Pupils at a secondary school have reportedly been spied on by teachers to see if they are taking unauthorised holidays during term time.
Staff at Astrea Academy Woodfields in Doncaster, South Yorkshire reportedly go to the homes of absent pupils and discover if the family has gone away.
While there, they are said to be checking if bins have been put out on collection days, see if post is still on doorsteps, cars are in driveways, lights are on and if steam is coming from boiler flues.
A spokesperson from the school said the visits were conducted out of concerns for absent children.
The comments made by head David Scales cause backlash on social media
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Taking to social media, the school's head David Scales said: "What parents are doing is they are saying it's an illness but actually the car is now no longer in the drive, the bins are no longer moving around the house and there's no activity in the house over a few days.
"So we are putting this down as an unauthorised holiday and we are issuing a fine."
Scales said home visits were carried out by the school's attendance team "like schools across the country".
He added: "We have really strong relationships with the vast majority of our parents, but in a small number of cases, parents are opting to keep their child away from school without a valid reason. We've been very open with our families that as well as celebrating good attendance, we will call out unauthorised absence."
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The announcement was met with backlash from union officials.
National Education Union's Doncaster branch and district secretary Fiona Campbell accused Woodfields of publicly shaming families and undermining positive relationships with families.
She said: "Lots of schools locally are experiencing difficulties with challenging attendance figures.
"Other schools though are not resorting to invasive snooping tactics, and many recognise the difficulties parents might face in trying to arrange valuable family time together."
A Department for Education spokesperson said it promoted a "support-first approach" and backed schools and local authorities that worked with families to improve attendance.
A spokesperson from the DofE added: "Where appropriate, this could include home visits and door-knocking services."