PARENTS planning to dodge sky-high summer holiday prices may be wondering when they can legally take their children out of school during term time – without facing a fine.
With the school holidays fast approaching, many parents will be thinking about heading off before things get busy – but may be unsure what the rules are.
GettyChildren can also miss school if they’re too ill to attend or if parents have secured permission from the school in advance[/caption]In England, the rules are clear: children must receive a full-time education from the school term after their fifth birthday until the last Friday in June in the academic year they turn 16.
This means children under five — including those in reception — are not legally required to attend school and can be taken on holiday during term time without penalty.
Children can also miss school if they’re too ill to attend or if parents have secured permission from the school in advance.
But schools will only approve absences in “exceptional circumstances”.
These can include serious illness or death of a close family member, religious observance, medical appointments, or if a parent in the Armed Forces is returning from deployment.
Any other reason, including family holidays during term time, is likely to be considered unauthorised unless the headteacher agrees it meets exceptional grounds.
If a child misses 10 or more sessions (five days) without permission, parents can be hit with an £80 fine. If it’s not paid within 21 days, the fine rises to £160.
From the 2024 to 2025 school year, the government has tightened the rules.
Each parent will only receive up to two fines per child in a three-year period.
After that, if unauthorised absences continue, the case can be taken to court.
This means even if both parents are fined for the same child, that’s counted as two fines in total — and any future breaches may land them in legal trouble.
Department for Education data reveals that fines for term-time holidays are soaring.
In the 2023/24 academic year, 443,322 fines were issued for unauthorised holidays — a sharp increase of 22 per cent from the previous year.
In total, councils handed out 487,344 penalty notices for all types of unauthorised absences last year, making holiday-related absences by far the biggest reason.
With summer break prices often jumping by hundreds of pounds per person, many parents are still tempted to book during term time to save money — but the penalties are now tougher than ever.
So while holidays during the school year might look cheaper on paper, they could cost a lot more in fines, and possible court action, if the proper permission isn’t in place.
GettyFrom the 2024 to 2025 school year, the government has tightened the rules[/caption] Read More Details
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