Exclusive: The postcode lottery facing Leeds parents over school holiday fines
There has been more than 3,400 penalty notices issued in the last academic year alone as schools are urged to follow tougher Government guidelines.
Since the rules were changed two years ago to only allow absences in exceptional circumstances the numbers of fines issued in Leeds has soared.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdIn 2012/13 - before the guidelines changed - there were 105 parents fined across the city for taking pupils out of school without permission. Under the previous system schools could allows parents up to ten days .
In the last academic year this had risen to 3,435 fines of £60.
There were more than a dozen schools in Leeds which issued more than one fine a week.
However the Yorkshire Evening Post can also reveal that there were 90 schools which did not issue any fines in the same period.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdLeeds City Council is now said to be in talks with schools about the disparity in the number of penalty notices being issued.
Councillor Lucinda Yeadon, the council’s executive member responsible for children and families said: We are aware there is some inconsistency in how different schools implement the government’s legislation on term time holidays, so we are working with head teachers to ensure they understand the legislation and are implementing it in the correct way. We have recently reviewed our code of conduct around this legislation and are sharing this with head teachers to remind them of their responsibilities and to ensure consistency across the city.
“We firmly believe that the best place for children to be during term time is in school, and continue to support schools to ensure parents understand the importance of ensuring their children attend school regularly and benefit from taking a full and active part in daily school life. Children with poor attendance tend to achieve less in both primary and secondary school, and we have always encouraged parents to think twice before booking holidays during term time.”
The schools which have had the most parents fined include Leeds West Academy where 89 were issued, Woodkirk Academy in Tingley, where 86 were issued and East Ardsley Primary where 84 were issued - more than any other primary.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdFour of the five schools with the most fines issued in Leeds were academies. However the actual fines are all issued by the council and the money is then retained by the local authority to cover the cost of administering the penalty notice scheme and to cover the cost of prosecuting parents that fail to pay their fine.
The flagship school of a major academy chain saw the most parents fined in Wakefield.
There were 140 fines issued to parents at Outwood Grange Academy.
Sir Michael Wilkins, academy principal and chief executive of Outwood Grange Academies Trust said: “It is unequivocal that GCSE results achieved by students can be adversely effected by poor attendance. At Outwood Grange Academies Trust we take our responsibility seriously and employ a range of supportive strategies to ensure that students attend on a regular basis. In extreme cases, where our repertoire has been exhausted, we will not hesitate to contact the local authority in order that parents understand their obligations and a fine may well be issued. This sanction is part of the government’s guidelines and is sometimes a necessary step in order to ensure students attend”.
THE POSTCODE LOTTERY: WHERE WERE LEEDS PARENTS WERE FINED?
Abbey Grange Academy <6
Aberford Primary 0
Adel Primary 0
Adel St John Primary 9
All Saints C of E Primary 9
All Saints Primary Otley 10
Allerton Bywater Primary 30
Allerton C of E Primary <6
Allerton Grange 8
Allerton High 34
Alwoodley Primary 12
Ashfield Primary 17
Asquith Primary 9
Austhorpe 16
Bankside Primary 10
Bardsey 0
Barwick-in Elmet CofE Primary 0
Beechwood Primary 30
Beecroft Primary 0
Beeston Hill St Luke’s CofE Primary 0
Beeston Primary 37
Benton Park High 38
BESD SILC - Elmete Central <6
Birchfield Primary 8
Blackgates 0
Blenheim Primary 28
Boston Spa 7
Bracken Edge 0
Bramham Primary 0
Bramhope Primary <6
Bramley Primary 6
Bramley St Peters CofE Primary 21
Brigshaw High School and Language College 16
Broadgate Primary 0
Brodetsky Primary <6
Brownhill Primary Academy 16
Brudenell Primary 9
Bruntcliffe High 47
Burley Park Centre 0
Burley St Matthias Primary <6
Calverley CofE Primary 0
Calverley Parkside Primary 0
Cardinal Heenan Catholic High 31
Carlton Primary 51
Carr Manor Community 0
Carr Manor Primary 0
Castleton Primary 0
Chapel Allerton Primary 37
Christ Church Upper Armley Primary <6
Christ the King Catholic Primary <6
Churwell Primary <6
City of Leeds High 11
Clapgate Primary 8
Cobden Primary <6
Cockburn School 57
Collingham Lady Elizabeth Hastings CofE Primary 0
Colton Primary School 17
Cookridge Holy Trinity Primary 20
Cookridge Primary 0
Co-op Academy 49
Corpus Christi Catholic College 49
Corpus Christi Catholic Primary 0
Cottingley Primary 0
Crawshaw Academy 11
Cross Gates Primary 16
Crossley Street Primary 0
David Young Community Academy 28
Deighton Gates Primary Wetherby 0
Drighlington Primary 63
East Ardsley 84
East Garforth Primary 0
East SILC - John Jamieson 0
Ebor Gardens Primary 0
Farnley Academy 66
Farsley Farfield Primary 0
Farsley Springbank Junior 22
Farsley Westroyd Infant <6
Fieldhead Carr Primary 0
Five Lanes Primary 28
Fountain Primary 0
Garforth Academy 0
Garforth Green Lane Primary 0
Gildersome Primary 55
Gledhow Primary 0
Grange Farm Primary 31
Greenhill Primary 0
Greenmount Primary 6
Grimes Dyke Primary 14
Great Preston CofE Primary 25
Guiseley High 19
Guiseley Infant and Nursery <6
Harehills Primary 7
Harewood CofE Primary 0
Hawksworth CofE Primary 0
Hawksworth Wood Primary <6
Highfield Primary 10
Hillcrest Academy <6
Hill Top Primary 6
Holy Name Catholic Primary <6
Hollybush Primary 9
Holy Family Catholic Primary 6
Holy Rosary & St Anne’s Catholic Primary 0
Horsforth Academy 9
Horsforth Featherbank Primary <6
Horsforth Newlaithes Primary 15
Hovingham 24
Hugh Gaitskell Primary 18
Hunslet Carr Primary 53
Hunslet Gate 0
Hunslet Moor Primary 13
Hunslet St Mary’s Primary 9
Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Primary 0
Ingram Road Primary 17
Ireland Wood Primary <6
Iveson Primary 0
John Smeaton Academy <6
Kerr Mackie Primary 21
Khalsa Academy
Kippax Ash Tree Primary 28
Kippax Greenfield 19
Kippax North Junior and Infant School 31
Kirkstall St Stephen’s CofE Primary 9
Kirkstall Valley Primary 0
Lady Elizabeth Hastings Ledston Primary 6
Lawns Park Primary 13
Lawnswood High 21
Leeds East Academy 14
Leeds South Academy 71
Leeds West Academy 89
Lighthouse Free School <6
Little London Primary <6
Low Road Primary 9
Lower Wortley Primary 0
Manston Primary 0
Manston St James CofE Primary Academy 5
Meadowfield 14
Meanwood Primary 6
Methley Primary 16
Micklefield CofE Primary 0
Middleton St Mary’s CofE Primary 13
Middleton Primary 12
Mill Field Primary 0
Moor Allerton Hall Primary 9
Moortown Primary 0
Morley Academy 38
Morley Newlands Primary <6
Morley Victoria Primary 0
Mount St Mary’s Catholic High <6
New Bewerley Community School 15
Nightingale Academy 0
Ninelands Primary School 29
North East SILC - West Oaks 0
North West SILC 0
Oakwood Primary 0
Oakwood Pupil Support Centre 0
Otley Prince Henry’s Academy 13
Oulton Primary 38
Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Primary 0
Park View Academy 10
Park Spring Primary 9
Parklands Primary 6
Pool CofE Primary 0
Priesthorpe High 53
Primrose Lane Primary 0
Pudsey Bolton Royd 35
Pudsey Grangefield High 11
Pudsey Greenside Primary 40
Pudsey Lowtown Primary 0
Pudsey Primrose Hill Primary 33
Pudsey Southroyd Primary 34
Pudsey Tyersal Primary 11
Pudsey Waterloo Primary 0
Quarry Mount 10
Queensway Primary <6
Ralph Thorseby High 28
Rawdon Littlemoor Primary 13
Rawdon St Peter’s Primary 34
Raynville Primary 12
Richmond Hill Primary 0
Robin Hood Primary 39
Rodillian Academy 57
Rosebank Primary 12
Rothwell CofE Primary Academy 15
Rothwell Primary 15
Rothwell Haigh Road Infants 14
Rothwell St Mary’s Primary 19
Rothwell Victoria Junior 12
Roundhay Technology College 50
Roundhay St John’s CofE Primary <6
Royds High 48
Rufford Park Primary 0
Ruth Gorse Academy <6
Ryecroft Academy 16
Sacred Heart <6
Scholes Primary 29
Seacroft Grange Primary 0
Seven Hills Primary 19
Shadwell Primary 0
Shakespeare Primary 23
Sharp Lane Primary 43
Shire Oaks Primary 0
South SILC - Broomfield 0
Springbank Primary <6
St Anthony’s Catholic Primary Beeston 28
St Augustine’s Catholic Primary 10
St Bartholomew’s CofE Primary 0
St Benedict’s Catholic Primary Garforth 0
St Chads Primary 9
St Edward’s Catholic Primary 0
St Francis Catholic Primary Morley 0
St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary 6
St James’ CofE Primary <6
St John’s School for the deaf 0
St Joseph’s Primary Hunslet 14
St Joseph’s Catholic Primary 0
St Joseph’s Catholic Primary Wetherby 0
St Margaret’s CofE Primary <6
St Mary’s CofE Primary 0
St Mary’s Catholic Comprehensive 0
St Mary’s Catholic Primary 0
St Matthew’s CofE Primary 0
St Nicholas’ Catholic Primary 11
St Oswald’s Junior 10
St Patrick’s Catholic Primary 0
St Paul’s Catholic Primary 6
St Peter’s and Paul’s Primary 0
St Peter’s C of E Primary 6
St Phillip’s Catholic Primary 11
St Theresa’s Catholic Primary 0
St Urban’s Catholic Primary 0
Stanningley Primary 14
Strawberry Fields Primary 0
Summerfield Primary 0
Swallow Hill Community College 29
Swarcliffe Primary 8
Swillington Primary 13
Swinnow Primary 0
Talbot Primary <6
Temple Moor 21
Temple Newsam Halton Primary 7
The Whartons Primary 0
Thorner CofE Primary 14
Thorpe Arch Primary 0
Thorpe Primary 12
TLC North 0
Tranmere Park <6
Valley View Community Primary 0
Victoria Primary 30
Weetwood Primary 0
West End Primary 0
West SILC 0
Westbrook Lane Primary 0
Westerton Primary 59
Westgate Primary 11
Westwood Primary <6
Wetherby High 0
Whingate Primary <6
Whinmoor St Paul’s CofE Primary 14
White Laith Primary 23
Whitecote Primary 8
Whitkirk Primary 17
Wigton Moor Primary 44
Windmill Primary 0
Woodkirk Academy 86
Woodlands Primary 13
Woodlesford Primary 55
Wykebeck Primary <6
Yeadon Westfield Infants 14
Yeadon Westfield Junior 0
Total 3435