrative," Natalie said."They are marking things down that should fall under exceptional circumstances."For example, we are seeing loads of stories from parents where they have asked for authorised leave to visit family members who are poorly, or they have gone to a funeral overseas and they are not marking it as authorised, they are refusing it."The number of fines issued in Derbyshire in 2021 was 3,175 and that rose to 10,505 in amounts stand at £160 per parent, per child, with this fee reducing to £80 if paid within 21 council said 16,064 fines were for first-time offenders and 1,567 for second offences, with parents only able to accrue two penalties in a three-year rolling period before being prosecuted in figures show 1,016 Derbyshire parents have been prosecuted in the past three complete academic years , with six cases being fines do qualify as a criminal conviction and are attached to a criminal record, which would need to be added to a DBS check, the LDRS said. 'It's criminalising parents' "I am not surprised to see it going up," Natalie said."They say it will act as a deterrent, but clearly it is not doing because people still need to take leave during term-time."Even if it is a cost thing, they are doing it to save money, we don't know the reason why they can't afford to go in the holidays."It is not so black and white as people make out. Some people work seasonal jobs or run their own businesses, they can't just shut up shop."It doesn't act as a deterrent."It is criminalising parents. "Many parents don't know that what comes with that court fine is a criminal record. "Most of the time, parents are doing it because it is the best decision for them and their children. They are our children, they are not the state's."Having a criminal record for this is one step too far."I know families need to access term-time absence and that will never stop."This isn't just about being on holiday and getting a cheaper holiday." The LDRS said it asked the county council if it felt the penalties were serving as a deterrent, if they could respond to the perception that the penalties were criminalising parents, and if parents were saying they were willing to accept the fines to gain term-time holiday savings.A council spokesperson said: "Headteachers ask us to issue the fines, so this is one for schools and not the council."We respond to headteacher requests, we do not make the policies that schools make that lead to fines being issued. "The government sets the penalty fines amounts."This is the law and not the council's decision," the spokesperson added. The Department for Education, responding to Natalie's petition in December, said: "We sympathise with parents who, for a variety of reasons, face barriers to securing their children's school attendance."This government is taking a new approach to tackling absence based on responsibility, partnership and belonging."It said that involved working with schools and councils to remove barriers to spokesperson said: "The government takes seriously its responsibility to ensure that schools are equipped to meet children's needs and help them succeed, but that is matched by parents' legal responsibility to send their children to school every day that they department said it acknowledged some children had long-term physical or mental health conditions or special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) which affected spokesperson added: "However, all of these children have the same need and right to a full-time education as any other pupil."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Real cost of a 2025 summer holiday as families priced out or fined
The cost of family holidays is climbing steeply just as penalties for term-time travel hit new records. According to a report by Which?, the average price of a package holiday has risen by 4.2% since last year, with popular destinations like Bulgaria seeing even steeper increases of up to 11.5%, adding £119 more per person. For a family of four, that's nearly £500 in additional costs to travel during the summer break. With travel costs outpacing wages and the cost of living still high, many parents are choosing cheaper term-time holidays despite the risk of fines. Some 487,300 penalty notices were issued for unauthorised absences in England in 2023/24 with a staggering 91% were for term-time holidays, according to the Department for Education. Read more: How to save money on your holiday to Switzerland That's up 69% compared with pre-pandemic levels. Money from term-time holiday fines goes to the local authority to fund attendance support and cover administration costs. Any surplus is returned to the government. Rakia, a mother of four from east London, was fined £240 after taking her children out of school three days early last June to travel to Turkey but thought the penalty was worth it. 'I work hard, pay my taxes, and shouldn't have to choose between my children and following a school calendar that doesn't work for struggling families like mine,' she told Yahoo News. 'We live in an overcrowded flat in a high-crime area. My kids deserved a holiday. Just because we can't afford peak prices doesn't mean they should miss out,' she added. Rakia, who works full-time, usually fills the summer with low-cost day trips and free local activities but last year, she decided a term-time family holiday was worth the fine. She's one of thousands of parents facing the same dilemma. Derbyshire mother Natalie Elliott launched the Fight School Fines campaign after being fined twice. Her petition calling for up to 10 days of permitted term-time leave has now surpassed 150,000 signatures and will be debated in parliament later this year. The sharp rise in term-time fines highlights not only the escalating cost of travel but also a tightening approach to school attendance enforcement. Joanna Lovell, head of news at Netmums, told Yahoo News: "This is one of the most emotionally charged aspects of the debate. Parents deeply value education, but many say it's unfair to force a choice between schooling and family wellbeing." Lovell says the Fight School Fines petition marks a pivotal moment for parents, with their concerns finally set to be heard in parliament. However, the petitions committee has yet to confirm a date for the debate. A spokesperson for ABTA, the UK's travel trade association, acknowledged that holiday prices spike during school breaks, attributing it largely to global supply and demand. 'Holidays are part of a global market; many other countries have school holiday periods similar to those in the UK, meaning that all these countries are competing for holidays with the same suppliers which affects the price,' an ABTA spokesperson told Yahoo News. Which? points to rising hotel energy costs, fuel prices, air traffic delays, and aircraft supply shortages as major contributors. After analysing 8,122 August 2025 holiday prices, it found a typical package to Turkey now costs £1,296 per person – or £5,184 for a family of four. By comparison, Rakia's term-time trip last June cost just over £3,000, saving her more than £2,000. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the School Leaders' Union (NAHT), says school fines aren't working. 'Exorbitant holiday pricing is forcing families into impossible choices. It's time the government worked with the travel sector to address the real issue,' Whiteman told Yahoo News. Read more: How to save money on a holiday to Dubai The education charity School Home Support told Yahoo News it has urged the government to review the impact of fines on vulnerable families in its Route Map plan, warning they risk pushing people further into financial hardship. As prices soar and policies remain inflexible, many families are left juggling financial strain and legal consequences. Without reforms to pricing or attendance rules, summer 2025 may again be marked by impossible decisions. ABTA says families should book early to secure the best deals. 'Our members do strive to provide holidays at competitive prices, as well as offering free child places and other money-saving incentives for early bookers,' said ABTA. Which? recommends booking a summer package in January, picking value destinations like Dalaman, Agadir or the Canary Islands, and travelling in late August if school holiday timing is unavoidable. All-inclusive deals and price comparisons – especially with operators that pledge no 2025 surcharges – can also help bring down the cost. Read more: The life lesson behind a 335-year-old funeral business? 'Never sleep on an argument' How 'Netflix and Spotify for textbooks' aims to become a European edtech success story Meet the company that finds 'must-haves' to make everyday life easierSign in to access your portfolio
Daily Mirror
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
'We're treated like hardened criminals for taking our children out of school during term time'
An outraged mum-of-two has spearheaded a national campaign against school holiday fines and says the Government's school attendance crackdown is "reckless, punitive and negligible - and is criminalising parents" An outraged mum -of-two who has spearheaded a national campaign against school holiday fines and organised a petition backed by nearly 150,000 signatures, says the Government's school attendance crackdown is "reckless, punitive and negligible - and is criminalising parents." Natalie Elliott, 37, from Marehay, Derbyshire launched the term-time holiday petition after her request to take her autistic daughter Evie out of school for two days for respite was put down as unauthorised absence. Natalie says Evie, 9, struggles to go on holiday in the peak-season because venues are too overwhelming and busy and believes parents should be allowed 10 term time days per year for family trips. Natalie's Fight School Fines campaign group on Facebook has over 20,000 members and the petition has over 146,000 signatures and is due to be debated in Parliament this month. In March, Natalie organised protests that took place across the country in Norwich, Durham, Leeds, Southampton and Nottingham. She has written an open letter to all MPs, asking for their backing. Her campaign is backed by Dr Allison Gardner, labour MP for Stoke on Trent South who spoke at the debate at Westminster in November and Natalie is due to meet with her own MP Linsey Farnsworth to discuss it. Natalie, mum to Evie, 9, and Alfie, 7, said: "We're seeking reform to the punitive policy for term time leave that disproportionately impacts families that are already under immense pressure and criminalises parents that we think are making choices in the best interests of their families. No family should face criminal convictions. "I started the campaign in July last year after hearing about the new national framework. We are going to see a lot more parents going to court now – and it's not right. "My daughter is autistic and I've got chronic illnesses – life is pretty tough and trying to have quality family time together is hard. "This isn't just about the cost of holidays – it goes much wider than that – people are getting fined for their kids being off sick which is unlawful because sickness is a statutory defence. People are accepting liability and paying the fines because they are scared of going to court. Children with mental health issues such as depression and anxiety are being marked as unauthorised absences. "More people are going to court now and more people are getting angry about it – this is starting to rattle a lot of cages. "Parents aren't being given a choice and are being put in the same category as hardened criminals." Natalie says that parents are being forced to provide evidence of their child's sickness – such as photographing their child's vomit – or in extreme cases actually driving samples of illness round to their child's school. She has also been contacted by parents that have had school staff turning up at their house and knocking on the door to check that the child is sick and not on holiday. "It's not about education, it's about control," Natalie explained. "People are becoming more and more controlled. "Schools are making parents give evidence even when their child's school attendance is high and it's breaking down the relationship between school and home and making it really toxic. "Some schools have their own policy and if a child is sick for two or three days they are turning up at the child's home - allegedly to check if they are safe and well. But this is nothing to do with safeguarding and all about trying to prove that you are on holiday and trying to catch you out. Turning up at your home and knocking on your door is intimidation. This is a widespread problem happening in lots of areas. "Parents are being penalised for taking care of their own children. We have children with SEND and disabilities, parents that suffer with chronic illnesses, seasonal workers that cannot take time off in the school holidays. There are so many circumstances that prevent people from accessing that quality enriching family time… we need to all unite, stand together and show the Government that we are not backing down." Many of the parents who have signed the petition have disabled children – who argue that their child/ren can't go on holiday unless it's during term-time, because they can't cope with the noise and crowds that are inevitable in peak holiday season. Helen Foster, 46, a mother-of-five successfully challenged a term-time holiday fine, citing her children's disabilities. Hull City Council withdrew the case after Helen appealed under the Equality Act 2010. Helen, from East Hull and her husband Steve took their children Elliot, 21, Olivia, 19 , Alex, 10, Theo, eight and Ivy, six, to Spain last September. Ivy has Down's Syndrome and their two sons have autism. Helen was fined £640 which has now been cancelled. Dr Allison Gardner told the Westminster debate in November: "If a family has a child with special educational needs and disabilities who is having a particularly difficult time, and who needs more time, the fine is not an incentive; it is a punishment for looking after their child. "As the petition clearly sets out, there are families for whom travelling outside term time is quite impossible. While costs are higher, planes and trains are also overcrowded, so it is not just about the costs, although there are families in financial difficulties. For children with special needs or in unique situations, travelling at very busy times can be challenging. "We sometimes need family holidays in difficult times, and those difficult times do not respect term times, so taking our child out of school is the only option." In March, the Mirror exclusively revealed that mum-of-three Rachel Smith is home-schooling her kids for three months so her family can go on holiday without the threat of court action. Rachel branded the government 'a dictatorship' after being fined £480 in January for taking them to Portugal in term time. Rachel had booked another term-time holiday to Lanzarote and was worried about getting a criminal record. Rather than live in fear of incurring further fines or court action and a criminal record, Jewellery designer Rachel, 43 and husband Stuart, 41 from Bridgwater, Somerset deregistered their children Owen, 9, Ruby, 7 and Zac, 5 to teach them at home. The most recent government statistics (for 2023-24) show a record number of fines were given to parents in England for their children's absence from school. Of the 487,344 fines issued, 91% were for unauthorised family holidays. If these fixed penalty notices go unpaid, or have been previously issued, parents face court - with 28,296 parents prosecuted over their children's school attendance during the same period. "We were fined £640 for going to see family in Australia" Mum-of-three Sophia Rabbetts works as a nurse and lives in Bradford with husband Lachlan and their children aged 10, 7 and 3 who are all neurodiverse. Her oldest child has autism, and her youngest child is non-verbal and has severe learning disabilities The family were fined £640 for taking their children to Australia last December. Lachlan is Australian and his family live there – he hadn't seen his siblings for five years and it was the first time their children had met their cousins. Sophia said: 'We took the children to Australia in December so they could meet their relatives and learn about their heritage. Lachlan's family literally live on the other side of the world and we hadn't had a family Christmas in 10 years. "We will be emigrating to Australia in the future and wanted the children to see where they could be living. Lachlan's parents are getting older and we wanted to spend a family Christmas together. I spoke to the school in May to let them know my intentions – I filled in the relevant form and thought they would be understanding. Our children have never had time off school unless they are sick and are model pupils. But our request was met with blanket refusal." The family flew to Australia in December and the children were out of school for 15 days. Sophia said: "The children visited the school they will go to when we emigrate and had so many life experiences – they were gardening in the bush, cooking and baking with their grandparents, and spending time with family which was priceless." In March, the family received a fine letter. "I thought the letter said we would be fined £80 per child, per parent if we paid the fine within 28 days,' says Sophia. There's no mediation or no one to discuss it – you either pay it - or go to court. "We decided to pay it even though we feel it is unjust because we don't want our DBS threatened. We paid the fine on day 23. But then we got another letter saying we had only paid half because the fine actually doubles after day 21. We had to pay £640 instead of £320. "We are private people but we feel the need to speak out about this because it feels like we are living in a nanny state!" "My daughter can't cope with a peak-season holiday" Business owner Jessica Cole, 31 lives with husband Benjamin, 32, a head chef and their two children Mia, five and Mason, 12 in Leeds. They are going on a term time holiday to Greece next week. Mia, five is non-verbal autistic. The holiday was booked prior to Mia starting school. Jessica said: "We went on holiday abroad last year during the school holidays and Mia couldn't cope. It was really crowded and she completely zoned out, she couldn't enjoy it at all because it was so busy and overwhelming. This year I purposefully booked a holiday outside of peak school holidays because we can't go during peak times - I knew she wouldn't manage it. "I had a letter from Mia's school saying it was bad for her social and emotional health and that she would miss too much education. Mia turns six this year but she's working at a 9 month – 13 month level. She's in a separate part of the classroom and spends 90 per cent of her time on her own. She wouldn't miss a thing. "I have to fight for her everyday and I don't have the energy. I'm not asking for much – just a holiday with my family. I told the school that under the disability act 2010 they needed to make a reasonable adjustment and let Mia have the time off. They've since authorised the holiday but I'm still upset." "The politicians haven't got a clue" Heather Cawthorne, 39 from Devon is mum to Harry, 14, Lily and Oscar, five. Oscar is non-speaking autistic. Last year the family went on a term-time holiday to Spain and will be going on another term-time holiday to Spain next year. She said: "I took Oscar to Spain for his first holiday in the school holidays a couple of years ago – and it was mayhem. The school fines massively impact SEN families, including mine. This is because our children cannot tolerate busier environments. "I will continue to take my children on term-time holidays. I would rather pay a fine than put my non-verbal autistic son in a situation that scares him and doesn't give him a nice experience. I know of lots of families that go abroad, because hotels and airlines can be accommodating to SEN families and make special adjustments because they've got the time to make those adjustments but they can't do this in the school summer holidays because it is just too busy. "There are a lot of discussions about term-time holidays right now but no one is talking about the barriers to education, about children's mental health being on the floor, about the need for quieter spaces and environment. We are in a dangerous space and are being attacked by all areas. The politicians haven't got a clue."
