Key Points
- Parents in Bolton have received £800,000 in fines over the past three years for taking children out of school during term time.
- Councillors warned of a “worrying increase” in term-time holiday absences.
- Penalty notices rose for the first time since 2012, reaching as high as £160 per child.
- Cllr Susan Priest expressed concern over lost education time for children.
- Cllr Martin Donaghy emphasised the importance of equity among parents and the legal duty to issue penalties.
- Bolton has maintained above-average school attendance rates despite the increase in fines.
- Nationally, nearly 400,000 penalty notices were issued across England in 2022–23, signalling a broader trend post-pandemic.
- Councillors indicated that revenues from fines are reinvested in managing the enforcement system and legal obligations.
Parents in Bolton have been fined more than £800,000 over the past three years for unauthorised term-time absences, as councillors warn of a “worrying increase” in children missing school for cheaper holidays. The figures, revealed during a Bolton Council meeting, mark the first notable rise in unauthorised holiday fines since 2012 and have sparked renewed debate over affordability, fairness, and the long-term effects on children’s learning.
Why Are More Parents Taking Children Out of School During Term Time?
At a recent meeting of Bolton Council, officials reported that families increasingly choose to take advantage of lower travel costs outside of official school holidays. As reported by Nick Statham of the Manchester Evening News, councillors were told that penalty notices handed to parents have risen sharply, mirroring a trend seen nationwide.
Councillor Susan Priest, who raised the issue during the meeting, highlighted how growing financial strains are tempting parents to forego school attendance rules.
“There’s been a worrying increase in fines issued to parents for taking their children out of school for term-time holidays,”
she told the council.
“While we understand the difference in price can be tempting, the loss of valuable education to the child is concerning.”
The report showed that the income generated from fines reached £125,410 during the 2021/22 academic year, an indication of the sharp rise in penalty notices issued for unauthorised absences.
Under current law, term-time absences can only be approved in “exceptional circumstances” — such as illness, bereavement, or family emergencies — and must be authorised by the school’s headteacher. Vacations or financial reasons alone do not qualify.
How Do School Absence Penalties Work?
According to GOV.UK guidance cited by the BBC, parents can be fined a fixed penalty notice of £60 per child if they fail to ensure regular school attendance. That figure rises to £120 if unpaid within 21 days, and non-payment beyond 28 days can lead to prosecution in magistrates’ courts. Persistent offenders face penalties of up to £2,500, community orders, or even custodial sentences of up to three months.
As stated in the report by the Manchester Evening News, recent changes have raised the upper limit — meaning some councils can issue fines as high as £160 per child to deter non-compliance.
Bolton Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Cllr Martin Donaghy, defended the decision to rigorously enforce the penalty system. As reported by MEN, he remarked:
“Any time off school can be disruptive to a child’s education. To ensure equity for all parents and to give a clear message that children should be in school, it is important we issue penalty notices. We are also legally obliged to do this.”
What Is the Scale of the Problem in Bolton?
Official figures discussed in the council meeting — first shared publicly by the Manchester Evening News — reveal that over a three-year period, £800,000 in fines were issued to Bolton parents for taking their children out of school without permission.
That figure represents hundreds of penalty notices and reflects a broader national pattern of increased enforcement following the pandemic.
Councillor Donaghy added context to the numbers, noting that Bolton’s attendance levels remain strong compared to national averages.
“The vast majority of pupils in Bolton have excellent attendance, and the borough’s attendance figures have always been above the national average,”
he said. However, he warned that even brief absences could “undermine continuity in learning” and “create difficulties for teachers trying to deliver consistent lessons.”
He also outlined how revenues from penalty notices are reinvested directly into maintaining the attendance enforcement system, funding administration and prosecution costs, and ensuring schools can meet legal attendance obligations.
How Do Local Families See It?
While officials stress the legal and educational importance of consistent attendance, some parents argue that escalating travel costs during official holiday periods make term-time breaks financially unavoidable.
According to earlier reports by Sky News and BBC Breakfast, families nationwide have voiced frustration at what they see as a lack of affordability and scheduling flexibility. Travel operators often increase holiday prices by 40–60% once school holidays begin, placing pressure on low- and middle-income households.
Parents interviewed in those reports frequently described feeling “trapped” between financial limits and attendance laws. A parent from Greater Manchester told BBC North West Tonight:
“We can’t justify paying thousands more for the same holiday just because of school dates. It’s not that we don’t value education — it’s just unaffordable.”
How Does This Compare to the National Picture?
The Department for Education’s (DfE) latest attendance data, as reported in The Guardian and BBC News Education, indicates that nearly 400,000 penalty notices were issued across England in 2022–23 — up from 260,000 before the pandemic.
The Guardian’s education correspondent Sally Weale noted that unauthorised absences related to holidays accounted for over half of all penalties issued last year. The DfE has described this as a “persistent national challenge” compounded by lingering post-Covid attendance habits.
A DfE spokesperson, quoted by The BBC in June 2024, reiterated:
“Attending school is vital for children’s learning and wellbeing. Schools and local authorities decide whether to issue fines, and they do so only when there is no reasonable justification for absence.”
The government has also proposed reforms to increase consistency across local authorities, as variation currently allows some councils greater discretion than others when issuing notices.
What Changes Could Be Coming?
According to a Department for Education consultation published earlier this year, the government is considering a unified England-wide approach to term-time absence fines, standardising thresholds and ensuring parents receive clear, consistent messages about attendance expectations.
As covered by ITV News, the DfE’s proposal seeks to modernise how penalty notices are tracked and processed. Councils will be required to publish annual reports detailing the volume of fines issued, total income, and usage of those funds — aiming to boost transparency and public accountability.
The DfE also promised additional guidance to headteachers on distinguishing between valid compassionate absences and avoidable term-time holidays.
What Are Councillors Asking for Next?
During the Bolton Council session, several councillors called for broader public education rather than simply punitive measures. Some urged the creation of awareness campaigns to help parents understand how even short absences can hinder long-term learning outcomes.
Councillor Priest emphasised the need for empathy alongside enforcement.
“This isn’t about punishing parents — it’s about recognising how critical consistent attendance is for a child’s development,”
she said.
Councillor Donaghy agreed but reaffirmed that compliance with national attendance law remains mandatory.
“Children missing school even for short periods means they miss out. Our responsibility is to make that clear while supporting families to make the right choices,”
he told the meeting, as reported by MEN.