REPORTS that Barnsley has become the country’s capital for school absences have been blasted as ‘misleading’ by council bosses - despite more than 2,000 parents falling foul of the law in less than a year.

Since September 2024, Barnsley Council has issued 2,300 penalty notices to parents, which has led to some being fined in court.

New government rules introduced at the start of the school year have made it easier and quicker for councils to take action when children miss too many days.

Under the new system, councils must issue fines in certain cases of unauthorised absence such as a family holiday not pre-approved by the school, or when attendance remains low even after a formal warning is issued.

The policy is set nationally by the Department for Education but is administered locally by each council.

However, recent reports - including a headline published by the BBC which referred to the town becoming the ‘capital’ - have been condemned.

Coun Trevor Cave, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “We were so annoyed with the headline as a council that we challenged the BBC and pushed back.

“Their content has been amended as a consequence, but what they did not do was change the headline.

“The headline is misleading, as the increase in school penalty notices does not directly relate to the level of absence overall.

“Barnsley’s overall attendance rates are above national average in the primary phase, and in line to reach national average at secondary phase.

“We’re definitely not the capital of school absence, although it seems we’re the capital of tackling school absence, in line with government guidance through issuing penalty notices where appropriate.

“Probably not as good a headline, but certainly more accurate.

“The use of penalty notices, which are referred to in this article, are issued for leave of absence in term-time and sporadic unauthorised absence after a period of support first.

“Penalty notices are one of the many interventions that the council are using in line with government guidance to ensure that children attend school regularly.

“Barnsley Council, schools and multi-academy trusts have placed the importance of every child in school, every day high on our agenda.

“We are driving the implementation of the plan to ensure that all children and young people in Barnsley benefit from regular school attendance which leads to positive educational outcomes.

“This work includes a range of early intervention and support measures to ensure that our children and families are enabled to engage and thrive in their education.”

Each fine is £60 if paid within 21 days, rising to £120 if not paid within that time.

If the sum isn’t paid at all, the case can go to court, where parents may face a larger fine or other penalties.

From September 2024 to March 2025, around 1,800 fines in Barnsley were paid within the lower 21-day rate, while 44 ended up being referred to court.

Coun Cave added: “Improving attendance is a priority for us and we will continue to work with schools and parents to share the importance of preventing term-time absences.

“We ask parents to consider the impact of taking children out of school for holidays.

“While we acknowledge that families want to keep holiday costs down, there is research which demonstrates that term-time holidays can create gaps in learning that are difficult to bridge, it can feel hard to catch up and for some children it can be challenging to settle back into school when attendance is inconsistent or disrupted.

“We continue to follow government guidance when issuing any school absence fines, and the money raised through these penalties is used to cover the costs of running the system.”