The holidays are over, and children are back in school – apart from the ones going on a term-time vacation.
The combination of the cost of living crisis and the fact that holidays can be significantly cheaper in term time makes taking children out of school for a holiday tempting for parents and carers. It has been reported that unauthorised holidays in term time accounted for over five million lost school days in England in the 2021-22 academic year.
Headteachers in England cannot grant term-time holiday requests unless there are “exceptional circumstances”. If a headteacher declines a holiday request and parents or carers take their child out of school anyway, they can be fined £60. This fine rises to £120 if they do not pay within 21 days, or to potential prosecution if they do not pay within 28 days.
But for some children and young people, there is more to the debate than a cheap holiday and some late summer sunshine. Some need extra time to build secure relationships with the important adults in their lives, and the quality time that a holiday provides can be invaluable.
