Shropshire Star

Headteacher calls ban on pupil holidays in term time the ‘one unbreakable rule’

Taking pupils out of school during term time breeds resentment among both teachers and classmates, Dr Tim Hands said.

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Parents should adhere to the “unbreakable rule” of not taking their children on holiday during term time, a headmaster has warned.

Doing so breeds resentment among both teachers and classmates, Dr Tim Hands said. The head of the £38,000-a-year Winchester College pointed out that pupils at independent schools already enjoy more time off and said it is sensible to stick to holidays only outside term time.

Writing in Attain, the official magazine for the Independent Association of Prep Schools, he said: “There is one unbreakable rule. It won’t be popular to state it, but my goodness I can promise you it makes sense. Don’t ever take that holiday in term time.”

He added: “After all, there are already 15 fewer days in the school year, during which cheaper holiday tariffs are likely to apply, and prep school parents are already paying for an education from which they then strangely withdraw.

“The effect in the classroom is of resent, not just from teachers but from classmates also. So keep term as term and holiday as holiday, and long may the two remain as different as possible.

“Breaks taken in designated holiday periods should be restful and, provided it is not during the lead-up to exam time, focus on something away from academia.”

Last month, the Supreme Court ruled against Jon Platt, who took his daughter to Disney World during school term time. The landmark ruling means parents could face a fine or prosecution if they take their children out of school for even half a day without permission.