Allow students to be taken out of school for two weeks a year without penalty

Families face school fines for taking their children out of school to go on affordable holidays. This can be a particular issue for low-income families, and families with children that have additional needs, who want or need to avoid busier and more expensive periods.

I feel these families are being discriminated against as they may not find it possible to travel outside of term time, as it could be too costly or overwhelming, with travel, queues, noise, busy airports, busy public transport, busy resorts etc.

We think it's unfair that these families and children might not be able to go on holiday because they can't take time off during term time. Parents may also have additional needs that would make travelling at busy times difficult.

We sympathise with families who wish to avoid busier and more expensive periods, but the Government is clear that pupils should not miss school for term-time holidays. Whilst holidays can be enriching activities, regular school absence disrupts learning for everyone, and the school year is structured in such a way as to provide plenty of time for holidays outside of term-time. Schools also have considerable flexibility to plan term dates themselves, and hold inset days and other occasional days at less busy times of the year which can help families to plan family breaks at times that suit them.

Parents who have registered their child at a school have a legal responsibility to ensure they attend regularly. Regular attendance is vital for children’s attainment, mental wellbeing and long-term development, and taking them out of school can damage their education. Children inevitably miss some school due to childhood illnesses. Based on last year’s attendance data, a child who is taken out of school for a two-week holiday every year who also has an average number of days off for sickness and medical appointments, will have missed the equivalent of a full year of school by the time they finish year 11 at age 16. Absences for term-time holidays also cause unnecessary disruption to learning, making it more difficult for teachers to plan lessons and cover the curriculum, which is also disruptive for the other pupils in the class. If every child were to be taken out of school for two weeks, this would have significant consequences for teachers and for other children.