'I break the rules to take my kids on term-time holidays - we don't have a choice'

Many parents say fines for unauthorised absences would not deter them from taking their children out of school for a ­holiday, a survey has found.

Half of parents are opposed to the policy in England where fines are considered if a child misses five days of school without permission, according to the charity Parentkind. The poll, of around 5,500 parents, found nearly three in five have or would consider their child missing a day or more of school for a holiday.

The same proportion said the risk of receiving a fine would have no impact on their decision. The poll was carried out by YouGov in April and May, ahead of higher fines coming into effect.

Absence fines have increased from £60 to £80 as part of a government drive to boost attendance since the pandemic. A parent who receives a second fine for the same child within a three-year period will receive a £160 fine.

The Department for Education has said other actions, such as prosecution, will be considered if a parent exceeds two fines per child within a three-year period. Those who are prosecuted could be fined up to £2,500.

Mother-of-two Victoria Clapham believes the fine for taking holidays in term time is ‘unfair’ and does not tackle the ‘real issues’ at the root of children’s long-term absence. A managing director, Victoria, 43, says: “The policy penalises low-income families and doesn’t address attendance issues. “Long-term school absence needs to be dealt with - but not in this way. This vilification and threatening of parents with prosecution is horrendous. It’s a lazy tax and an easy win.”

Victoria and her husband Lee, 42, share a son, aged six, and a daughter, 11, who both have over 90% attendance in school. They chose to take their kids abroad to Bulgaria on a seven-day trip in June during term time and were ‘comfortable’ paying the fine, which came to £240. “We factored in the cost when we were looking at booking. It would have been £2,000 more to go in the school holidays,” Victoria, from Leeds, explained.

“Travelling can be invaluable to children and allows for precious family time, as well as learning life skills like swimming, socialising and immersing in other cultures.” She added: “The government’s focus is completely wrong. They should talk to parents and be realistic. We want transparency. Where is the money going and what else is being done to address long-term absence?”

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Lisa Lloyd, 40, from Aylesford, Kent, has two autistic children. Finley, 11, and Poppy, 7. They recently went on a term-time holiday to Spain - their first foreign trip.

Lisa, an author, said: ‘I will continue to take my children on holiday during term time, as it would mean they would never have a holiday otherwise because firstly, the school holidays are way too busy.

“Secondly, we can’t afford the extortionate prices that the holidays charge. I am seeing more and more fines happening and this is a huge issue for SEN families like mine.

"Having a child with additional needs means they can’t cope with going on holiday during the school holidays time. They simply cannot cope with the crowds of people and the noise.”

The poll also found one in seven said their child spends seven hours or more daily on ­electronic devices outside school on a weekday. The charity is calling on the government to ban smartphones for children.

It comes as Labour MP Josh MacAlister is introducing a Private Member’s Bill this week on protecting youngsters from harm caused by excessive screen time. Parentkind is also calling for the government to review the cost of “rip-off” family holidays.

More than one in three parents are struggling with their finances, the poll found. Jason Elsom, chief executive of Parentkind, said: “We’re calling for a big commitment from ministers to listen to what parents are saying when it comes to making family life cheaper, clamping down on rip-off holiday costs and banning ­smartphones for children.”