Term holidays see 10,000 kids miss class

Pupils already get 11 weeks holiday a year but some parents put pressure on headteachers to approve extended absence which has been dubbed as “middle-class truancy”.

Many parents seek to plan holidays during term-time as holidays are generally cheaper than at peak periods.

New figures show that 10,645 pupils missed more than two weeks of classes last year and a further 2200 were excused from classes due to exceptional circumstances.

At one stage the Government considered a total ban on term-time holidays but backtracked in fear of a backlash from 
parents.

A Government spokesman said unauthorised absences applied to only 1.6 per cent of pupils.