Record Numbers of London Parents Fined for Taking Children Out of School

The number of parents being fined for taking their children out of school for term-time holidays has surged across London over the past decade. During the 2024/25 academic year, almost 31,800 penalty notices were issued in the capital, with unauthorised family holidays cited as the main reason.

Across England, parents can be fined £80 per child, per parent if a child misses five or more days (10 sessions) of school for an unauthorised holiday. If the fine isn’t paid within 21 days, it rises to £160. Under new rules introduced in August 2024, any second offence within three years automatically results in a £160 fine.

In London, this works out at 293 fines for every 10,000 pupils. While that figure is lower than the previous year—when more than 35,400 fines were issued, or 323 per 10,000 pupils—it remains far higher than levels seen before the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the final full school year before lockdowns, 2018/19, around 26,300 fines were issued. That was already an increase from 22,600 in 2017/18 and 17,800 in 2016/17, the earliest year for which data is available. Overall, the number of fines has nearly doubled in less than ten years.

Tower Hamlets recorded the highest rate in London, issuing the equivalent of 903 fines per 10,000 pupils in 2024/25. Barking and Dagenham followed with 697, while Havering had 683. Newham recorded 622, Harrow 614, and Croydon 396.

At the other end of the scale, Enfield issued the fewest fines, with just 58 per 10,000 pupils. Kensington and Chelsea recorded 66, while both Kingston upon Thames and Richmond upon Thames issued 73 fines per 10,000 pupils.