The English town with the highest number of pupils jetting off on holidays during term time has been unveiled, as holiday penalties reach unprecedented levels.
Last year, a staggering 459,288 school holiday fines were issued across England, the Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed. The number of penalties surged by four per cent in 2024-2025, accounting for 93 per cent of all fines imposed for unauthorised school absence.
These are the first figures released since school holiday fines were increased in 2024, from £60 to £80 per parent, per child, per holiday. While parents face hefty penalties, they can slash thousands from the cost of their family break by booking during term time to avoid peak-season rates.
Last year saw a record number of school holiday fines dished out across England (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
However, failure to settle the school fine within 21 days sees it doubled to £160, and parents receiving a second penalty for the same child within three years face an immediate £160 charge, according to Gov.uk regulations. And one region stands out as the most prepared to gamble with these consequences.
Barnsley recorded the highest number of fine notices per pupil in 2024/25, earning it the title of England’s holiday truancy capital. The local authority issued 5,275 fines to parents throughout the year for unauthorised family getaways, equating to 1,672 per 10,000 pupils.
Following reports of a surge in penalty notices across England, parents have voiced their opinions. Among them is Jodie Salt, from Cheshire, who has maintained that her three daughters gain ‘far more through travel and real life’ than within a classroom setting.
Jodie exclusively revealed to the Mirror: “I’ve always taken my kids out of school, and I’ve been fined for it, and I’m fine with that (and will continue to do it in the future). School curricula are so outdated. They’re still focused on memorising information and passing exams, instead of developing real-world skills, confidence and behaviour. My kids learn far more through travel and real life than they do sitting at a desk in a classroom!
‘My kids learn far more through travel and real life than they do sitting at a desk in a classroom,’ Jodie said (Image: Jodie Salt)
“They develop their social interaction, learn resilience when things don’t go according to plan, they learn about money and currency, they broaden their horizons about what’s possible for their own futures and careers, they clearly develop more language capability and learn about different cultures first hand too – all priceless!”
Another mother, who prefers to remain anonymous, removed her children from school for a wedding anniversary and confessed: “The fine was a struggle to pay, but it cost less than going on summer holidays.”
She revealed: “We took five of our children to Lanzarote for two weeks. The second week was half-term, so I was fined for the first week for four children. The holiday was very educational for the children. We visited a volcanic crater and ate dinner at the top of a volcano. The children learned about the eruptions on the island. They rode camels, visited an animal park. It was our 10th wedding anniversary.
“Ten years previously, we took our eldest three on the same holiday for our honeymoon, and we did the same activities. I would definitely do it again, especially for a special occasion. We saved so much money. Originally, I was going to book for a week in half-term, but when we extended it to two weeks, flying out the week before half-term, the price didn’t increase much.”
For teachers, it can prove disruptive when pupils are removed from school during term time. Nevertheless, one teacher, who is also a mother of three, said: “I’m completely against blanket school fines, and I think wholeheartedly it’s the wrong approach.”
Parents face hefty fines if they take their children out of school during term time (Image: Getty Images)
The parent, who prefers to remain anonymous, continued: “As a teacher and a mother, I think holidays are important. If your child has generally good attendance, I think families should be given the right to take their children out. Home-schooled children have this ability (when they can afford it), but state children do not? Holidays are great learning experiences and bonding time. I don’t mind when my students go on holiday; I love seeing them excited, and I ask them questions when they come back.
“I do not make those children worry about their ‘attendance’ either, and ruin their experience. The only time I am concerned about parents taking their children out is when those parents do not parent. They do not care about their child’s education, whether that is poor attendance and lateness, no homework/or they never show up to a parents’ evening. This reflects in their grades and general attitude towards school.”
She added, “What really needs to be targeted is the holiday resorts that jack their prices up.”
However, numerous parents oppose term-time absences, maintaining that it can disrupt children’s learning. One commented on Facebook: “I’m firmly in ‘camp no’ to taking out during term time. However, I still disagree with the fines or further punishment due to the high amount of Sen parents who get punished!”
Another remarked on X: “I don’t agree with taking kids out of school for a holiday – if holiday companies were regulated, there’d be no need.” One more agreed with the idea of fines and posted on X: “Yes, and enforce them properly. These parents who take their children out of school are likely the same ones who moan that the teachers aren’t doing their jobs properly because their kids are not getting the grades.”
Some parents disagree with taking children out of school during term-time (Image: Getty Images)
Cllr Ashley Peace, Cabinet Support Member for Children’s Services in Barnsley, told the Mirror: “Improving attendance is a priority for us, and we will continue to work with schools and parents to share the importance of preventing term-time absences.
“We ask parents to consider the impact of taking children out of school for holidays. While we acknowledge that families want to keep holiday costs down, there is research that demonstrates that term-time holidays can create gaps in learning that are difficult to bridge.
“It can feel hard to catch up and for some children it can be challenging to settle back into school when attendance is inconsistent or disrupted. We continue to follow government guidance when issuing any school absence fines, and the money raised through these penalties is used to cover the costs of running the system.”
A Department for Education spokesperson also shared with the Mirror: “Every child deserves the best start in life, and that begins with being in school. Term-time holidays place the burden on teachers to support missed learning and affect the entire class.
“We are playing our part to support those children who face barriers to attending school, and this is making a difference – with 5 million more days in school last academic year and 140,000 fewer pupils persistently absent. Alongside this, fines continue to have a vital place in our system, so everyone is held accountable for ensuring children are in school.”
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This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
