Parents in Yorkshire face the highest rate of fines for term time holidays in the country, new research reveals, with warnings over a persistent "postcode lottery" of punishments.

The challenge of pupils' being absent from school has been rising since the pandemic, with mounting evidence linking their non-attendance to poorer GCSE grades and outcomes.

But with the Government claiming a "support-first" approach, fines known as Penalty Notices (PNs) have come under intense criticism as a "blunt tool" for enforcement.

Now research by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) shows a stark postcode divide - with parents in Yorkshire almost three-times more likely to be fined than those in London.

Children skip and play hop scotch during playtime. Image: PA

placeholder image — Children skip and play hop scotch during playtime. Image: PA

Maxime Perrott, a researcher at the EPI, said the data also prompts questions over the use of policies.

"Our analysis shows that where a parent lives still has a bearing on how likely they are to receive a fine, or face prosecution, for their child's unauthorised absence," she said.

"The data also raises serious questions about whether fines are the right tool for the job.

"Nine in ten fines are issued for family holidays, yet holidays account for just seven per cent of all absences," she added.

"The most pressing absence problems clearly lie elsewhere and issuing more penalties is unlikely to solve them, particularly at a time when many families are already under significant financial pressure."

A new National Framework was established in 2024 to help ease a postcode lottery in enforcement, with some local authorities more reliant on fines that others.

Analysis of the data, revealed today by the EPI, shows it remains firmly in place with Barnsley having the highest rate of PN nationwide.

School authorities in London issued the fewest fines in the country at just 3.6 per cent, while Yorkshire and the Humber issued almost three times as many at 10.3 per cent.

The use of fines remains at an all-time high despite a fall in children's unauthorised absence from school.

It comes as research by The Sutton Trust, also released today, reveals wealthier pupils are 50 per cent more likely to get into an area's top schools than those on free school meals.

Now the school fines data also suggests a geographical link with disadvantage as well as with prosecutions, the EPI said.

Last year eight per cent of fines issued in Yorkshire ended up in court because of non-payment - and 11 per cent in the North East, its analysis revealed.

This is nearly double the national average, while almost all of the councils that didn't pursue payments were in London or the South.

The new guidelines require all schools to consider an £80 fine if a child misses 10 sessions without permission, or five full days, in a 10-week period.

But the EPI argues there is a "disconnect" between the root causes of a child's absence and how families are targeted for enforcement.

The Department for Education was approached for comment.