Number of fines for unauthorised holidays in school term time revealed by Lincolnshire County Council following Freedom of Information request by LincsOnline

The number of fines issued to parents or carers for taking their children on holiday in term time has been revealed.

Lincolnshire County Council has dished out 11,394 fixed penalty notices in the past five-and-a-half years for unauthorised holidays, figures from a Freedom of Information request submitted by LincsOnline show.

The fine for school absences across the country is £160, reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days and was introduced by the government to crack down on children being taken out of school in term time.

Just under £875,000 has been amassed by the council since the beginning of the 2019 school year.

During the pandemic, when travel was restricted the number of fines in Lincolnshire dropped, but quickly increased again in the 2022 to 2023 school year with £213,120 collected by the council through 3,252 fixed penalty notices.

In 2024 the cost of fines for taking children out of school rose by £20, with the council raking in £301,200 from 2,622 fixed penalty notices - 660 fewer than the year before.

Despite the measures being introduced to drive up attendance, there hasn’t been a noticeable difference in Lincolnshire.

In the first half of this school year alone 2,111 fines have been issued to parents or guardians in the county.

A local authority may take the case to court if the fine is not paid within 28 days or if two previous fines have already been issued.

However, of the 100 cases prosecuted by the council since September 2019, none have been successful.

The number of fines issued for persistent absences dropped last year to 98, having been above 165 for the four previous years.

Children can only miss school if they are too ill or have had the absence authorised such as for doctor, hospital or dental appointments, a death in the family or a funeral and religious observation.

Holidays in ‘exceptional circumstances’ may be permitted.

Martin Smith, assistant director for education at Lincolnshire County Council, said: "We’re committed to ensuring every child has the best start in life.

“For the vast majority of children, being in school, surrounded by supportive teachers and their peers is the best way for pupils to learn.

“The evidence of the impact missing school has on achievement is clear.

“ Recent research from the Department for Education found that Year 11 pupils with near-perfect attendance are almost twice as likely to achieve grade 5 in English and maths GCSE, compared to similar pupils attending 90 to 95% of the time. Missing just a handful of days has a detrimental effect to learning.

“As well as boosting attainment, attending school comes with a raft of benefits. Not only does school provide a safe space where children develop important social and emotional skills, it’s also a great environment from which to access extra-curricular opportunities and make lifelong friendships.”