Ealing Council has collected more than £90,000 in fines from parents and guardians for children’s unauthorised school absences last year, newly released figures show.
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request revealed Ealing Council issued 1,529 penalty notices in 2024–25, bringing in over £90,000 as of August 2025. The total is down on the previous year, when 1,672 fines were handed out — a decrease of 143. Two prosecutions also took place in 2024–25, generating £2,063.
More than half the fines related to older children: 1,016 involved secondary school students, 512 involved primary pupils and one was linked to another educational provider.
Councils are required to act on persistent or unauthorised absences, which can include children being taken out of school during term time for family holidays, as well as truancy or parents keeping pupils at home without permission. Headteachers may only authorise leave in “exceptional circumstances”, meaning most term-time holidays are classed as unauthorised and can result in a fine.
In Ealing, the penalty is £160, reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days. Non-payment can lead to court proceedings, where parents face fines of up to £2,500 or up to three months in prison.
Ealing Council said revenue from fines is not added to general council funds but used to cover administration and attendance support services.
A spokesperson told EALING.NEWS: “The money raised from school fines is only used by Ealing Council to cover the costs of administering the system, and to fund our attendance support which parents and legal guardians can access if dealing with difficulties that are impacting their child’s attendance.”
The spokesperson added: “Fines are not automatic and are given on a case-by-case basis after all circumstances around the absence have been considered thoroughly. They are one of several measures local authorities and schools use to improve school attendance which in turn improves children’s educational outcomes.”
Information on school attendance and policies can be found here.
