Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, warned of “increasingly strained relationships” between schools and some parents.
Speaking at the ASCL annual conference in Liverpool, he said that the continued challenge of addressing student absence post-Covid is placing huge strain on relationships.
He said that the huge increases in the number of parental fines for absence being issued had not solved the problem and, indeed, was deepening tensions.
He called, instead, for the social contract between parents and schools to be “renewed and refreshed”.
Mr Di’Iasio said: “We all know something changed in society after the Covid-19 pandemic. I can’t pinpoint exactly why, but for some families, school seems to have become – at least in part – optional. And that mindset persists.
“The blunt instrument of fines is not reversing this trend. Last year alone, a staggering 443,000 penalty notices were issued for unauthorised family holidays – an increase of 87,000 from the previous year. But far from solving the problem, fines often deepen tensions between schools and parents. Schools, simply enforcing the rules, are left looking like the villains.
“When I speak to colleagues across the country, many tell me they feel under siege from a growing culture of complaints.”
It comes after SecEd reported earlier this month on separate research from the National Association of Head Teachers showing that more than 8 in 10 school leaders have been abused by parents in the last 12 months – with shocking examples of both physical and verbal abuse.
Back at ASCL, Mr Di’Iasio explained how grievances are often escalated to other bodies, including Ofsted, the Teaching Regulation Agency, the Department for Education, and local authorities. He also watned that they are “often amplified on social media, adding further pressure to already overstretched staff, who feel unable to respond”.
Latest figures from the DfE show that unauthorised absence in secondary schools stood at 2.9% during the autumn term with persistent absence at 22.7%. Meanwhile, the number of parental fines being issued is up 22%.
This year the government has raised the fines for non-attendance to £80 (from £60). The new approach means that each parent will only get up to two fines for the same child in a three-year period – but if they get a second fine in three years it will be at £160. If parents do not pay the fine in 28 days they may be taken to court (DfE, 2024).
During its annual conference, ASCL published the results of a survey of 9,127 school leaders and teachers (3,330 primary and 5,797 secondary) showing the reasons given for student absence this academic year. The results show a situation that has worsened year-on-year.
- Holiday during term time: 93% (compared to 87% a year ago)
- Student attending family event: 81% (76%)
- Student too anxious about school to attend: 74% (66%)
- Student kept home because they are tired after an event the night before: 61% (51%)
- Student kept home because parent/carer is in dispute with school: 36% (32%)
- Student wants to work online from home (but not because of illness): 13% (8%)
Mr Di’Iasio continued: “So, what’s the solution? For a start, ministers should engage with the travel industry to address the excessive cost of holidays during school breaks – a major driver of term-time absences.
“But beyond that, we need a broader cultural shift. It’s time to refresh and renew the social contract with a declaration agreed and developed by schools, government, and parents working together.
“This means setting out clear expectations, the importance of following the rules for the collective good, and the proper channels for complaints.
“Such an agreement should be developed, endorsed, and promoted by everyone with a stake in education. We need to speak with one voice.”
The NAHT survey earlier this month, meanwhile, involved 1,642 school leaders and found that 82% had suffered parental abuse in the last year. Verbal abuse was the most common (85%), but school leaders had also suffered threatening behaviour (68%), online abuse (46%), and discriminatory language (22%) – including racism, sexism or homophobia; 10% had been physically attacked.
- DfE: School attendance and absence, September 2024: www.gov.uk/school-attendance-absence/legal-action-to-enforce-school-attendance
- SecEd: School absence and parental engagement: Seven approaches, March 2025: www.sec-ed.co.uk/content/best-practice/school-absence-and-parental-engagement