Hampshire Councils Collect £1M from 14,000 School Fines

SOUTHAMPTON (Azat TV) – Councils across Hampshire issued more than 14,000 fines for unauthorised school absences during the 2024/25 academic year, with parents collectively paying over £1 million in penalties. New figures released by the Department for Education (DfE) reveal that term-time holidays were the primary reason for these fines, accounting for 94 percent of all absence enforcement across the county, highlighting ongoing tensions between parental discretion and educational mandates.

Rising Fines and Revenue Across Hampshire Councils

The DfE data for 2024/25 showed a significant volume of enforcement action across Hampshire County Council, Southampton City Council, and Portsmouth City Council. In total, parents were fined £1,068,960 for various types of unauthorised absences. Despite a national trend indicating a four percent increase in term-time holiday fines, Hampshire’s overall figure for such penalties decreased by 2.8 percent compared to the previous year.

A closer look at the individual councils reveals varied trends. Hampshire County Council issued 10,677 penalty notices for term-time absences, a slight increase from 10,559 in the 2023/24 period. In contrast, Southampton City Council saw its figure drop from 2,228 to 1,996, while Portsmouth City Council handed out 2,008 fines, down from 2,324. Fines are set at £80 per parent per child if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid between 21 and 28 days.

Differing Enforcement: Councils’ Approaches to Unauthorised Absences

The DfE data also provided a comparative ‘league table’ of penalty notice rates per 100 pupil enrolments, showcasing differing enforcement intensities. Portsmouth City Council recorded the highest rate at 9.1 per 100 pupil enrolments, followed by Southampton City Council at 7.2, and Hampshire County Council at 6.4. By the end of the school year, 2,139 cases remained unresolved across the region, with 1,243 for Hampshire County Council and 896 for Southampton City Council.

Authorities in the region demonstrated varied approaches to escalating non-payment to prosecution. Both Portsmouth City Council and Hampshire County Council pursued legal action against parents for unpaid penalty notices, resulting in 198 and 162 prosecutions, respectively. However, Southampton City Council has not prosecuted a parent for three years, a stark contrast to its counterparts.

Councillor Amanda Barnes-Andrews, Southampton City Council cabinet member for children and learning, explained the council’s approach, stating that research indicates a strong link between good attendance and better academic outcomes and improved wellbeing. She noted that Southampton City Council issues fines for unauthorised absences in accordance with the National Framework for Penalty Notices 2024, which considers prosecution or a parenting order only after a student has accumulated more than two unauthorised absences within a three-year period. Councillor Barnes-Andrews attributed the lack of prosecutions in Southampton to ‘delays in the single justice process and limited court availability,’ adding that the council is prioritizing cases of persistent unauthorised absences.

A spokesperson for Hampshire County Council, which oversees more than 500 schools and over 177,000 children, echoed the importance of attendance. The spokesperson cited ‘well documented research’ on the adverse impact of school attendance gaps on a child’s wellbeing, learning, and progress. They affirmed that the council works closely with schools to promote good attendance and follows DfE statutory guidance, advising headteachers against authorising term-time absences unless there are ‘exceptional reasons.’ The spokesperson clarified that penalty notices are considered only after all other support possibilities are explored and exhausted, particularly for complex attendance issues linked to special educational or medical needs.

Impact on Pupil Attendance and Wellbeing

The consistent message from council officials across Hampshire underscores the widely accepted belief that regular school attendance is crucial for a child’s educational development and overall wellbeing. The DfE’s statutory guidance, which mandates local authorities to intervene in cases of unauthorised absence, forms the basis for these enforcement actions. While the majority of fines are related to term-time holidays, both councils acknowledged that complex individual circumstances, such as special educational needs, can also contribute to attendance challenges, requiring a nuanced approach.

The varying prosecution rates across Hampshire’s councils highlight the significant discretion local authorities retain in enforcing national attendance policies, leading to different outcomes for parents depending on their specific location within the county.