Record number of school absence penalties given in Suffolk

Department for Education figures show Suffolk County Council handed out 9,875 penalties to parents and guardians for their child's persistent absence in the 2022-2023 academic year.

This is up from 4,255 the year before, and the highest number since records began in 2009-2010.

Before the Covid pandemic, in 2018-2019, 7,433 notices were issued.

Paul Whiteman, the National Association for Head Teachers general secretary (Image: PA Wire)

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: "Fines have always been too blunt an instrument when it comes to tackling persistent absenteeism.

"The use of fines is controversial, and it is becoming clear that they are ineffective in addressing overall absence.

"Unless more is done to find out the reasons behind continual periods of absence and tackle the root causes behind persistent absenteeism, including support for vulnerable families and for children and young people’s mental health, fining families is unlikely to solve the issue."

Nearly 399,000 fines were issued last year and of those, 356,000 (89%) were for unauthorised holidays, as families looked to book cheaper vacations outside school term times.

It has more than trebled since 2016-17, when 116,000 such fines were imposed.

Geoff Barton, general secretary for the Association of School and College Leaders (Image: PA Wire)

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders and former headteacher at Kind Edward VI in Bury St Edmunds, said: "The majority of penalty notices in England are issued for unauthorised holidays taken during term time – something that is on the increase. 

"This could reflect a shift in attitudes to schooling among some parents who see attendance as flexible when this is not the case at all.

"Or it could reflect parents wanting to take advantage of off-peak holiday prices because of the rising cost of living.

"Or perhaps it is a mixture of these factors.

"Whatever the case, nobody in education wants to be in a position of fining parents.

"However, it is just not manageable to have families taking holidays in term time.

"It is not only the impact on the education of the young people concerned but the workload on teachers who then have to help them catch up. Pupils need to be in school in term time."