Education Archives

Autism support: Workplace and school adjustments guide

Posted on 2 April 202517 April 2025 by Sarah O'Sullivan

Understanding the behaviours associated with Autism, as well as implementing reasonable adjustments, is essential for helping those with Autism thrive in the workplace and in education. By improving awareness and accessibility, we can help neurodivergent individuals thrive and reduce stigma around Autism in professional and academic settings.

What is autism?

Autism is a lifelong neurodivergence that affects how individuals experience and interact with the world. According to the National Autistic Society, “Autism influences how people experience and interact with the world. It is a lifelong neurodivergence and disability. Autistic people are different from each other, but for a diagnosis they must share differences from non-Autistic people in how they think, feel, and communicate.”
As a spectrum condition, Autism affects those differently. While Autistic individuals share certain characteristics some may have difficulty with social interactions, others may struggle with sensory sensitivities, such as sensitivity to noise, light, or touch.

Is autism a disability?

While Autistic people differ in terms of how they prefer to be described (some may prefer the term ‘neurodiverse’, for example), for legal purposes Autism is classed as a disability under the Equality Act 2010. This means that employers are required to make reasonable adjustments to support Autistic employees. Providing equal opportunities for Autistic individuals ensures that they are treated fairly in the workplace and beyond.

How does Autism affect work?

Autistic employees may experience challenges in workplace interactions and adapting to changes Sensory sensitivities like light and noise can make busy office environments overwhelming, while some may react strongly to being touched by others or smells in the office. This can lead to being stressed or overwhelmed when confronting a difficult or unfamiliar situation.

Can Autistic people work?

With the right support in place, people with Autism are able to enter the workplace and thrive.

Many Autistic individuals thrive in structured environments with clear expectations. Employers can build inclusive work environments by understanding and recognising the behaviors associated with Autism and consider what reasonable adjustments could be made to help.

Reasonable adjustments for Autistic employees?

Employers can introduce simple yet effective adjustments to support Autistic employees. In return, you could be rewarded with a diligent, highly effective worker who is an asset and really has something to contribute to your business.

Common reasonable adjustments may include:

Structured Induction Process – Carrying out a highly detailed induction process outlining exactly what they will be doing day-to-day and what their responsibilities will be.
Routine and Predictability – Offering a weekly schedule, detailing what they will be doing in the mornings and afternoons, what time lunch is, when they may leave, and any scheduled meetings. This will help them settle into a routine and reduce their anxiety.
Sensory Adjustments – Providing noise-canceling headphones, separate quiet workspaces, or adjustable lighting.
Training – Educating staff on neurodiversity including how to interact and support Autistic individuals in the workplace.
Flexible Working Arrangements – Allowing remote work or flexible hours to accommodate sensory sensitivities (for example, allowing your employee to start work later to avoid travelling during rush-hour, or permitting them to work from home on days they may be feeling particularly anxious).
Mentorship Programs – Assigning a mentor to provide guidance and support.

This list is by no means exhaustive, not all Autistic employees will require the same adjustments, as Autism presents differently in each individual.

How does Autism affect learning?

In education, Autistic students may face challenges with communication, social interactions, and sensory sensitivities.

Some may have delayed speech development and difficulty communicating with teachers and fellow pupils, while others may have advanced verbal skills but struggle with non-verbal communication.

Many also struggle to follow directions and understand what they are being asked to do, while some will find it difficult to understand their teachers’ and peers’ body language and facial expressions. They may also be very reluctant to try new things, or have fixed, narrow interests that make it difficult for them to branch out and enjoy new learning experiences.

School is also a highly social environment and Autistic children can become distressed and anxious when put in situations where they have to communicate with their classmates. They may struggle with group activities, particularly those involving imaginative or creative play. Pupils with sensory processing difficulties may struggle in a noisy classroom or playground environment, while others may dislike other children touching them. If they become overwhelmed, they may develop symptoms such as headaches, anxiety, panic attacks or aggression.

How can teachers support Autistic students?

Teachers play a crucial role in creating an inclusive learning environment. Good communication is key when supporting an Autistic pupil, and you may have to communicate differently with an Autistic child than you would a neurotypical child. Strategies include:

Clear Instructions – Instead of general instructions like “tidy the classroom,” provide specific tasks such as “put the pencils in their pots and come back when finished.”
Visual Aids – Using visual schedules, sign language, or other non-verbal cues to support communication.
Routine and Structure – Establishing a consistent daily routine to reduce anxiety.
Flexible School Policies – Allowing uniform modifications or noise-canceling headphones for sensory-sensitive students.
Quiet Spaces – Providing a designated area where students can retreat if overwhelmed.
Adjustments to Class Schedules – Allowing staggered start times or early class exits to avoid crowded hallways.

If a teacher requires upskilling to enable them to more effectively support a child with Autism, it could be extremely useful to find out about opportunities for training on how to support and communicate with Autistic children.

Sensitive and caring Employment and Education Law legal advisers

No two Autistic individuals are the same. Employers and educators should work closely with Autistic employees, students, and their families to tailor adjustments that best meet their needs.

If you are an employer, employee, student, or parent seeking guidance on neurodiversity accommodations, our Employment and Education Law specialists are here to provide expert advice. We are committed to ensuring fair treatment and accessibility in workplaces and schools for Autistic individuals as well as those with ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and more.

By adopting an inclusive environment through awareness and adjustments, we can help push neurodivergent individuals to succeed in their careers and education.

Speak with one of our employment law or education solicitors today to discuss how we can support you.

Tees Law welcomes Senior Education Law Solicitor

Posted on 5 March 202529 March 2025 by Sarah O'Sullivan

We are delighted to announce that Victoria Kerr, a highly experienced Education Law Solicitor, has joined the Tees Education Law team.

With over 25 years of legal experience, Victoria has dedicated her career to advocating for children and families. For the past 20 years, she has worked at Hertfordshire County Council, specialising in education law, safeguarding, social care, and public law disputes. Her extensive expertise further strengthens our specialist Education Law team, supporting parents, schools, and local authorities.

Victoria is based in our Bishop’s Stortford office but provides nationwide legal support through remote consultation options. She brings a broad and strategic perspective to education disputes and offers expert advice to achieve early and effective resolutions.

Victoria says:

“My career has always focused on supporting children and families through the law. I’m thrilled to join the highly regarded Education Law team at Tees, particularly when the need for legal support in education is greater than ever. Whether it’s helping parents navigate their child’s Special Educational Needs (SEN) journey or resolving disputes between parents, schools, and local authorities, I am passionate about ensuring the best outcomes for children.”

How Tees can help

Our Education Law team provides expert advice on:

Special Educational Needs (SEN) legal support
School admissions and exclusions appeals
Safeguarding and social care law
Disputes between parents, schools, and local authorities
Judicial reviews and public law challenges

For specialist legal support, contact our Education Law team today.

Education, Health, and Care Plan for student success

Posted on 13 January 202521 March 2025 by Sarah O'Sullivan

The law states that ahead of a child moving between key phases of education their Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) must be reviewed and reissued to allow for planning and preparation for transition and provision in the new educational setting.

The phase transfers are:

early years provider to school
infant school to junior school
primary school to middle school
primary school to secondary school
middle school to secondary school
secondary school to a post-16 institution.

The deadline for EHCPs to have been reviewed, amended (where necessary), and issued for most phase transfers is 15 February. For transfers for young people from secondary school to a post-16 institution or apprenticeship, the deadline to review and make any amendments to the EHCP is 31 March.

Where the transfer is taking place at a different time of the year to September, the local authority (LA) must take this into account, review, and amend the EHCP at least five months before the transfer takes place.

For those who have not yet received their amended plan, it can be an anxious wait until then.

The Review Process

The review for phase transfers should follow the usual annual review process. Four weeks after the annual review, the LA must send the proposed amendments and a draft of the EHCP to the parent or young person. The parent or young person then has at least 15 days to make representations about the proposed amendments/content of the EHCP and to request a particular school be named. The LA must issue the final amended EHCP, with notice of appeal rights, which should be included in the decision letter within eight weeks of the draft. To comply with these statutory deadlines, the annual review for all transfers, except those between secondary to post-16 institutions, must have been held by no later than 22 November 2024, and the draft EHCPs issued by 20 December 2024.

Phase Transfer, and particularly the transfer from primary to secondary school, is frequently when it becomes necessary for a child to move from mainstream to specialist provision. This decision, in and of itself, can be daunting but it’s crucial to be aware that you must inform the LA of the type (be that specialist or mainstream) and the name of the school you’d like named in your child’s EHCP. Usually, the venue for these discussions would be the annual review but if one’s not been called you may need to take things into your own hands. The LA must then consult your school of preference and any others they are considering before they name one in the EHCP. Schools must be given 15 days within which to complete the consultation and must have view of the draft EHCP as well.

What if you are not happy with the amended EHCP?

If the local authority has issued a final EHCP and you are unhappy with the special educational needs reflected in Section B, the special educational provision listed in Section F, or the setting named in Section I, you have the right to appeal the LA’s decision in the First Tier Tribunal. You can also ask the tribunal to make non-binding recommendations in respect of health and social care needs and provisions (known as an Extended Tribunal).

You have two calendar months from the date that the LA made their decision to lodge the appeal. Before doing so, where your appeal includes Sections B and F of the EHCP, you must obtain a mediation certificate. The decision letter will include instructions on how to obtain the certificate. Once obtained, you have an additional 30 days from the date of the mediation certificate to lodge the appeal. However, you should act quickly once you have received the EHCP because time is of the essence ahead of the transition in September and the tribunal will receive an influx of these appeals at the same time.

If you are only appealing Section I of the EHCP (educational placement) you do not need a mediation certificate.

What should you do if a review has not been carried out?

If your child is a phase transfer and the local authority has not yet arranged a review, the LA is in breach of its statutory duty.

You have a right to complain to the local authority if they have not complied with the statutory deadlines listed. Depending on the circumstances, it may be necessary to consider a public law remedy arising from the Judicial Review process.

Contact

If you would like advice or assistance about the above, please contact Legal Director, Polly Kerr, who leads the Education team at Tees, on 0330 135 5806 or by email at education@teeslaw.com.

Unravelling the diagnosis: What is Dyslexia?

Posted on 11 October 202321 March 2025 by Sarah O'Sullivan

This may feel like a question that you already know the answer to, Dyslexia is widely understood to be nothing more complex than a struggle with reading and writing. However, Dyslexics, their family, and friends know that Dyslexia is far more pervasive, and they want you to know that too.

The Rose Definition

“Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling. Characteristic features of dyslexia are difficulties in phonological awareness, verbal memory and verbal processing speed. Dyslexia occurs across the range of intellectual abilities. It is best thought of as a continuum, not a distinct category, and there are no clear cut-off points. Co-occurring difficulties may be seen in aspects of language, motor co-ordination, mental calculation, concentration, and personal organisation, but these are not, by themselves, markers of dyslexia.”

So, clearly, although difficulty with reading and writing is common to most Dyslexics, it’s far from the whole picture, and this is often lost in the wider understanding of the condition.

(The irony is not lost that the word ‘Dyslexia’ being so difficult to spell is compounded by its lengthy definition!)

The Dyslexic Continuum

So, what’s the problem of having a simplified understanding of Dyslexia being in the mainstream?

Take this example; the parents of a little girl with (seemingly) functional reading and writing skills may overlook her difficulties with following instructions, organising herself, and starting her work. They may not consider that these difficulties are symptomatic of Dyslexia and that targeted specialist intervention may be necessary to ensure that the little girl achieves.

This little girl’s willpower and creative approach to learning might see her happily and successfully through her early education. But, as the demands of the curriculum increase, the gap between her and her peers starts to widen (to the confusion of all around her). She may well leave education frustrated, disengaged, and with mental health difficulties, having only achieved a fraction of what she would have been capable of with the right support. Children with learning disabilities are four and a half times more likely to have a mental health problem than children without a learning disability.

What can we do?

Whether you’re at the start of the process: wondering if your child needs extra help and provision at school, or if your child has an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) and you’re worried that it’s not robust enough then we can help.

At Tees, we know that all children are different and cannot be distilled down to a list of diagnoses. Everyone’s experience of their neurodivergence, their needs, and the provision they require, differs. We have the expertise and personal experience of neurodivergence necessary to keep the individual child at the heart of what we do.

Planet Education’s £3.8M freehold purchase: York House deal

Posted on 4 September 202327 March 2025 by Sarah O'Sullivan

Tees have recently advised Planet Education Networks (Planet Education) on its £3.8 million freehold purchase of York House in Birmingham.

Planet Education runs a global network of education institutes aiming to provide high-quality higher education courses. With the purchase of York House, which sits on a prominent corner location at Newhall Street and Great Charles Street and is a substantial five storey building of 22,175 sq ft, Planet Education intends to turn the property into an education campus to expand its existing campus in Birmingham.

Partner, Daniel Fairs, who was assisted by solicitor, Andrew Harrison, worked quickly and efficiently to finalise the purchase within Planet Education’s required timescales. Leaning on their experience, Daniel and Andrew were able to complete the transaction within six weeks of the agreement of the Heads of Terms.

Daniel Fairs’ commented:

“It was a pleasure to have advised the purchasers, Planet Education Networks Ltd, with their strategic purchase of York House. All the professionals worked tirelessly to get this deal across the line. I look forward to hearing more as the property develops and seeing the end result when the campus is up and running”.

This project is a great example of the potential and growing trend to repurpose city centre office buildings such as York House for alternative purposes such as for the educational and living sector.

Saving for school or university fees

Posted on 8 May 202328 March 2025 by Sophie Soraf

It’s often said that the value of a good education is priceless, but in today’s money that means on average, for a university student, you’ll be looking at around £20,340 a year, including tuition fees.

When it comes to school fees, according to School Fees Checker, fees increased by 5.1% in September 2022, with an average annual cost of an independent day school likely to be £20,480 per annum and £34,790 per annum for boarders. So, if you’re a parent or grandparent looking to build up the cash needed for school or university fees, it certainly pays to start saving as soon as you can.

Ways to save for school or university fees

An Individual Savings Account (ISA) is a simple way to save or invest. The advantage of these types of accounts is that you don’t pay tax on the interest you earn, or the increase in value of your investments, so you don’t need to declare income and capital gains from ISA savings or investments on your tax return. They are flexible too; you can save or invest a lump sum or make regular monthly contributions.

Junior ISAs are a great way to build up savings tax-efficiently for a child aged under 18. Your child can have a Junior cash ISA, a Junior stocks and shares ISA or a mixture of both, and save up to a total of £9,000 pa for the tax year 2023/2024. When your child reaches 18, they can access the funds, making them a good way of saving for a university education. The great advantage of a Junior ISA is that once it’s been opened by the parent or guardian, anyone can make contributions, including grandparents, friends and family. For families looking to save for school fees, parents and grandparents can also put away up to £20,000 tax-free into their own ISAs during the 2023/2024 tax year.

You could also consider investing a lump sum into an investment bond. When the time comes, you can make withdrawals from the bond to pay the fees. You can also assign the bond to the child. As the beneficiary, the child would be liable to pay tax on any income and gains, however as most children don’t receive enough income or gains to exceed their annual allowances, this could be an attractive option, especially for parents who are higher or additional rate taxpayers.

Here to help

If you could do with some help and advice on saving for a child’s education, then do get it touch. We can help you put a plan in place to meet future education costs, helping you give your child the best possible start in life.

This material is intended to be for information purposes only and is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument. Tees is a trading name of Tees Financial Limited which is regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered number 211314.

Tees Financial Limited is registered in England and Wales. Registered number 4342506.

Tees announce Total Arts project as their first Better Future Fund grant recipient

Posted on 2 November 202230 March 2025 by Sarah O'Sullivan

The Tees Better Future Fund was setup in May 2022 to offer grants up to £5,000 for projects that support learning and education and promoting good health and well-being in Cambridgeshire, Essex and Hertfordshire.

We have now completed the first round of applications and we are very pleased to announce that one of the first two community projects to receive a Tees Better Future Fund Grant is the Total Arts project at The Cambridge Junction.

Cambridge Junction is a registered Charity whose objectives include: promoting, maintaining, improving and advancing the education of the public (in particular younger people in Cambridge) in the appreciation of and participation in the arts; and relieving poverty, sickness and distress among young people.

Cambridge Junction’s Total Arts programme has been running for 12 years and focuses on providing creative learning opportunities to young disabled people. It provides opportunities for 13- 25-year-old’s with a range of physical and learning disabilities to develop their skills at their performing arts groups. Participants can explore their passions for the arts, learn new skills and make films. As their confidence has grown some are now ready to take on leadership roles and share their skills with the next generation of disabled young people. Total Arts ‘graduates’ are excellent role models, exemplifying how young people with complex needs can grow their skills and play a valuable role in sharing their expertise.

A £5,000 grant from the Better Future Fund will fund an expansion of the Total Arts programme so that ‘graduate’ trainers work alongside an art producer and a filmmaker to work with young people from Castle SEN School (on Courtney Way) and the new autism specialist Cavendish School (in Impington). It will also enable both the Castle SEN school and the Cavendish specialist school pupils to attend a professional arts venue and performance, experiencing the magic of live theatre.

The project will start with attendance at The Nutcracker, Cambridge Junction’s inclusive Christmas show, created by Moxie Brawl’s company of disabled and non-disabled artists. This will be followed by a tailored workshop and film making sessions in the Spring. The workshops will include some skills building around basic story-telling skills, devising and scripting scenes and shooting and creating a film. The films created will be celebrated next summer at the Total Arts Film Festival.

The support from the Better Future Fund will allow for inter-generational skills development for both the Total Arts ‘graduates’ as they become trainers, as well as the pupils from these schools. The trainers receive paid work and experience and the pupils are helped to imagine how they might develop their interests in a realistic and meaningful way.

Janine Collier, Co-Head of Tees’ Social Responsibility, said, “the Cambridge Junction is a charity embedded within our community just like Tees. I love the vision that the Junction has for the extension of the Total Arts programme – it is inter-generational and sustainable, creating opportunities for young people with complex needs to build skills, increase in conference and improve mental health and well-being as they explore their passion for creative arts. We look forward to partnering with the Junction over the forthcoming months, to hearing the lived experience of the participants and to seeing lives changed”.

Tees Better Future Fund

Posted on 18 May 202230 March 2025 by Sarah O'Sullivan

At Tees, we are committed to supporting our local communities and building a better future. The creation of the Tees Better Future Fund reflects our long-standing heritage and dedication to lifelong learning, as well as our passion for connecting people and communities across generations. Our roots run deep in the local area, with our partners and employees proudly supporting numerous charities, clubs, schools, and community projects over the years.

About the Fund

The Tees Better Future Fund offers grants of up to £5,000 for projects that focus on:

Promoting Learning and Education
Promoting Good Health and Wellbeing

We welcome applications for initiatives that nurture talent, promote social mobility, and create opportunities for people to thrive. Projects that aim to increase knowledge, improve mental health, build skills, and raise confidence are encouraged. By supporting learning and education, we can work together to improve the life chances of the younger generation.

Promoting Learning and Education

We are passionate about supporting projects that empower individuals through education. If your initiative is designed to develop talent, broaden opportunities, or foster personal and professional growth, we would love to hear from you.

Promoting Good Health and Wellbeing

We are particularly interested in projects that improve access to sports and physical activities for children, young people, and families. Encouraging active lifestyles helps to enhance both physical and mental health, reduce isolation, and foster community connections. We also welcome applications for initiatives supporting mental health and wellbeing.

Our Key Priorities

Supporting young people
Assisting children and families
Promoting education and learning
Enhancing mental and physical health through sports
Encouraging talent development and growth
Creating new opportunities and improving access

How to Apply

If you would like to apply for a grant, please visit the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation (CCF) webpage: Tees Better Future Fund.

Application Deadlines: 1st February and 1st August.

Support the Fund

If you would like to contribute to the Tees Better Future Fund and help us provide grants for future projects, please visit our JustGiving page. Your support will make a meaningful difference in our community.

Together, we can build a brighter future for all.

Home to school transport – Appeals

Posted on 19 April 201827 March 2025 by Sarah O'Sullivan

Your child’s eligibility for home to school transport can have a big impact on which school you choose. Find out about the eligibility criteria for home to school transport.

Criteria for home to school transport

Eligibility for home to school transport is, in the first instance, calculated by walking distance from the school. To be eligible for home to school transport, your child must be attending their nearest suitable school and live at least:

2 miles from the school (for children under the age of 8)
3 miles from the school (for children over the age of 8, up to age 16).

The distance is measured by the nearest available safe route on foot.

When a child lives within walking distance of their school, the Local Authority is not ordinarily expected to provide transport. Although parents may consider the distance is simply too far for their child to walk, the law could differ. Many parents face the difficult prospect of arranging transport themselves.

Local Authorities are obliged to provide transport for children who attend a school outside of walking distance if:

The child attends that school out of necessity (rather than the parent’s choice)
No alternative travel arrangements are suitable.

Is my child eligible for home to school transport?

Some children who are within walking distance of their school may be eligible for home to school transport.

Children who may be eligible for home to school transport include:

Children who have special educational needs, disability or mobility problems (SEND) which mean they cannot reasonably be expected to walk to school (and there are no suitable alternatives to attend school nearer to home);
Children who live within ‘walking distance’ of their school but who could not reasonably be expected to walk due to the nature of the routes available (and there are no suitable alternatives to attend school nearer to home). This is often the case in rural locations, where there may not be a viable safe route for children to take to school;
Children aged 8-11 registered at a school more than two miles from home who are entitled to free school meals (this supersedes the 3-miles rule for children up to 11 years old);
Excluded children who are required to attend a school other than their registered school outside of walking distance;
Children over the age of 11 years old who are entitled to free school meals and who are registered at a qualifying school.

However, there are exceptions to the rule. Even where a child is deemed ‘eligible’ it is important to note that if there are other suitable travel arrangements available, the Local Authority may not be required to provide home to school transport.

Home to school transport appeals

“When choosing a school, the presence of school buses at the gate each day does not automatically mean that your child is entitled to a place on one,” says Polly Kerr, Senior Associate at Tees and specialist education law solicitor. “Schools have a duty to provide transport to eligible children – unfortunately, some children are simply not eligible. School transport can be somewhat of a minefield for parents with potential to cause practical problems. It’s important that parents understand, both when applying for school places and appealing them, when the Local Authority has a duty to provide school transport and when it does not. Understandably, transport provision can have a significant impact on choice of school and the family’s daily routine,” Polly continued.

Polly helps parents who need to appeal allocation of school places and home to school transport. If you need to make an appeal, Polly has the skills and experience to guide you through the process and help secure the best possible result for you and your child.

Call Polly on 03301 355806 or email polly.kerr@teeslaw.com for a confidential chat about your circumstances and how we can help.

Taking your children on holiday during term time?

Posted on 5 October 201720 March 2025 by Sarah O'Sullivan

The issue of term-time holidays has been a bone of contention between schools and parents for years.

Term-time holidays: Legal implications and recent court rulings

Some parents have long argued that in order to afford a holiday for their family, it is necessary for them to take time out during the school term because of the significant increase in the cost of their trip outside of term time. The schools, in response, present an equally compelling argument that term-time holiday is disruptive to learning.

The legal framework: Education Act 1996

Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 provides that “the parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him to receive efficient full time education…either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.” Failure to ensure regular attendance can lead to prosecution of the parent under Section 444 of the Education Act 1996.

The term ‘regular’ is ambiguous. How can two weeks in the sun fall foul of the term ‘regular’ when a child has otherwise attended school without problem?

Isle of Wight Council v Platt: A landmark decision

The Supreme Court has now provided much needed clarity on this issue in the case of Isle of Wight v Platt [2017] UKSC 28. In this case Mr Platt asked his daughter’s head teacher if he could remove her from school during the term time for a holiday to Florida. It meant that she would miss 7 days of school. The Head Teacher refused this because the circumstances were not ‘exceptional’ by definition. Mr Platt took his daughter anyway and was fined by Isle of Wight Council. He refused to pay a fixed penalty notice and was prosecuted. Mr Platt argued that his daughter attended ‘regularly’ because she had been at school for 90.3% of the year prior to the holiday. The magistrates’ court agreed with Mr Platt. The council appealed to the high court who confirmed that the magistrates court was not wrong but that the term ‘regular’ needed clarification as a matter of public policy.

The council’s appeal to the Supreme Court was upheld unanimously. The court held that the word ‘regularly’ did not mean ‘at regular intervals’ and Lady Hale stated that “unauthorised absences have a disruptive effect, not only on the education of the individual child, but also on the work of other pupils. If one pupil can be taken out whenever it suits the parent, then so can others. Any educational system expects people to keep the rules. Not to do so is unfair to those obedient parents who do keep the rules, whatever the cost or inconvenience to themselves.”

The Supreme Court held that fixed-penalty notices were a sensible approach because they spared the wrong-doer a criminal record but this did not detract from their decision that removing a child from education for the purpose of a holiday is against the law.

Key takeaways for parents

Term-time holidays are unlawful: Removing children from school for holidays without permission is against the law.
Fixed penalty notices: Schools and councils may issue fines for unauthorized absences.
Exceptional circumstances: Permission may only be granted in cases deemed exceptional by school authorities.

Future considerations: Regulation of holiday prices

With the legal stance now clarified, the debate may shift to the rising costs of school holiday travel. Will policymakers intervene to regulate peak-time pricing by holiday companies? While the answer remains uncertain, this ongoing discussion underscores the balance between education priorities and family financial pressures.

For further legal insights or assistance, consider consulting our solicitors specialising in education law.

This article was originally published in July 2017 in Salad Days (http://www.saladdaysmag.uk/).