Midway through the summer break, Margate beach was crowded with families. But seven mothers and two fathers were summoned to a stuffy room in the town's magistrates court. They were among hundreds of parents across England due in court for failing to ensure their children regularly attended school over the last academic year. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
The first defendant admitted traveling abroad with his partner and daughter for 10 days at the start of the summer term. Taking her out of school for a holiday for the third consecutive year had pushed her annual attendance below 75%. But the family needed a break, he said, because two close friends had recently died and the child's mother had been unwell. The timing was prompted by family strain, not cheaper travel.
In court, a representative for Kent county council said a girl's parents had been fined a year earlier for a term-time trip for dental treatment, and the year before that for an unauthorized holiday. "Unfortunately the availability of cheap travel is not a defence," the official said. The father countered that his daughter had worked on his iPad while away and showed no sign of falling behind. He was annoyed that school staff appeared to be monitoring his social media posts. He accepted guilt and was fined £166.
A record 492,825 penalty notices for unauthorized absences were issued to parents in England in 2024-25, up sharply from 333,388 in 2018-19. Researchers have warned of a "seismic shift" in attitudes to attendance since the pandemic. New education minister Paul Waugh acknowledged that progress had slowed, noting that absences due to illness were 25% higher on Fridays than the rest of the week.
The next parent in Margate court faced the more serious charge under section 444(1A) of the Education Act 1996 of "knowingly" allowing her child to miss school without a valid reason. This case involved a 14-year-old boy with an annual attendance rate of just 19%. The charge can attract a fine of £2,500 or up to three months in prison, though custodial sentences are rare.
During the hearing, one parent explained the need for a break due to family difficulties. Another father expressed annoyance at school monitoring of his social media. The lead magistrate warned that the fine needed to be paid at £20 a month to avoid bailiffs being sent to his home.
The issue of school attendance in England remains complex. In the 2025-26 academic year, the overall absence rate was 6.93%, still significantly above the pre-Covid level of 4.7%. Persistent absence rates have doubled, with nearly one in five children now missing at least 10% of school.
Court proceedings are a last resort for local authorities trying to improve attendance. They first attempt gentler measures, but if these fail, they prosecute. The Margate hearing is part of a national drive that is faltering. Many parents take children out of school for term-time holidays due to cheaper travel, but courts do not accept this as a defence. Each case is considered individually, and fines vary. For some parents, it is a financial burden; for others, a serious matter affecting their children's future.