Hundreds of Sussex parents prosecuted after absence fines

West Sussex County Council issued 4,981 fines for unauthorised absences in the 2018/19 school year.

That puts it in the top 15 most prolific issuers of fines in England, despite the county placing 27th in the country when ranked by population.

Of those fines, 556 ended in parents being prosecuted because they had not paid within 28 days.

Parents are usually issued a £60 fine if their children take ten unauthorised absences within ten weeks. After 21 days the fine doubles.

But West Sussex National Education Union joint secretary Ann Seuret said the fine does not deter parents from taking their children on holiday without permission.

West Sussex County Council prosecuted more than 500 parents for not paying absence fines in the last school year

“Because the fines aren’t that big it’s cheaper for them to pay the fine than pay the increased air fair during the school holidays,” Ms Seuret said, speaking in her capacity as an English teacher in East Grinstead.

“As a teacher I don’t think the fines work.

“I get quite cross when parents take their kids on holiday during term time at critical times, like near their GCSEs. It’s not fair on the kids and West Sussex council probably has better things to do than prosecute them.

“There should be some sort of deterrent at critical times. I think stronger advice to parents is needed.”

West Sussex Labour leader Councillor Michael Jones said he was concerned fines were being issued "more indiscriminately than elsewhere".

West Sussex Labour leader Councillor Michael Jones worried fines were being issued too frequently

"While I don’t condone parents taking their children out of schools for inappropriate reasons, the numbers of fines being issued do appear to be surging upwards in West Sussex in comparison to elsewhere," he said.

"I am against fining except in issues of absolute last resort, because it penalises the poorest and fails to tackle the causes of unauthorised absences which are often linked to wider vulnerability and disadvantage in the community.

"It worries me that the statistics for recent years because they suggest that such fines are being overused in West Sussex."

Twenty parents in West Sussex escaped fines as the county council decided against prosecuting them, despite them not paying up.

Meanwhile Brighton and Hove City Council let 44 offending parents off the hook for the same reason.

Brighton and Hove City Council prosecuted ten parents who did not pay absence fines

It handed out 2,180 fines during the 2018/19 school year, with 1,777 parents paying with 28 days. Ten fines ended in parents being prosecuted for not paying.

East Sussex County Council gave out 3,902 fines during the same period, with 3,068 parents paying within the 28-day period.

More than 230 parents were prosecuted for not paying.

But 50 escaped fines as the county council decided against taking them to court.

All three councils reported a year-on-year increase in the number of fines they issued.

A West Sussex County Council spokesman said it encouraged all schools to outline the consequences of unauthorised absences.

“There is clear evidence linking pupil attendance to attainment and parents have a legal requirement to make sure pupils attend school regularly,” he said.

“Local authorities have a statutory duty to respond to any referral from schools concerning unauthorised absences.”