The Prestwich and Whitefield Guide reports that families with pupils at schools in the Bury local authority area are not to be fined for taking their children on term time holidays, if attendance is otherwise good.

Bury Council has announced it is making the move after father Jon Platt won a landmark ruling against the Isle of Wight authority over term-time holidays earlier this year. A Bury Council spokesman said: “The High Court Case in May means that it is not legally sound at the moment to issue fines for short absences, where attendance is otherwise good”. The case is due to go to appeal and we await the outcome of that process and updated guidance from Government.

The Council stresses that even though they will not now face financial penalties, parents should still not be taking their children out of school for holidays.

Figures released by the Department for Education show that the number of penalty notices issued to parents in Bury for taking their children out of class rose from 647 in 2011/12 to 1,137 in 2014/15.

The Department for Education spokesman said: “The rules are perfectly clear — children should not be taken out of school without good reason. The evidence shows that every extra day of school missed can affect a pupil’s chances of achieving good GCSEs, which has a lasting effect on their life chances.

Previously Liberal Democrats have called for more flexibility in term time holidays, but we need to balance this flexibility with ensuring the best chances for all children.

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