Hampshire County Council has made the headlines by prosecuting parents vigorously for unauthorised school attendance. During the past three academic years, they have levied fines exceeding £1.6 million. This large revenue stream is directly connected to parents illegally removing their children from school in term time. Throughout this time, the repercussions for doing so have only gotten worse.
During the academic year 2022/23, the council raked in £363,543 from these penalties. That number climbed up to £698,403 for 2024/25, meaning that, in just two years, fines have more than doubled. Hampshire County Council wisely issues such penalties in order to maintain educational standards. To date, this holistic strategy has led to a stellar 93% rate of attendance, exceeding the national average by just a hair.
Hampshire County Council is the largest council in England, and the third-largest English shire county. It’s in charge of the education of more than 180,000 kids in more than 500 schools. Parents are hit by an upfront penalty of £80 for each child for any unauthorized absence. If you don’t pay within 21 days it increases to £160 – double the original fine. Moreover, if a parent receives a second fine for the same child within three years, they are immediately charged £160.
A spokesperson from Hampshire County Council stated,
“We work closely with schools and families to understand the root cause of serious attendance issues and to identify appropriate support and solutions. Legal interventions, including fines, are only ever considered after all support possibilities are explored and exhausted.”
This clause signals the council’s intention to address poor attendance with supportive measures first, before taking the more severe step of imposing financial penalties.
