Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Crackdown on parents going on holiday during term time; 'all be fined' under new measures

Parents will be fined £120 under a new nationwide crackdown

Crackdown on parents going on holiday during term time; 'all be fined' under new measures

THE British government has warned that all parents who take their children on holiday during term time will be handed a fixed penalty notice (FPN), according to a report. 

Parents will be fined £120 under a new nationwide crackdown as ministers vow to end 'postcode lottery' on how councils battle school absence, MailOnline reported.


Under the new plan, FPNs will be issued to parents whose children are late five times in one term, take five unauthorised absences, go on holiday during term time, or are out in public in the five days of the exclusion.

Education secretary Nadim Zahawi has said that he knew from the Children's Commissioner's work on school attendance that children themselves hugely value being in school with their teachers and their friends.

He added that his job is to make sure that every child can get those school experiences.

Zahawi will also oversee a Whitehall database with all school registers, the plans state.

"The plans set out today to reform how absence fines operate, alongside our Schools Bill currently going through parliament, will improve consistency across the country and help tackle persistent absence," he said.

Children's Commissioner Rachel de Souza has called for school attendance to rise to 100 per cent by this autumn term. She has urged schools to do 'whatever it takes' to meet that goal.

A parent would face a maximum of two fines for each child per school year. Councils currently set their own thresholds for when fines are imposed on parents.

The plans will also tighten rules on pupil absence in the case of illness.

The current regulations allow a pupil's name to be deleted from registers if their health makes it unlikely they can attend school.

According to the government, however, this is 'outdated given changes to provision for pupils with medical conditions to enable many of them to continue their education in their own school.

Proposals also suggest online learning in the case of absences. It said that pupils with a child protection plan, education and health care plan or a child in need plan should not be deleted from school rolls without the local council's consent.

They also suggest pupils younger than the compulsory schooling age should still have their absence recorded.

The government said that pupils absent for 15 days or more for health reasons should be reported to the local council to make sure they and their families get more support. 

More For You

Air India flight crash
Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
Getty Images

Air India crash probe finds fuel to engines was cut off before impact

Highlights

 
     
  • Fuel to both engines of the Air India flight was cut off seconds before the crash
  •  
  • A pilot was heard questioning the other over the cut-off; both denied initiating it.
  •  
  • The Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people.
  •  
  • Investigators are focusing on fuel switch movement; full analysis may take months.

FUEL control switches to both engines of the Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff were moved from the "run" to the "cutoff" position seconds before the crash, according to a preliminary investigation report released early Saturday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chinese vessel tracked in Bay of Bengal after disabling identification system

The Indian Navy and Coast Guard have consistently reported Chinese research vessel presence. (Representational image: Getty Images)

Chinese vessel tracked in Bay of Bengal after disabling identification system

A Chinese research vessel was detected operating in the Bay of Bengal near Indian waters while attempting to conceal its presence by disabling its Automatic Identification System (AIS), according to a report by The Economic Times, citing French maritime intelligence firm Unseenlabs.

The French company conducted a 16-day satellite-based survey tracking ships through radio frequency emissions. It monitored 1,897 vessels, with 9.6 per cent showing no AIS activity, indicating attempts to avoid detection. The survey raised concerns amid increased Chinese activity in the region.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian-inspired garden earns
five awards at Hampton Court

(From left) Malcolm Anderson (RHS, head of sustainability) Clare Matterson (RHS director general), Lorraine Bishton (Subaru UK and Ireland, managing director) Andrew Ball (director, Big Fish Landscapes) Mike McMahon and Jewlsy Mathews with the medals

Asian-inspired garden earns five awards at Hampton Court

BRITISH Asians are being encouraged to take up gardening by a couple who have won a record five medals at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival.

“It’s a contemporary reimagining of a traditional walled garden, highlighting the British and Irish rainforests,” said Jewlsy Mathews, who was born in Britain of parents from Kerala, a southern Indian state known for its lush vegetation.

Keep ReadingShow less
Essex ladybird invasion

One of the largest gatherings was filmed on a beach at Point Clear

Dee-anne Markiewicz / SWNS

Swarms of ladybirds invade Essex coastline amid soaring temperatures

Highlights:

  • Ladybird swarms reported across Essex and Suffolk coastal towns
  • Hot weather likely driving the sudden surge in population
  • Sightings include Point Clear, Shoebury, Clacton and Felixstowe
  • Similar outbreaks occurred in 1976 during another hot UK summer

Sudden surge in ladybird numbers across the southeast

Millions of ladybirds have been spotted swarming towns and villages along the Essex coast, with similar sightings stretching into Suffolk. Residents have reported unusually high numbers of the red and black-spotted insects, particularly near coastal areas, with the recent hot weather believed to be a major contributing factor.

One of the largest gatherings was filmed on a beach at Point Clear, a village near St Osyth in Essex, where the insects could be seen piling on top of each other on driftwood and plants.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kapil Sharma

Kapil Sharma’s Canada cafe shot at days after opening

Instagram/ginnichatrath

Kapil Sharma’s Canadian café targeted in shooting, Khalistani terrorist cites mockery of Nihang Sikhs as motive

Highlights:

  • Shots were fired at Kap’s Café in Surrey, Canada, owned by comedian Kapil Sharma, just days after its opening.
  • Khalistani extremist Harjit Singh Laddi, linked to banned group BKI, claimed responsibility.
  • The motive cited was an old comedy segment from The Kapil Sharma Show that allegedly mocked Nihang Sikhs.
  • No injuries were reported; Canadian authorities are investigating the incident.

Comedian Kapil Sharma’s recently launched Kap’s Café in Surrey, British Columbia, was the target of a shooting in the early hours of 10 July. Though no one was harmed, the property sustained significant damage. A known Khalistani extremist, Harjit Singh Laddi, has claimed responsibility for the attack, citing perceived religious disrespect on The Kapil Sharma Show.

 Kap\u2019s Cafe in Surrey  Kap’s Cafe in Surrey was struck by gunfire late at night with staff still insideInstagram/thekapscafe_

Keep ReadingShow less