Supreme Court decision on term-time holiday ban due today
The Supreme Court will today announce its decision on whether a father should be fined for taking his daughter out of school for a family holiday.
If it backs a decision by the High Court last May that dad Jon Platt was entitled to take his daughter on a term-time holiday to Florida, the ruling could open the floodgates to other parents wanting to take their children out of school for family trips.
On the other hand, if the Supreme Court sides with the Isle of Wight education chiefs who have brought the case against Platt with the government’s backing, it could lead to more local authorities clamping down on term-time holidays.
Mr Platt was fined by his local authority, Isle of Wight, after he took his daughter on a trip to Florida without her head teacher’s permission in April 2015.
When he refused to pay the fine, the council prosecuted him. A magistrates’ court found there was no case to answer but Isle of Wight appealed to the High Court.
High court judges cleared Mr Platt, stating he was not acting unlawfully and his daughter had a good attendance record overall.
The council, backed by the Department for Education, then appealed to the Supreme Court. Its decision is expected this morning.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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