WHEN Isle of Wight father Jon Platt won his fight against a fine for taking his six-year-old daughter on holiday during term time, parents across the country saw it as a victory for all.

After receiving a £120 fine by his local authority, he refused to pay and instead took his cause to the High Court last May, which ruled in his favour by declaring he hadn’t broke the law by allowing his daughter to join him on a family holiday to Florida.

The decision, which is due to be tested in the Supreme Court on January 31, has given hope to millions of parents across the country who are looking to get away for a break and doing so without repercussion.

On the back of Mr Platt’s successful appeal, Derbyshire County Council became the first in the country to introduce arrangements which would allow parents to take their children out of school for up to 11 days a year.

Terms of the arrangement mean that any fines handed to parents will be abolished until the outcome of the Supreme Court, as long as the pupil’s total attendance over the previous year is 94 per cent or above.

While the council states it isn’t giving approval for children to be taken out of school for a holiday, many are reading between the lines and interpreting it it as an opportunity to jet off at a time when the prices aren’t significantly higher.

Parents across Tynedale are celebrating Derbyshire council’s stance, hoping its counterpart in Northumberland will soon follow suit so that parents no longer have to fear any penalty.

Prudhoe mum Melanie Richardson would welcome a similar policy being adopted in Northumberland, as she has three children at school who she and fiance Dan Nicholson like to take away on holiday.

Humshaugh’s Judith Ridley, a mother of five girls, echoed the sentiment, saying it would be great for the local authority to change its policy and allow children to have time off during term time.

Three of her daughters have now left school, but she has two at primary school.

And she thinks that the cost of holidays for seven people out of term time is punishing big families.

She said: “I think it’s ridiculous how much the holiday companies charge. We don’t go abroad so we holiday in this country, but even that is ridiculously priced.

“We priced up Center Parcs and during term time, it was going to cost us £600. We looked during the school holidays and were quoted £1,800!

“If children are off willy nilly and spending too much time off, I understand why the teachers would not want them missing any more school.

“But I can’t see there being a problem, especially at primary school age, of children havging one or two weeks off.

“I have taken my children who have since left school out at term time and it hasn’t impacted their studies at all.

“Ultimately, it wouldn’t happen at all if the holiday companies changed their stance.

“It doesn’t cost any more to fly a plane or run a hotel in February, but they won’t change their ways as they know demand is high during school holidays.”

As things stand, Northumberland County Council says a fixed penalty notice can be issued if a child has a minimum of 10 sessions, which equates to five school days, of unauthorised absence against their name.

Each case, however, is at the discretion of the headteacher who will decide whether to refer it to the local authority or not.

A parent/carer will not receive more than one penalty notice resulting from the unauthorised absence of an individual child in any 12-month period.

This week, a spokesman for Northumberland County Council said: “The council has no plans to change its guidance at present. The outcome of a Supreme Court hearing is pending, and once the full judgement and subsequent recommendation from the Department for Education are known, we will agree any future action.”