Derbyshire County Council changes rules on term-time holidays

Derbyshire County Council has introduced new rules which allow parents to take their children on holiday during term-time, so long has the child’s attendance over the previous 12 months is above 94 per cent.

The local authority is first council to introduce such a policy, which was prompted in response to Isle of Wight parent Jon Platt's High Court victory, over holiday absence, earlier this year.

Under the new rules, if their child qualifies with the criteria, parents can take the child on holiday during term-time without being fined.

Nonetheless, the council has recommended that parents should only allow term-time absences in ‘exceptional circumstances’.

Parents who do decide to take their child on a term-time holiday will be sent a letter advising them that their child's record will show the unauthorised holiday and any further absences could result in a fine.

A spokeswoman for Derbyshire County Council said: "The council has approved new interim arrangements following the Isle of Wight High Court ruling on unauthorised pupil absences.

"These arrangements provide schools with a guide to help headteachers make decisions about unauthorised absences.

"While we strongly recommend pupils should not be taken out of school during term time except in exceptional circumstances, we believe the interim arrangements provide a fair and proportionate approach using the average Derbyshire annual attendance rate."