How much will I be fined if I take my child out of school during term-time: Fines for parents who go on term-time holidays set to rise as 25 Calderdale people ordered to pay up in court

From next month, the fine for school absences across the country will be £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days.

That is a rise of £20 for the minimum fine.

Under a new national framework, all schools will be required to consider a fine when a child has missed 10 or more sessions – the equivalent of five or more days - for unauthorised reasons.

If a parent receives a second fine for the same child within any three-year period, this will be charged at the higher rate of £160.

Fines per parent will be capped to two fines within any three-year period. Once this limit has been reached, other action like a parenting order or prosecution will be considered.

Anyone prosecuted and attending court because their child has not been attending school could be fined up to £2,500.

Money raised via fines is used by the local authority to cover the costs of administering the system, and to fund attendance support.

Any extra money is returned to the government.

One court session at Bradford Magistrates Court last month saw 25 parents fined and ordered to pay costs because their children had missed school.

The fines ranged between £40 and £264. The most common fine handed out was £220.

The powers available to deal with non-attendance include fines, an Education Supervision Order from a family court and a prosecution.