My son doesn’t do well in large crowds, says Sarah, who paid a £320 fine for taking her two children on holiday with her partner during school term time.
Sarah’s 10-year-old son, Tyler, has autism and ADHD, and struggles to cope with large groups of tourists during the school holidays.
It means Sarah has to choose between avoiding popular destinations, or visiting them in the quieter periods during the school term.
Schools and councils say children should not be out of class during term time, but Sarah says the holiday crowds “would be too much” for Tyler.
In July 2024, the family from Leicestershire went on holiday to Turkey during the summer term, which meant the children missed six days of school.
Sarah says she has even considered home-educating her children, adding: “I feel like I don’t have full responsibility for them, the fact I can’t pull them out of school for a holiday.”
In August 2024, the Department for Education (DfE) introduced a new national framework to bring councils more in line with each other.
How much do you get fined for taking a child out of school for a holiday?
For a first fine for an unauthorised term-time holiday: if paid within 21 days, £80, or if paid within 28 days, £160
Doncaster Council issued the highest number of fines per 1,000 pupils of any local authority in England in 2022-2023, with 149.
Katy Taylor-Clarke, principal at The Laurel Academy in Mexborough, near Doncaster, says “it’s a big issue”.
“Ultimately, children need to be in school”.
“The school employs two attendance officers who spend all day phoning and visiting the parents of children who do not show up in the morning.”
While Katy Taylor-Clarke has “some sympathy” with parents, she says children should not be going on holiday during the school term.
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