“I would like to know where exactly my £120 penalty fine for taking my child out of school during term time will go to. (Please don’t say into Devon County Council finances) I want to know, where EXACTLY the money goes. Will it go to the school itself to help pay for books etc, or will it be used for the Devon County Council Christmas party!”
The Education (Penalty Notices) (England) Regulations 2004 (Section 21) state that the Local Authority can retain revenue from their Penalty Notice Scheme to cover the costs of issuing or enforcing notices, or the cost of prosecuting recipients who do not pay. Money obtained must be reinvested in this way; it does not go into general Devon County Council finances.
Within Devon County Council, income goes into staffing within the Penalty Notice and Legal Proceedings Team, of which there are currently three posts.
Further information about School Absence Penalty Notices can be found on our website.