Tag: parenting

Revisiting UK School Term-time Holiday Policies

I went back through my blogs to see the first time I talked about the ludicrous policy of not being able to take children out of school during term time back in the UK. It was 2017, and it seems that we are in no better position now than we were back then. This was a policy brought in by the Conservative/Lib Dem coalition in 2012.

When I first arrived in Mallorca in 1990, families used to enjoy the island from May to October without any restrictions. Now what happens is that you get a rush at Easter, Whitsun, July/August and the October half term. The rest of the time, they are supposed to be in school.

The fine for school absences across the country is £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid after that. You have to get permission from the head teacher if you want to take your child out of school during term time.

You can only do this if:

• You make an application to the head teacher in advance (as the parent the child normally lives with).

• There are exceptional circumstances.

It’s up to the head teacher how many days your child can be away from school if leave is granted.

Isn’t this all a bit draconian? What about asking the government to actually think outside the box and relax the rules preventing kids from travelling during term time? Before 2012 this was the case — and do we truly believe that children suffered in their education?

This is not about encouraging truancy; this would be an agreement between parents and teachers who, let’s face it, are the people who should decide — not a government minister. If the child has a good attendance record and is not behind in their work, in my view they should be encouraged to go on holiday. Seeing new countries, experiencing new cultures, hearing new languages and tasting different cuisines should be part of their education.

There are now definite signs that this policy is out of date and needs changing.

Fines for term-time holidays reached a record high of 459,288 last year, as parents accepted penalties to snap up cheaper deals. New figures from the Department for Education (DfE) show the number of these fines rose by 4 per cent in 2024–25 compared with the previous year. Term-time holiday fines accounted for 93 per cent of all penalties issued for unauthorised school absence.

Many families take such holidays in full knowledge that they will have to pay the fine, because it is still cheaper than paying the peak-season premium.

The cost of flights and accommodation can be more than double for a family travelling during the school holidays, as travel companies cash in on high demand.

Parents can save thousands of pounds by taking their children out of school, while the fine for doing so is only £80 per parent, per child.

The data is the first to capture those fined after the penalty amount increased from £60 previously — suggesting it has not proven to be a deterrent.

For me, there is a perfect solution: return to how it was before, using the method I just mentioned above. I’m sure the holiday companies would be more than happy with families travelling throughout the year rather than just during the peak periods. The government would benefit from increased tax revenue through more travel — and that’s something they definitely need right now.

What’s in it for Mallorca, or any other holiday destination for that matter? Well, when we’re talking about sustainability, surely this is the perfect answer? Spreading visitors more evenly throughout the year rather than concentrating them in the current busy periods has to be better. It would also help employment here on the island, with establishments able to stay open longer and fewer unemployment benefits having to be paid.

Personally I don’t see any negatives. 

Isn’t This All A Bit Draconian?

In 1990 when I first arrived in Mallorca families used to visit the island every month. So you wouldn’t see a major difference whether the children were on holiday from school or not. This changed however in 2012 when the coalition government of the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats brought in a law that only allowed children to go on holiday in the official school holidays. The Minister was Michael Gove(remember him?). He said at the time “It is wrong for parents to take children out of school during term time to take advantage of cheaper holidays and there should be a call for action to stop holiday companies cashing in by ramping up prices during the school holidays.” He added “that the holiday industry should look at itself in the mirror and ask whether it was doing enough to help its customers.”

Well that didn’t work did it. Tour operators, airlines, hotels, in fact pretty much everybody involved in the tourist industry puts their prices up in school holidays. I know as I book mine at Christmas both in the UK and abroad. 

I mention this as the government have decided in their wisdom to raise the fine for parents removing their children from school for a holiday in term time. Under the new national framework, all schools will be required to consider a fine when a child has missed 10 or more sessions (5 days) for unauthorised reasons. From August 2024, the fine for school absences across the country will be £80 if paid within 21 days, or £160 if paid within 28 days.

You have to get permission from the head teacher if you want to take your child out of school during term time.

You can only do this if:

  • you make an application to the head teacher in advance (as a parent the child normally lives with)
  • there are exceptional circumstances

It’s up to the head teacher how many days your child can be away from school if leave is granted.

Isn’t this all a bit Draconian? What about asking Governments to actually think outside the box and relaxing the rules on not allowing kids to travel during term times? Before 2013 this was the case and do we truly believe that kids suffered in their education? This is not about encouraging truancy this would be an agreement between parents and teachers who let’s face it are the people who should decide not a Government Minister. If the child has a good attendance record and is not behind in their work in my view they should be encouraged to go on holiday. Seeing new countries, experiencing new cultures, hearing new languages and tasting different cuisines should be part of their education. 

And of course Mallorca would be the perfect destination. 

Richie is the MD at Pirates, the islands number one night out featuring Adventure, Reloaded and Gringos. Subscribe to receive his blogs at http://www.dadtaximallorca.com

Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com