A council will start consider whether it is able to hand out fixed penalty notices to parents who take their children out of school for holidays during term time.

Monmouthshire Council has written a letter to parents and carers in the county in order promote what they describe as “fairness consistency across all schools” and ensure every child has the best chance of achieving success at school.

However, the decision to write to parents has been criticised by opposition members of the council, claiming there was no formal discussion of the proposal and it hadn’t gone through any decision-making body the full council cabinet or a scrutiny committee.

“School attendance is vitally important and schools should continue working with parents and the local authority to tackle persistent absenteeism,” said Cllr Richard John, leader of the Conservative Group at County Hall.

"However, if the Labour councillors running the authority wish to change the Attendance and Engagement Policy, it needs to be consulted upon, scrutinised and a formal decision taken in public. An announcement should not be slipped out in a letter to parents on the final day of term.”

"The Council's own Attendance and Engagement Policy presents Fixed Penalty Notices as a last resort, only to be used after extensive engagement with families and only in extreme cases.”

“Yet the letter sent to parents gives the impression that from September Fixed Penalty Notices could become the standard response to unauthorised holidays during term time.”

Currently, fines are only ever used in extreme cases. The existing Attendance and Engagement Policy states that all reasonable intervention and support must have been exhausted before the local authority considers issuing a fine to parents. This includes offering an opportunity to parents to improve their child’s attendance and investigating the reason for the absence thoroughly.

But now, the council has decided to look at what it would mean to prepare for “The introduction of the use of Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) for unauthorised holidays taken during term time.”

However, councillors have said it isn’t as simple as just taking holidays during term time for many families. According to Cllr John, strict work patterns and affordability can also impact a family’s ability to go on holiday.

In response to an approach by The Chronicle, Monmouthshire Council promised to make sure schools and council members were at the heart of the process and insisted that they are only preparing for the introduction of the policy, which is yet to be developed in full.

“Monmouthshire County Council spokesperson said: "From the start of the 2026/27 academic year, Monmouthshire County Council will begin preparing for the introduction of Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) for unauthorised term-time holidays where requests do not meet the exceptional circumstances criteria set out in the council’s Attendance and Engagement Policy,” a spokesperson said.

“This preparatory work will help ensure a fair and consistent approach across all schools in Monmouthshire and reinforce the importance of regular school attendance in supporting children and young people to achieve their full potential”

“Schools and the council will continue to work closely and constructively with families, and all requests for leave during term time will continue to be considered in line with the established policy, criteria and guidance. As part of this process, we will engage with schools and the council’s elected members through Cabinet or Full Council and Scrutiny Committee meetings to ensure all stakeholders are informed and involved as preparations progress."