Schools issue £171k fines for 'unauthorised' holidays in school time

The figures cover the Black Country and Staffordshire since September 2012.

So far this term 342 fines of £60 a time have been sent to people whose children took an 'unauthorised leave of absence' either to go on holiday or for another reason.

Council leaders are calling for a change in the law to restore the rights of headteachers to use their discretion on whether or not to grant a leave of absence.

Hard pressed families are going away in term time because the costs of a holiday shoot up when schools are closed and thousands of others are trying to go away.

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act showed there were 1,038 fines handed out in Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Staffordshire in 2012/13.

The figure rose to 1,472 the following academic year with hundreds issued since September 2014 in the Black Country.

The 2,852 fines of £60 a time cost parents a total £171,120 in just over two years.

Walsall Council issued the most fines with 742 given out in 2013/14, 684 the year before and 132 so far this term.

And it took 17 cases to court in 2012/13 followed by 13 in 2013/14. All cases saw magistrates side with the council over fines for unauthorised absence.

Wolverhampton City Council said it had fined 132 parents since September this year, 316 in 2013/14 and 125 in 2012/13.

There is no right of appeal against penalty notices for unauthorised leave of absence.

Dudley fined 64 parents so far this term, 254 in 2013/14 and 226 in 2012/13.

Sandwell Council issued 95 fines in 2013/14, compared with just 13 the previous year. So far since September it has handed out 14 fines.

Staffordshire County Council issued 65 fines in 2013/14. It did not have figures for the academic year so far.

Councillor Darren Cooper, leader of Sandwell Council, said: "I want headteachers to be able to use their discretion. But I'd prefer it if holiday companies were not so greedy."

The Local Government Association has said it supports the Government's position that every child should be in school every day but that there were occasions when parents' requests should be considered – such as religious festivals, weddings, funerals or a 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity'.

Councillor David Simmonds, chairman of the LGA's children and young people board, said: "Ensuring every child has a good school attendance is of paramount concern for everyone working with children.

"However, common sense must prevail in cases when mums and dads ask to take their child out of school during term time if there is a legitimate reason.

"An outright ban is too simplistic, and doesn't recognise that family life and circumstances aren't always so black and white."