‘I don’t mind £480 fines for term-time holidays – it’s still cheaper’ | Personal Finance | Finance

A mum who has landed several fines for taking her children away on holiday during school term time says she does not mind footing the bill as it still works out cheaper.

Emma Harris, 51, from near Bristol, had to pay £240 in fines after taking her two son, 13 and 16, for a trip to Walt Disney World in Florida. The fines were £60 per parent per child, so the family had to pay four fines in total.She later paid a similar fine for a trip to Lanzarote.

She said: “For us, the fine is a price worth paying. We’re a family, and our children’s wellbeing comes first. When we took them to Disney World in 2021, it was their first time abroad—and I knew from the start that going during the school holidays just wouldn’t work for us.”

She said the theme park would have been extremely busy and overwhelming for the family, particular as her eldest son is autistic.

Even with the extra amount from the fine, it worked out more economical than going during the peak period. Ms Harris said: “Paying the fine actually still worked out cheaper than travelling during peak time, and we were able to make the trip far more manageable and enjoyable for everyone.

“In the grand scheme of things, the £240 fine felt like a small cost compared to the benefit of a calmer, happier experience.”

She explained how her autistic son can struggle with new environments: “For children with additional needs, things like long queues, noise, and crowds can cause real distress. We were able to use passes at Disney to avoid queuing, but if we’d gone at a busy time, even that wouldn’t have helped enough.

“When it’s crowded, you’re dealing with sensory overload, which can lead to meltdowns and anxiety—not just for him, but for the whole family. A quieter environment means we can all enjoy the holiday instead of spending it firefighting problems.”

The family also went to Lanzarote with family who do not have children and they did not want the chaos of traveling during the summer holidays.

Again they were fined £60 per child per parent, but Emma says it was worth it in terms of cost savings and the fact it was so much quieter.

She said there have been no issues with the school other than the fact her sons’ absence was not authorised and they had to pay the fine.

Ms Harris said: “We understand the importance of education, but we also know our child—and we believe that a positive life experience like this can be just as valuable in its own way.

“We try to be responsible about when and how we do it, and we always make sure they’re caught up with schoolwork afterwards.”

The mum said she knows many other parents who have taken their children out during school time and who have saved on their costs as a result.

She said a lot of people are sympathetic with their decision: “Most parents we speak to are completely understanding, especially once they hear about our situation with autism. They get why we’d want to avoid stressful, overcrowded environments.”

Asked how the system could be improved to better accommodate families’ needs, Ms Harris said: “There needs to be more flexibility and understanding in the system—particularly for families with additional needs. Right now, the rules don’t really take into account the individual circumstances of each child.”

She said it would be a big step forward if schools and local authorities would take a more case-by-case approach, especially in cases where there is a medical reason for the decision.

Research from travel debit card group Currensea found almost a quarter of parents said they would be happy to pay a fine to take their children out of school to save on holiday costs.

Many said they could save more than £100 on their holiday costs by taking their child out of school during term time.