Headteacher's fury as pupils taken out of school for holidays

Almost 20 children - the equivalent of more than half a class - have been taken out of lessons at a Birmingham school on unauthorised early Easter holidays.

A total of 18 Parkfield Primary pupils have been taken out of classes more than a week before city schools close for a fortnight's break.

In one case, the Saltley school was told a child was going to the dentist's - but the family flew off on holiday instead.

Headteacher Hazel Pulley said her pupils had lost 530 days of education due to unauthorised absence in the last year.

Ms Pulley said she was told 16 children would be off without permission this week - but staff arrived on Thursday to find two more had gone away without informing the school.

Some are Year 6 pupils aged ten or 11 who will sit important standard assessment tests (SATs) within a matter of months.

Parents have blamed the huge mark-up in holiday costs at peak school break time for taking pupils out early.

The law says headteachers should only allow term-time absence in "exceptional circumstances".