Commenting on the latest parental responsibility measures for the 2023-24 academic year, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union, the NAHT said:

“It is very clear that the overwhelming majority of unauthorised leave is as a result of families taking holiday during term time. The fact that the figures have continued to increase suggest that the current approach simply is not working. It is clear that for many families the threat of a fine is not acting as a significant deterrent in the way the government hoped it would.

“This is largely due to the exorbitant charges for holidays outside of term time. We have long-argued that fines are a blunt tool for tackling this issues and the data appears to bear this out once again.

“Perhaps now is the time for the government to try a different approach. Whilst it may be challenging to do, that surely must involve working with travel companies to address the underlying cause of the problem.

“The variation in how different local authorities approach this issue clearly needs addressing too. It is only fair and right that we treat families the same when it comes to holidays in term time, wherever they live in the country.”