Parents say they won’t stop taking their children on holiday during term time despite new fines being introduced to keep youngsters in school.
Figures show that more pupils were off school without permission in the last week of the summer term than at any point in the academic year.
In response, the Government has increased the fines given to parents for unexplained absences to stop them taking their children out of school to go on holiday.
But parents such as Megan Hall and her husband Michael say they will not be deterred by the new rules.
The couple have already booked a two-week holiday later this month, having received their first fine earlier this year for taking their two children on a ski holiday in March.
They are one of a number of parents who do not see the financial penalties as a deterrent – as many claim they cannot afford to pay for holidays in August when prices soar.
Rachel Smith, 33, told MailOnline in March 2023 that she takes Brayden, 11, and Elianna, nine, out of classes every year during term time to go on holiday abroad
Leah Hilton, 33, and Hayden Harrop, 30, took their two children, six and three, to Cyprus for 15 days in June 2023 for a family wedding despite only having permission from the school for the first three days
Ms Hall told BBC News: ‘I won’t stop doing holidays because that’s what family is about.
‘The alternative is to not have family time, or to teach your kids to lie, saying they are sick, which is something I’m not happy to do.’
The Halls’ two children – aged four and eight – will miss ten days of school as a result of the holiday.
But the couple, who own a pub in Northumberland, say their options for holidays are limited as going away during their busy summer season would negatively impact their business.
The fines issued to each parent have gone up from £60 to £80 per child which will be doubled if it happens again within three years. Those with a third fine in a three-year period now face prosecution.
Nearly 400,000 penalty notices were issued to parents in England for unauthorised school absences during the 2022-23 academic year.
That is much higher than pre-pandemic levels and unauthorised absences have remained at a similar rate over the most recent academic year.
Rachel Smith, from Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, had previously estimated she saved more than £10,000 by getting cheaper deals during off-peak dates.
The 33-year-old told MailOnline last year that she took Brayden, 11, and Elianna, nine, abroad during term time every year.
Speaking in May 2023, she said: ‘Although I have a good job, as a single working parent I just don’t have the money to take my kids on holiday during the school holidays.
Ms Smith, from Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, had previously estimated she saved more than £10,000 by getting cheaper deals during off-peak dates
Ms Smith also received fines for both children for their 2019 holiday, and a fine for Brayden’s absence during their Ibiza trip
Ms Hilton was taken to court after not paying the £60 fine despite her claims that it didn’t turn up
The mother-of-two says her partner received a £60 fine when they returned home to Gosport, Hampshire, which they paid, assuming that was the end of it
One parent who was taken to court over the matter insisted her children’s holiday during term time was ‘educational in a way that school can’t offer’.
Leah Hilton, 33, and Hayden Harrop, 30, took their two children, six and three, to Cyprus for 15 days in June 2023 for a family wedding despite only having permission from the school for the first three days.
The mother-of-two was taken to court after not paying the £60 fine despite her claims that it didn’t turn up.
She said in February: ‘Me and Hayden did have a discussion about taking them out of school and agreed that it would be beneficial to take our son out of school to have experiences abroad.
‘Tickets for the holiday were non-refundable and had already been booked and it being a wedding meant it was a once in a lifetime experience.
‘We also discussed the possibility of it impacting future exams and decided it would not.
‘When we were on holiday he was able to be up close and personal with elephants, lemurs and fruit bats.
‘His water confidence improved and so did his mental health – it was educational in it’s own way, in a way school can’t offer.’
Travel agents say they have seen an increase in enquiries from families weighing up the price difference.
This is due to the fact that holidaying during term time is substantially cheaper. Long haul flights in particular can double during the six-week summer holiday, according to data from the Flight Centre.
The Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has previously said: ‘Parents have a legal responsibility to make sure their child is in school, so they benefit from the high and rising standards this government will seek to drive.’
