Oldham parents fined thousands for keeping children out of school

Oldham Council fined parents thousands of pounds for their kids’ "unauthorised absences" from school in the last academic year, despite some headteachers calling it a "blunt instrument" to deal with absent pupils.  

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request found that the council collected almost £240,000 from parents last year. The figure is almost three times more than in 2021/22, when fines brought in totalled £87,000. 

The council issued penalties to more than 5,600 parents last year, and almost 5,000 of these penalties were on the grounds of parents taking their children out of school for "holidays" during term time. 

Yet the fines also reflect a wider issue across the country, with schools still struggling to deal with high numbers of persistently absent pupils following the pandemic. 

Glyn Potts, headteacher of Newman College in Chadderton, argued that fines were a "blunt tool" for dealing with absenteeism. 

But Mr Potts said: “It helps in some cases but in general it is a blunt hammer for a very unique and sensitive issue. 

“We have to accept that it’s not the parents. The vast majority of parents desperately want their children in school but just don’t have the resources or the skill or the opportunity to support them.” 

He suggested that in his experience, absenteeism was less to do with parents seeking a cheaper holiday and more closely intertwined with the economic disparity experienced by some parts of the borough, along with a collapse of community services due to historic underfunding. 

He said: “Where you’ve got high areas of deprivation, some of these young people are staying off school in order to support parents who are keeping down zero hour jobs, or who have siblings that need looking after, or who are carers to members of their family. 

“It’s the extraction of external services that have accentuated these issues for some of our young people – which is why I say fining is not necessarily the answer.”

Though he noted that fines were one of the few methods local authorities and schools have at their disposal, he added: “I’m also not sure where that money is going – it’s not going back into schools as far as I know.” 

Recent changes mean the figure could rise even more this year. Earlier this month, Oldham Council received new powers to fine parents twice a year – up from a maximum of once a year. The penalty amount per case has also risen to £80 across England. 

Oldham Council argued that the increased fining powers, brought in as part of the budget this year, were crucial for combating absenteeism in school. 

A spokesperson said: “Schools need to do everything they can to get [children] in the classroom. This includes fines, which schools decide on, and which headteachers in Oldham have been generally supportive of.”

The council acknowledged that absenteeism is a "complex issue" and that schools provide "care and guidance" to parents and pupils about broader attendance issues. 

Parents can be fined £80 for each absence, rising to £160 if not paid within 21 days. After 28 days, the council can choose to take parents to court, landing them a fee of £2,500.

The council prosecuted 313 of parents last year, up from 243 in 2021/22.