PARENTS in Wales risk sanctions if they take their children out of school for a holiday without prior authorisation – but are allowed up to 10 days away every year.

A dad from the Isle of Wight who had refused to pay a fine after taking his daughter on an unauthorised holiday won a High Court ruling today.

Jon Platt was found to have no case to answer by magistrates and Isle of Wight council asked the court to decide whether a week away from school meant she was unable to attend regularly.

A Welsh Government spokeswoman said: “The rules in Wales on term time holidays are different to those in England.

“Parents don’t have an automatic right to withdraw pupils from school and they must apply for permission in advance.

"In Wales schools have a discretionary power to authorise up to 10 days’ absence during a school year for family holidays during term time.

"Upon receiving a request the school should consider a range of factors such as the time of year and length of the proposed trip, impact on continuity of learning, family circumstances as well as the overall attendance pattern of the child.

“However we maintain that if pupils are going to get the maximum benefit from their education they need to be at school as much as possible. There is strong evidence to show that absence from school impacts on an individual learner’s attainment."

At the High Court, Lord Justice Lloyd Jones said: "I do not consider it is open to an authority to criminalise every unauthorised holiday by the simple device of alleging that there has been no regular attendance in a period limited to the absence on holiday."

After the ruling, Mr Platt said outside court: "I am obviously hugely relieved. I know that there was an awful lot riding on this - not just for me, but for hundreds of other parents."