How much is the fine for taking a child out of school in term time?

In England, £80 per parent per child if paid within 21 days, rising to £160 if paid within 28 days. A second offence for the same child within three years is £160 with no reduction. In Wales it is £60 rising to £120. Scotland and Northern Ireland do not issue fines for term-time holidays, though the absence is still recorded as unauthorised.

When did the school fine rules change?

England moved to a single national framework for the 2024-25 school year onwards. It standardised the threshold (10 unauthorised sessions — 5 school days — within any 10-school-week rolling period triggers consideration of a fine), set national fine levels, and capped penalty notices at two per parent per child in any three-year period, after which councils consider prosecution instead.

Is a fine issued per family or per child?

Per parent, per child. Two parents taking two children on the same term-time holiday can receive four separate penalty notices — £320 at the reduced rate, £640 if paid late. “Parent” includes step-parents and others with day-to-day care, not just those with parental responsibility.

Can a headteacher authorise a term-time holiday?

Only in exceptional circumstances, and a holiday almost never qualifies. Since 2013, heads in England may not grant leave in term time except in exceptional circumstances, judged case by case. Bereavement, family crisis, or a genuinely unrepeatable family event may qualify; cheaper flights and August prices do not.

What happens if I refuse to pay a school attendance fine?

An unpaid penalty notice cannot simply be appealed away — there is no formal appeal route. If it remains unpaid after 28 days, the council will usually withdraw it and prosecute for the underlying offence instead. In the magistrates’ court the basic offence carries a fine of up to £1,000; the aggravated version up to £2,500. If you believe the notice was issued in error (for example, the absence was actually authorised), write to the council promptly and ask for it to be withdrawn.

How many days of unauthorised absence trigger a fine?

In England, 10 sessions of unauthorised absence — a session is half a school day, so 5 school days — within any rolling 10-school-week window. The window crosses terms and even school years, so two short unauthorised absences a few weeks apart can add up to the threshold.

Do term-time holiday fines apply in Scotland?

No. Scotland has no penalty-notice system for term-time holidays. The absence is recorded as unauthorised, and only sustained non-attendance leads to formal action — via attendance orders or the children’s hearings system, which is welfare-led rather than punitive.

Does unauthorised absence affect my child’s school record or future applications?

Attendance percentages appear on school reports and can be referenced when secondary schools, colleges, or sixth forms review applications. A single week rarely matters academically on its own, but persistent absence is strongly linked to lower attainment — which is the honest reason schools push back, beyond the legal duty.

What counts as an exceptional circumstance for term-time leave?

There is deliberately no national list — it is the headteacher’s judgement. In practice, successful requests usually involve events that cannot be moved and cannot be repeated: a funeral or memorial abroad, a family member’s deployment homecoming, a serious family illness. The test heads apply is whether the circumstance is exceptional, not whether the trip is valuable or educational.

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Term-Time Holidays & School Fines

Q: My child is anxious about school and missing days — will we be fined?

Fines are designed for unauthorised absence, not illness — and that includes mental health. If your child is struggling to attend because of anxiety, tell the school early and ask for support; absence for genuine illness (physical or mental) should be authorised. The national guidance in England expects schools to take a support-first approach before any enforcement. See our School Anxiety & Refusal guide for the practical steps.

August prices double, the flights are cheaper on a Tuesday in June, and everyone knows someone who “just got a warning letter”. Here’s what actually happens when you take a child out of school in term time — the national fines framework, the 5-day threshold, what heads can genuinely authorise, and how the four UK nations differ far more than most parents realise.

15–20 min readAll 4 UK nationsUpdated August 2026AI-drafted, human-reviewed

Key facts

England’s national framework: 10 unauthorised sessions (5 school days) in any rolling 10-school-week window means the council must consider a fine.
Fines are per parent, per child: £80 within 21 days, £160 within 28. Two parents, two children = up to four notices.
A second offence for the same child within 3 years is £160 flat — and after two notices, the next step is court, not another fine.
Heads can only authorise term-time leave in exceptional circumstances — a cheaper holiday never qualifies, a family funeral abroad might.
Scotland and Northern Ireland issue no term-time holiday fines at all; Wales fines at £60–£120. The nations genuinely differ.

£80

Per parent, per child (England, paid within 21 days)

5 days

Unauthorised absence that triggers a fine (10 sessions / 10 weeks)

2 max

Penalty notices per parent per child in 3 years — then court

Term-time holiday fines issued in Scotland and Northern Ireland

How England’s Fines Actually Work

Since the 2024-25 school year, England has run a single national framework — the same threshold and the same amounts everywhere, replacing the old council-by-council lottery. The ladder has four rungs:

First penalty notice

£80 per parent, per child

Rises to £160 if not paid within 21 days (must be paid within 28). Note the multiplier: two parents taking two children out of school can face four separate notices.

Second notice within 3 years

£160 flat

For a second offence involving the same child within a rolling three-year period, the notice is £160 with no reduced early-payment rate.

Third time within 3 years

No fine — court

A maximum of two penalty notices can be issued per parent, per child, in any three-year period. Beyond that, councils consider other enforcement: parenting orders or prosecution.

Prosecution

Up to £2,500

Unpaid notices and persistent cases can go to the magistrates’ court. The basic offence carries a fine of up to £1,000; the aggravated offence (knowingly failing to send your child to school) up to £2,500 and, in rare cases, imprisonment.

The threshold that catches families out: the 10-session window is rolling and crosses terms. Three unauthorised days in late June plus two in mid-September can reach the threshold, even though neither absence alone would have.

What a Head Can (and Won’t) Authorise

Since 2013, heads in England may only grant term-time leave in exceptional circumstances, judged case by case. There’s no national list — but in practice the line is remarkably consistent:

Illness, medical and dental appointments that can’t be out of hours

Days set aside for religious observance by your faith

Bereavement or serious family crisis (head’s discretion)

Interviews, exams, or approved performances (with evidence)

A cheaper holiday because prices double in August

Visiting family abroad because flights are cheaper in term time

A “once in a lifetime” trip (heads can authorise, but rarely do)

Tiredness after a weekend event or late flight home

The test heads apply is whether the circumstanceis exceptional and unrepeatable — not whether the trip is valuable, educational, or expensive to rebook. Always ask in writing before booking, and get any authorisation in writing too.

The Rules in Each UK Nation

Few areas of school law differ between the nations as sharply as this one — from a national fining framework in England to no fines at all in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

England

National fines framework (since Aug 2024)

A single national threshold applies: 10 sessions (5 school days) of unauthorised absence within a rolling 10-school-week window means the council must consider a penalty notice. Fines are set nationally — £80 within 21 days, £160 within 28, £160 flat for a second offence — replacing the old postcode lottery of council-by-council rates.

Wales

Fixed penalty notices (lower amounts)

Councils can issue fixed penalty notices of £60, rising to £120 if unpaid after 28 days. Welsh guidance places more emphasis on engagement before enforcement, and some councils use fines sparingly — but the legal duty to ensure attendance is the same.

Scotland

No fines system

Scotland has no penalty-notice regime for term-time holidays. Schools record the absence as unauthorised, and persistent non-attendance is dealt with through attendance orders and, in serious cases, the children’s hearings system — a welfare route rather than a fining one.

Northern Ireland

No fines; Education Welfare Service

NI issues no penalty notices for holidays in term time. Unauthorised absence is recorded, and sustained poor attendance triggers Education Welfare Service involvement, with court prosecution reserved for persistent cases.

Moving between nations? Attendance records and enforcement don’t transfer the way you might expect — see Moving Between UK Nations for how the systems hand over.

Compare term dates before you book

School term dates vary by council and school — search your area to check inset days and holiday dates before committing to travel.

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When Absence Isn’t a Choice: Support Comes First

Fines are aimed at avoidable absence — not illness, and not children who are struggling. If your child is missing school because of anxiety, bullying, or unmet SEND needs, the picture is different:

Illness includes mental health

Absence for genuine illness — physical or mental — should be recorded as authorised. Tell the school what’s happening early, in writing, and provide evidence if asked (a GP note isn’t required for every absence, but a paper trail helps).

England’s guidance expects support before enforcement

The statutory attendance guidance requires schools and councils to work with families and put support in place before reaching for penalty notices where absence is driven by barriers rather than choice.

Persistent struggles have named routes

Emotionally-based school avoidance, unmet SEND needs, and bullying each have their own escalation paths — and using them creates the record that protects you from wrongly-issued fines.

For the practical playbook — scripts for the school conversation, part-time timetables, and when an EHCP needs assessment is the right ask — see School Anxiety & Refusal.

Common Questions

Sources

This guide draws on the Education Act 1996 (s.444), DfE statutory guidance “Working together to improve school attendance” and the national penalty-notice framework (in force from the 2024-25 school year), the Education (Penalty Notices) (Wales) Regulations, the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, and Education Authority Northern Ireland attendance guidance. It is general information, not legal advice — for enforcement cases consider Coram Children’s Legal Centre or a solicitor. Last reviewed August 2026.

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School Anxiety & Refusal

Support-first routes when attendance is a struggle, not a choice

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What schools must do, and how to escalate when they don’t

Home Education

The legal route out of school attendance entirely — and what it involves

Moving Between UK Nations

How attendance and admissions systems hand over when you move

Check your school’s term dates first

Inset days and half-terms vary by council and school — School Atlas lists 2026-27 term dates on school profiles across the UK, so you can book around them instead of through them.

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