Council defends action over family's term-time holiday

The decision to not authorise an absence request from parents during term is taken by a school or an academy and not the Council. The school or academy will then instruct the Council to issue the fine notice and legally this has to be done by the Council.

If the fine is not paid the Council must take further legal steps, as it has in this case.

The Council’s policy on absence has been developed to reflect the national and local priority of raising the educational achievement and attainment of pupils and the Government’s view that parents should not take their children out of school during term time and follows changes in legislation that clearly indicate that absences during the term time can only be authorised by heads in exceptional circumstances.