Fines of almost £100k paid for pupil absences

PARENTS in North Tyneside have been hit with fines totalling almost £100,000 because their children missed school.

- AUSTEN SHAKESPEARE

New figures have revealed North Tyneside Council issued 1,283 fines to parents and guardians for unauthorised school absences between September 2024 and November 2025.

This 14-month period saw the local authority generate a huge cash sum of £98,120 which, it says, has been reinvested into local services.

Parents who take their children out of school during term time without permission must pay £80 per child, per parent, for the whole absence. If parents do not pay their fine within 21 days, it doubles to £160.

If a parent receives a second penalty notice for the same child within three years, the fine remains £160 with no early payment discount.