Yorkshire parents face £1 million in fines for taking term time holidays

Council bosses warned that some parents are choosing to pay the fine as it was the only way they could afford to go on a family holiday. But the Department for Education (DfE) maintained its approach has improved school attendance figures.

Tougher rules brought in two years ago said headteachers should only approve absences in “exceptional circumstances”.

Previously, schools had greater discretion and two week holidays in term time could be permitted.

The numbers of fixed penalties across the region rocketed to more than 20,000 in 2014-15, up from about 14,500 the previous academic year and an almost fivefold rise on the 4,500 issued in 2012-13 before the rule change.

In 2014-15 more than £1m in fines, which begin at £60, was levied on parents in Yorkshire. Leeds and Bradford councils issued 3,573 and 3,319 fines last year, increases of 64 per cent and 75 per cent respectively on 2013-14.

During the 39-week school year, Leeds and Bradford issued fines to parents at an average rate close to 100 per week.

Sheffield, East Riding, Kirklees and Doncaster councils also all issued more than 2,000 fines in 2014-15. The only council bucking the trend was York, where just two fines were issued last year.

The figures suggests some parents are prepared to pay the £60 fine in return for booking a holiday in term time when the cost is likely to be significantly cheaper.

Sheffield Council’s cabinet member for children’s services, Coun Jackie Drayton, said: “Parents tell us that, even after paying a fine, the cost of a holiday that starts in term time is still much cheaper than school holiday prices – and often means they can go away which many couldn’t if they had to pay the inflated prices.”

She called on the Government to work with the travel industry to stop large price increases in the school holidays.

But she stressed children who spend more time in education achieve better results and the council works closely with schools to improve attendance.

The Local Government Association has called on the DfE to give schools more flexibility.

It said a ban on term time holidays can be particularly hard on workers such as those in the NHS, police and the military who may be unable to request leave during busy school holiday periods.

A DfE spokeswoman said: “It is a myth that children missing school is harmless to their education and life chances.

“This is why we are encouraging more pupils back into class by toughening up on term-time holidays and attendance.

“Heads and teachers are now firmly back in charge of their classrooms, and most recent figures show we have made real progress with 200,000 fewer pupils regularly missing school compared with five years ago.”

How one Yorkshire city hands out 100 fines a week