W lo res proof (correct)

To go, or not to go?
The issue of term-time travel
Taking children out of school
for extra holiday is such a hot
topic that the UK’s Supreme
Court is about to decide on
the issue following a landmark
court case. Mike Gartside
finds out what this means
for families...
You’ve worked hard as parents. The children
have done well at school and the whole family
deserves a holiday. Perhaps money’s a bit tight
but you want to take them somewhere with
guaranteed sun and good facilities for the kids.
The holiday brochures and websites look
alluring but press that “book now” button
and... ouch!
Holiday prices outside term time are
notoriously high - some would say inflated -
and many parents feel it does little harm to
take a child out of school for a few days to
spare the family budget. Furthermore, cheaper
holidays are just one reason for absence from
school. Parents could argue that some visits
offer great educational or welfare benefit to a
child, for example attending an important
family occasion, taking part in a sporting
event or learning about a different culture.
Term time holidays are a perennially
contentious topic, but they’re especially
under the spotlight at the moment after the
law was tightened by former education
secretary Michael Gove in 2013. These days,
headteachers no longer have the discretion
to approve absences of up to 10 days and
can only give permission in “exceptional
circumstances” such as family funerals. In July
last year it was revealed that 90,000 parents
in England and Wales had been penalised for
taking their children out of school, resulting in
£5.6 million in fines.
The situation is coming to a head as the UK’s
Supreme Court weighs up the issues, in a high
profile court case between one parent, Jon
Platt and his local council The Isle of Wight. Mr
Platt took his youngest daughter out of her
state-run school for a week’s holiday in Florida
and was fined £60 by the council for the initial
absence plus a further £60 when he refused to
pay the fine. He argued his daughter had a
92.3%, attendance record at school, and the
fine was unjustified. The Magistrates Court
agreed with him, as did the High Court, and
the council has taken the case to the highest
court in the land, seeking clarity on when it’s
appropriate to penalise parents for their child’s
non-attendance.
But one former headteacher told Primary
Times that these breaks can have a
detrimental effect both on the child and the
school. Brian Eldridge says, “Schools are
judged on attendance figures and are held to
account for them. Attendance has a direct
impact on GSCE results and, if you miss a day
a week, you’re missing 20 percent of
curriculum time, so even small amounts of
non-attendance can mount up.
“Schools are judged on
attendance figures and are
held to account for them.
Attendance has a direct impact
on GSCE results. If you miss
a day a week, you’re missing
20 percent of curriculum time”
The [government] expectation is that pupils
should achieve 100% attendance and,
although 90% sounds good, it’s still half a
day a week.” Even short breaks from school
can lead to children missing important sections
in the curriculum, and finding themselves out
of their depth later in the year.
But one West Country father believes that
some term time travel can be culturally
enriching. Jack Evans and his wife took their
three children to the Middle East, where the
family had lived for several years, for a three
week visit including a week of term time.
“It was a trip back to the country we’d lived
and worked in,” he says. “We thought, if
we were going that far, there were lots of
people wanted to catch up with and we
needed the time.
“We requested permission from the school and
explained why. Although it was a holiday, we
had a strong family connection with the area.
It was a chance for the kids to reconnect
with an important part of their upbringing.
The school replied saying permission was not
granted.” The Evans family took the holiday,
anyway, aware that they could be fined.
“We had to weigh that up with cost of trip,”
he says. “I wouldn’t encourage families to
take kids out in the middle of term because I
understand need for continuity, but when it’s
adding to an existing holiday and there’s good
reason for it, I hope schools would take a
reasonable approach. The visit was worth it
because the kids met friends they spent their
early years with, who they hadn’t seen for four
years. It was a good opportunity to catch up
and learn about a different part of world.”
In the end, Jack says, the school did not
impose fines but, “It created anxiety around the
significant amount of money we might need to
pay because of our choice.”
Brian Eldridge, who as a headmaster before
the 2013 changes agreed to various term time
holiday requests on a variety of grounds,
agrees: “You could argue that the law as it
stands sours the relationships between
schools and families.”
“Before the law changed, we granted holiday
if a child had good attendance but we insisted
the parents committed to catching up. It’s
counterproductive to say ‘no’ to everybody.”
With the justices’ ruling due any week now,
parents throughout the UK are waiting with
baited breath to see if they really can click
“book now”.
www.primarytimes.net/warwickshire | EASTER Issue 2017 Primary Times 5