Mother of four protests over fine for term-time holiday

A MOTHER of four who was fined after taking her youngest daughter out of school for a family holiday is refusing to pay it, saying the Government’s policy of allowing schools to fix their own term dates effectively prevents her children from having a holiday.

Michelle Smith, 34, made plans to travel to Ibiza for the Easter break but the rules allowing schools to set their own holidays meant her daughter Amelia, 10, broke up two weeks after her three siblings and stepbrother, who attend other schools.

Mrs Smith, a travel agent from Thornton Cleveleys, Lancs, alerted Amelia’s school, Norbreck Primary Academy, over the clash and pressed ahead with the family’s eight-day break. Ten days after they arrived back in the UK she was issued with a £60 fixed penalty notice by Blackpool council for failing to ensure her child attended school. Mrs Smith said yesterday that she was refusing to pay the £60 penalty. She could now be taken to court where the fine could be increased to £2,500 and leave her facing three months’ jail and a criminal record

Mrs Smith said she was “taking a stand” because the system does not take into account larger families with children at different schools.

Academies, free schools and voluntary-aided and foundation schools already had the ability to set teaching hours and term dates, but all state schools were given similar powers in September. Critics have said it risks creating a “free for all”, with schools in the same area setting different term dates, causing chaos for parents.