Term-time holiday fines almost double
The number of penalties issued for term-time absences mushroomed by 93% to almost 223,000 in 2017/18 compared to the previous year.
‘Unauthorised family holiday absence’ was the most common reason for attendance fines, according to the Department for Education.
A total of 85.4% of all penalty notices were issued for this reason in 2017/16, up from 77.5% in 2016/17.
The rise in fines comes after dad Jon Platt lost a Supreme Court case in April 2017. He initially won his court case against Isle of Wight council, which led many parents to conclude they could take term-time breaks without facing action.
However, Platt’s loss at the Supreme Court gave councils clarity on the matter.
He told the BBC he felt ‘partly responsible’ for the rise.
Of the 222,904 notices issued for unauthorised holidays in 2017/18, five areas have been identified as issuing the most.
They are Lancashire, Bradford, Hampshire, Essex and Derbyshire.
Figures show 75% of penalty notices issued in 2017/18 were paid within 28 days, 10% were withdrawn, 7% led to prosecutions and 8% were unresolved.
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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