Taking Children Out of School for a Holiday

Term Time

Have you ever been tempted to take the kids out of school to take them on the trip of a lifetime? Perhaps work commitments get in the way, you’ve found an amazing mid-term deal on a holiday to Spain, or maybe there’s a package on a family getaway to France that you just can’t pass up.

As we start to think about where we’re off to on our travels in 2019, the debate about whether it’s ever ok to go on holiday with your children during term time is starting up again – and according to our research, it’s one that doesn’t seem to be settling any time soon.

At Villa Plus, we asked 2,000 British parents to see what the general consensus seems to be now. Here’s what everyone’s saying about running the risk of fines for a family break.

The Big Getaway Debate

If you think it’s fine to take the kids away for a little break, you’re not alone. When it comes to taking our children out of school during term time for a holiday, almost three-quarters (70%) of the parents we asked think it’s ok to take our children out of school during term time for a family getaway.

Timing-wise, over a quarter (26%) say that a getaway of up to seven days is an acceptable length of time to keep them out of school, while a surprisingly high 14% think taking them away for seven to 14 days is ok.

Most parents who are happy to book their holidays mid-way through the school term say they do so because they don’t have a choice when they take holidays and also because it’s cheaper to book at this time. In addition, many said that travel is just as important as education and a few days doesn’t hurt.

However, those who are opposed have their reasons for holding off until the school holidays to book their break. These parents believe children have enough holidays and that too much learning is missed if they are taken out of school. According to them, the only acceptable time to keep the kids off during the school term is for medical reasons or bereavements.

Challenging Times

While many of us are in favour of going on holiday during term-time, with a whopping 100% of parents in Sheffield saying it’s fine, almost half (46%) would challenge a fine for doing so.

In addition, the numbers of those who would query a fine vary across the UK. In Bristol, 75% wouldn’t think to challenge a fine while over half (58%) in Cardiff and over a quarter (37%) of those in Leeds would.

The Grand Getaway

Interestingly, the over-65s are the most lenient age bracket who are happy to take their child out for up to 14 days (50%). Their younger counterparts aren’t so sure, however.

We found that 19% of 35 to 44-year-olds and 32% of 55 to 64-year-olds think it’s never acceptable. With these stats in mind, it looks like grandparents may have to spend some time convincing their children that they can take the grandkids away.

Only 42% of those aged over 65 would challenge a fine, though. This implies that the older generation are happy to foot the bill if it means they can get away with the children.

Would you allow your own child or children to take time off from their studies to go away with grandma or to spend some quality family time with you all? Would you challenge a fine for doing so or would you accept it as part of the risk of taking them out for a week or so?