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Father wins term-time holiday High Court ruling

A father who refused to pay a £120 fine for taking his daughter out of school during term-time for an unauthorised holiday has won a legal challenge at the High Court.

Jon Platt was fined by Isle of Wight Council after he took his family on the holiday, which included a visit to Disney World, without permission from his child's school.

The ruling raises the prospect of similar challenges from parents of children in English state schools, for which tightened rules on authorised absences were introduced by the government in 2013.

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High Court ruling 'a victory for common sense'

The dad who refused to pay a fine for taking his six-year-old daughter out of school for a family trip to Florida said today's High Court ruling is a "victory for common sense."

Jon Platt was fined £60 by Isle of Wight Council after he took his family on the holiday, which included a visit to Walt Disney World, without permission from his child's school.

The fine was then doubled when he refused to pay and the case went before Isle of Wight Magistrates' Court in October.

Mr Platt won but the local authority appealed against the decision.

Lord Justice Lloyd Jones and Mrs Justice Thirlwall dismissed the challenge, ruling that the magistrates had not "erred in law" when reaching their decision.

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Father wins term-time holiday High Court ruling

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