Landmark court ruling scuppers parents’ plans for term-time holidays

The outcome of the long-running legal fight involving Jon Platt, the father who took on the authorities over the right to term-time holidays – and lost – has made it harder for other parents to take their kids out of school, according to research released Monday 6 November at World Travel Market London – the leading global event for the travel industry.

The World Travel Market London 2017 Industry Report reveals 56% of UK holidaymakers think they now face a bigger battle to persuade head teachers to allow them to take their children on holiday during term time than before the Platt case began.

One in five think the case will not make any difference, while a quarter aren’t sure.

If they do not get permission, 51% of parents would pay the £60 penalty to benefit from cheaper prices outside of the traditional school holidays. Almost a third (31%) said they would not do so, while 18% are unsure.

Platt fought a two-year legal case after refusing to pay a £60 fine for taking his daughter to Disney World Florida for a week during school time in April 2015. The saga saw the dad-of-three go all the way to the Supreme Court, where he eventually lost.

Prior to the final ruling, Platt had successfully argued against the original fine imposed by Isle of Wight Council and he was backed by the High Court in May 2016, after the local authority appealed.

In December 2016, the council was granted a final appeal. This time, Supreme Court judges found in the council’s favour when the case was heard in April 2017. The legal battle cost taxpayers at least £140,000, while Platt himself spent almost £30,000.

He was then summoned to return to Isle of Wight magistrates where he was fined £2,000 and given a 12-month conditional discharge.

After the Supreme Court ruling, Platt said he regretted not paying the initial fine. He appeared on ITV’s This Morning programme saying: “If I could go back in time and I knew what I know today, I would have paid £60.”

In the year before the final ruling, Department for Education figures suggest the Platt case led to a sharp rise in term-time holidays, with nearly 60,000 more pupils taken out of school on unauthorised family holidays at the start of the school term in September 2016, compared to the previous year.

WTM London’s Paul Nelson, said: “Demand and supply dictates that travel costs go up during peak times and families will pay more during traditional school holidays.

“Some parents find it difficult to take time off outside of term time because of pressure on work rotas.

“A holiday provides a rare opportunity for families to spend quality time together and it would be a shame if some miss out on this valuable experience because of money issues or being unable to take annual leave during school breaks.

“As the World Travel Market London Industry Report 2017 reveals, over half of parents feel the risk of a fine is a price worth paying to take their children away during term time.”

eTN is a media partner for WTM.