Taking family holidays during the school term? Signatories argue that "predatory pricing" by holiday companies makes travel during official school breaks unaffordable, forcing parents to risk fines. While attendance is crucial for attainment—missing 10 days can halve a student's chance of grade success—critics argue fines are ineffective against persistent absenteeism and unfairly penalize responsible families. The discussion explores the unique needs of SEND families, who often require quieter, off-peak holidays for wellbeing, and considers solutions like flexible term dates and regulating inflated travel costs.

Key Takeaways

• Market forces cause holiday prices to "jump hugely" during school breaks, sometimes increasing costs by thousands of pounds for the same trip. This exploitation makes family holidays unaffordable for many working families.
• Evidence shows a strong link between consistent attendance and academic attainment; for Key Stage 4 pupils, missing just 10 days of school can reduce the chance of achieving a grade 5 in English or Maths by 50%.
• The current system of issuing penalty notices for unauthorized term-time absences is often criticized as being "simultaneously too harsh and too soft," failing to tackle severe absenteeism while damaging relationships between schools and otherwise law-abiding parents.
• Families with children who have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) often require off-peak travel because crowded peak periods can be overwhelming and disruptive to their child's wellbeing.
• Possible solutions raised include empowering academies and local authority schools to alter term dates to create accessible off-peak weeks, or working with the travel industry to introduce a "family-friendly charter mark" to even out pricing.

Discussion: What non-punitive measures—such as structural changes to the school calendar (like a five-term year) or greater market intervention on travel prices—offer the most realistic path to ensuring both family wellbeing and consistent education for all children?

Source: Holidays During School Term Time
Volume 774: debated on Monday 27 October 2025

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