Holidays during school term time
This article contains information on parental responsibilities to ensure their child’s school attendance and advice on taking a holiday during term time.
Parental responsibilities
As a parent you have a legal responsibility to make sure your child gets a full-time education. You can find out more information on the government website.
Schools are required by law to keep attendance registers. Absences must either be marked as:
- authorised (only the school can authorise the absence) or
- unauthorised (where no acceptable reason is given)
Holidays in term time
In line with government guidance and legislation, parents are advised not to take holidays in term time. If holidays are taken during this time, schools can record such absences as unauthorised and a Penalty Notice (fine of up to £120 per parent per child) or other formal procedures may follow.
The council have also produced a parents and carers guide to penalty notices.
Changes from 19th August 2024
The Department for Education have announced changes in relation to the issuing of Penalty Notices, which will come into effect on 19th August 2024. The changes are summarised below. South Gloucestershire Council’s Penalty Notices Code of Conduct will be amended to reflect the change in national policy.
A new national threshold for Penalty Notices
If your child has 10 or more sessions of unauthorised absence within 10 school weeks, after 19th August 2024, you may be issued with a Penalty Notice. There are two sessions in each school day (morning and afternoon). The sessions of absence can be consecutive (for example 10 sessions of unauthorised holiday in one week) or not (for example 10 sessions of unauthorised absence, spread across the 10 school weeks). This is a change from South Gloucestershire Council’s current threshold.
An increase in the amount that a Penalty Notice is charged at and a decrease in the number of Penalty Notices that can be issued within a rolling three year period
On the first occasion that a parent is issued with a Penalty Notice in respect of their child, on or after 19th August 2024, the Penalty Notice will be charged at £160 if paid within 28 days. This amount will be reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days.
If a second Penalty Notice is issued, within 3 years of the date of issue of the previous Penalty Notice, to the same parent in respect of the same child, the Penalty Notice will be charged at a flat rate of £160. There will be no reduction if the Penalty Notice is paid within 21 days. This will apply even if the previous Penalty Notice has been issued by another local authority.
If the threshold for issuing a Penalty Notice is met for a third time (or subsequent times), within three years of the first Penalty Notice being issued, a third Penalty Notice cannot be issued. Instead, alternative action will be considered, which may include prosecuting a parent for the offence of failing to ensure their child’s regular attendance at school. This will apply even if one, or both, of the previous Penalty Notices were issued by another local authority.