Kashmir is calling for school holiday fine reform after saying she saved £3,900 by taking her children away a week before the summer holidays. The single mother from Willenhall said she was fined twice for the trips and felt “like a criminal when I'm only trying to do the best for my children”.
Willenhall and the fine system
Kashmir, a driving instructor, said the lower price made the choice straightforward. She said a family holiday in term time was cheaper than going during the school break, adding that “it's really difficult” for working families when official holiday dates push prices up.
She said the fine system does not fit families who are trying to manage costs. “A family holiday isn't educational neglect, it's essential family bonding time and with these fixed penalties, it penalises hardworking families who are priced out by the travel industry,” she said.
For a child of compulsory school age who misses a week for an unauthorised holiday, councils can issue a £80 fine per parent. The charge rises to £160 if it is not paid within 21 days, and a second fine for the same child within three years costs £160 immediately.
West Midlands fines rise
The found that councils in the West Midlands issued 59,440 Fixed Penalty Notices in the 2024-25 financial year, up from 30,143 in 2018-19. Every local authority in the West Midlands except Herefordshire recorded an increase over that period.
Kashmir said she saved nearly £4,000 by taking her daughter, who is 12, and her 18-year-old son on a trip to Florida and Mexico. She said the same trip cost £3,900 more during the official summer break. Her case sits inside a wider shift: more parents are being fined even as the price gap between term-time travel and school-holiday travel remains large.
Pepe Di'Iasio and attendance
Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said school attendance was directly linked to student performance. “Just missing one day can have a massive impact,” he said after the published the data at the weekend.
Kashmir argued the effect is different for pupils with strong attendance. “For parents who do send their kids in and they've got a high attendance rate, giving them a five-day break wouldn't affect their education,” she said. The government has rejected calls to scrap the fines, while more than 138,000 people have signed a petition asking for them to be removed.
