ON the spot fines for parents taking their children out of school for term time holidays in Torfaen have increased by 11 per cent in a year.

During the 2024 to 2025 financial year, which ended on March 1, Torfaen Borough Council had 261 requests from schools to issue fixed penalties which are normally issued when someone admits responsibility and as a way of avoiding the costly process, and extra scrutiny, of bringing a prosecution.

That figure increased from 235 in 2023/24 the first year the council introduced the £120 fines, which it reduces to £60 for parents who can afford to pay within 60 days.

A report for the council’s education scrutiny committee stated the “primary reason” for issuing a fixed penalty notice has been unauthorised holidays taken during term time.

Blaenavon independent councillor Janet Jones asked if parents were “weighing up the cost” of receiving a fine compared to the cost of a holiday, which can often be cheaper in term times.

Education welfare officer Hannah Catherine Moore said the fines are intended as a “deterrent” but are “just one tool” within the “kit” used for addressing attendance.

She also said the education welfare service works with schools and looks at the impact of fines and said schools have to complete an attendance action plan.

She said: “We really need to make sure if parents are taking children out of school on a regular basis we can show them the impact that is having.

“Obviously there are some parents who take the fine and continue to take the children out of school but what we are seeing is within certain year groups and within certain families doing that year on year it has been good on reducing that.”

Ms Moore reminded councillors parents are entitled to request term time leave for pupils but said it is for schools to decide requests and factors such as the time of year and overall attendance can be considered.

But she also said there can be differences in approaches with practice varying between different clusters of schools while the council would prefer a “whole cluster” approach.

“Some schools might implement a policy it won’t authorise any holidays other schools do give consideration to the nature of the request, it might be a pupil returning to their homeland. Every single situation is very different.

“But as a whole we are seeing the use of FPNs as something in getting that message out there.”

Ms Moore also said there are other “punitive measures such as prosecution if appropriate” the council can consider such as when families take children out of school “twice a year, year on year on year” but said use of fixed penalties has reduced that.

Director of education Andrew Powles asked Ms Moore to give examples of when the council had rejected requests from schools to issue fixed penalty notices.

She said all requests have to adhere to the council’s process and must evidence the school has worked with the family and if issues such as additional learning needs have been identified.

She said some fines have also been withdrawn by the council when further information has come to light and said it wouldn’t be appropriate to issue a fine that would cause more financial hardship “if we are aware other key services are involved.”

Figures show of the 235 fixed penalty request in 2023/24 a total of 44 were withdrawn and while the number of requests increased to 261 in 2024/25 only 11 were withdrawn.

Head of learning and achievement Andy Rothwell said the council’s legal department was clear with the education service, when it introduced the fixed penalties, they should only be used when a prosecution would be in the public interest.

Fairwater Labour member Rose Seabourne asked if there were “negative examples” of issuing fixed penalties such as a parent saying “they phoned in sick, he’s got the runs”.

Ms Moore said in a school she had attended: “A parent said their child was ill but when the child returned to school they said actually I was on holiday.”

She said it is at the discretion of headteachers to request if a fixed penalty is issued.

“We’ve had parents post online and schools have got wind of that as well. We try to get the message out to parents to be open and honest with schools. Parents can request a leave of absence, they can submit a holiday form.”