Council drops 18 legal cases against parents who took their kids on term time holidays after recent High Court victory
The u-turn follows High Court ruling in favour of dad Jon Platt who refused to pay a £120 fine for taking his daughter on holiday
PARENTS facing legal action for taking their children out of school on holiday are celebrating after their cases were unexpectedly dropped.
Strict West Sussex County Council made the u-turn after a recent High Court case ruled in favour of a parent who refused to pay a £120 fine for taking his daughter away for one week.
Now the council say it will no longer take 18 parents to court - and it is thought many other county councils will follow suit.
A West Sussex County Council spokeswoman said: "Our policy hasn't changed but we have withdrawn a small number of cases where one week's holiday was the only reason for non-school attendance."
The county council's policy directs head teachers not to authorise any absence from school unless there is an "exceptional" circumstance.
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Parents must get permission from the head if they want to take their child out of school for a holiday in term time and that it is up to the head teacher how many days a child can miss if it is granted.
But defiant Julian Grant, the headteacher at Sackville School, East Grinstead, said regular attendance is of the "utmost importance".
Regular attendance with lessons missed kept to a minimum makes a key difference.
Julian Grant
He said: "Here at Sackville, and in line with other local schools, we believe that attendance is an essential ingredient to a child's successful educational progress.
"Regular attendance with lessons missed kept to a minimum makes a key difference.
"Working with parents and families on this in a positive way is of the utmost importance.
"If there are exceptional reasons for absence, then we always consider these carefully on an individual basis within a culture of unashamedly high expectation."
Sue Mullins, Labour leader at the county council and a retired teacher, believes changes need to be made to the council's rules.
She said: "The council needs to review its policy as a whole or I fear there will be a lot of trouble.
"As a former teacher myself I think it is very important to keep children in school, but I do have sympathy for parents and understand why they do take their children out of lessons to go on holiday.
The council needs to review its policy as a whole or I fear there will be a lot of trouble.
Sue Mullins
"Families are penalised because the prices to travel abroad go up astronomically during the school holidays and even the shorter half-term breaks, and this makes it impossible for some families to go away.
"I think the time has come for the county council to be more flexible and agree to look at it on a case-by-case basis rather than having a blanket policy."
An East Sussex County Council spokesman said the issue should be resolved by travel agents rather than schools and councils.
He said: "While we sympathise with parents over the expensive cost of breaks in school
holidays, this is an issue holiday companies should resolve - not schools."
West Sussex County Council has the power to fine parents £60 for unauthorised absences taking their child out of school without permission, which rises to £120 if not paid within 21 days.
Parents can be prosecuted if they don't pay the fine after 28 days, after which courts have the power to issue a fine of up to £2,500 or send a parent to jail for up to three months.
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