As a new school term begins, there have already been warnings that too many children are likely to miss classes – in what Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has described as an “absence epidemic”.

Phillipson said in the Sunday Times the “epidemic” is linked to too many parents allowing children time off for holidays, birthdays or a “runny nose”, and stressed she will make no “apologies” for fining parents with frequently absent children.

A report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) published earlier this year said nearly two in five (37%) pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds were “persistently absent”, and that school absences had increased by almost two-thirds since before the pandemic, with pupils now missing an average of 14 days of school per year.

The government says there are “only a few occasions” where a child is allowed to miss school, such as illness or where the school has given permission because of an exceptional circumstance.

In England, following recent rises, if a child misses 10 or more school sessions (five days) of school without good reason, parents can be fined £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days. Fines also apply in school across Wales, while Scotland doesn’t have a fines system, although term-time holidays are still strongly discouraged.

Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), warns that children missing school without good reason is likely to affect their education long-term.

“We’re continuing to see very high levels of pupil absence and this is a huge problem,” Di’Iasio says. “If children are not in school, they cannot learn and they cannot progress. This is very likely to have a detrimental impact on their academic outcomes and future opportunities.”

He points out that more help is needed for families who are struggling and whose children are missing school because of anxiety or unmet special educational needs, but stresses: “We really do need all parents to support their children by ensuring they attend school regularly.”

James Bowen, assistant general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT (National Association of Head Teachers), points out that attendance has declined significantly since the pandemic, fuelled by everything from anxiety and mental ill-health, to poverty, challenges at home, and under-resourced support for children with special educational needs.

“It’s vital children attend school whenever possible ­– pupils can easily miss crucial steps in their learning if they’re absent. While teachers try to help pupils catch up on any lost learning, that can be a challenge if the rest of the class have moved on,” Bowen says. “Children should only miss days when there are very good reasons for doing so.”

So, what is – and isn’t – a ‘good’ reason for letting your child miss school?

When they’re ill (enough)

If a child is feeling unwell, it can be hard for parents to assess how ill they actually are, particularly they’re very young. Is a runny nose, for example, simply a symptom of a mild cold, or the start of something more debilitating and infectious?

Di’Iasio says: “Our advice to parents is to talk with their school if there are circumstances where their child is ill and they’re unsure whether or not they should attend.”

Bowen explains that parents should keep ill children off school if they are “too unwell to attend, or if there is a risk of passing on illnesses”. He says there’s guidance on the NHS website that many schools will direct parents to about when a child should be kept at home due to illness.

Important family events

If there’s a big family wedding, for example, that falls on a school day, is it acceptable for kids to miss classes so they can attend?

Bowen says: “A family wedding may well constitute an exceptional circumstance and schools may be able to authorise a short period of absence to enable pupils to attend. Each circumstance will be unique, however, and will be judged on a case-by-case basis.”

Di’Iasio advises parents to talk to their school to see if the child’s absence can be authorised if a family event falls during term time. “Schools want to work with parents helpfully and supportively to ensure good attendance,” he explains.

Exceptional circumstancesThere may be other ‘exceptional circumstances’ where parents can ask to take their child out of school, and schools may authorise the absence. Bowen explains: “While schools do have some discretion to authorise leave, this is only in ‘exceptional circumstances’. There is no nationally-agreed criteria for what constitutes an exceptional circumstance and this has to be judged case-by-case.”

Examples could include a family bereavement and funeral, or other important and unmoveable circumstances.

No term-time holidays

A holiday is generally not considered an ‘exceptional circumstance’, warns the government school attendance website, which says: “You cannot usually take your child away during term-time. You can be fined or face legal action for taking your child on holiday during term-time.”