The Educator Magazine U.K. September - December 2025 issue. - Magazine - Page 62
SCHOOL PENALTY FINES FINALLY
TAKE EFFECT AS SUMMER TERM
ABSENCE RATES DROP
New analysis of government attendance data reveals fewer children
across England missed school during the Summer term this year.
The ‘School Performance Crisis Report’ found that, in the recent
academic year, the total number of unauthorised holidays in the
Summer term has decreased by 14%, dropping from 1,926,968 in
the academic year 2023/2024 to 1,656,419 in 2024/2025, possibly as
a result of the rise in penalty fines last August.
The research, produced by education software solution Access
Education, analysed Department for Education pupil attendance
data from 3,000 state-funded secondary schools across regions in
England, for the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 academic years.
Regionally, the North East saw the biggest decrease in
unauthorised holidays in the Summer term at 20.2%, falling from
158,106 to 126,181. Following this was Yorkshire and the South
West which decreased by 16.7% and 16.2%, respectively.
Meanwhile, London only saw a 9.8% fall, from 145,924 to 131,629,
yet across the entire academic year, unauthorised absences in
the capital spiked by 13.7%. This comes as the total number of
unauthorised absences across England increased slightly by 2.6%,
despite the rise in fines.
Unauthorised Absences Due To Holiday, Summer Term Ranked
by % Change (2024/2025)
• North East: 20.2% decrease
• Yorkshire: 16.7% decrease
• South West: 16.2% decrease
• East Midlands: 14.6% decrease
• West Midlands: 14.5% decrease
The report further revealed that the Autumn term, running from
September to December, saw the largest increase in holiday
absences, rising 24% to 1,397,978 nationally in the 2024/2025
academic year, with every region experiencing a rise. This could be
due to many parents choosing to take their children out of school
to avoid peak holiday costs in the run-up to Christmas.
Emma Slater, a former Head of English and Lead Practitioner,
commented:
“The ‘School Performance Crisis Report’ has demonstrated that,
although the increase in school fines has had an impact on the number
of unauthorised absences, there is still a long way to go. While the
final weeks of term often slow down with learning, they are critical for
rounding off the curriculum, setting the pupils up for the next school
year and resolving any issues that students have.
“However, parents and teachers need to work together in order to
tackle this absenteeism crisis. It is essential that the significance of
student attendance is communicated to parents so that they, too,
can become advocates for students staying in school until the term
ends.
• London: 9.8% decrease
“While parents have access to engagement software, it is equally the
responsibility of teachers to maintain pupil engagement throughout
the academic year. Using this software can help all parties monitor
student progress, identify areas where support is needed, and stay
informed about key topics being taught, which is vital when advancing
through the school years.
• Despite this, the total number of unauthorised absences
throughout the entire academic year continued to increase by
2.6%. Regionally, however, the South West, Yorkshire and the
North East still saw a decrease.
“Although pupil absenteeism cannot be eliminated instantly,
current trends indicate a gradual decline, pointing to an opportunity
to substantially reduce unauthorised holiday absences in the coming
academic years.”
• North West: 12.7% decrease
• South East: 11.4% decrease
• East of England: 10.6% decrease
