Woman fined £320 for taking children on the holiday of a lifetime during term time insists it was an education school couldn’t provide

A woman has slammed the government for giving her a fine because she took her children out of school to go on a ‘once in a lifetime’ trip to Lapland. 

Danielle Sands and her partner Michael were slapped with a £320 penalty for taking their kids to Lapland for a week during term time.

The mother-of-three called the charge ‘absolutely ridiculous’ and argued that she took the family on an ‘educational trip’.

From August 2024, the government stated that school absences across the country would be £80 if paid within 21 days or £160 if paid within 28 days, per parent.    

Sharing her frustrations, Danielle revealed on TikTok: ‘On this occasion, I actually thought a day or two would actually be agreed as educational because I actually wrote a letter of everything we were going to be doing in Lapland and how educational this trip was going to be.

‘We weren’t sitting on a beach or round the pool for seven days, we actually had activities we were doing every single day.

‘It’s something my children would never gain from sitting in a classroom.’

During the dream holiday, the brood saw and learnt about the Northern Lights, went on a husky safari, jetted around on snowmobiles and crossed the Arctic Circle.

They also went reindeer herding, visited and learnt about the snow village and met Father Christmas. 

‘I am just so gutted that they can’t see this as an educational trip, it blows my mind,’ she said. 

The content creator, who boasts 56,000 followers and said she makes clips on ‘relatable mum life,’ said the fine arrived through her postbox a week after they arrived back from Lapland.

Danielle, whose daughter will be going into Year 6 in September, said that it cost the family as much as £7,000 to go on a trip during the summer holidays in August.

She claimed that the same trip would be around £1,000 cheaper if she were to take her children out of school when they returned in September.   

‘We should be allowed to have at least one holiday with our children per year. Michael works so many long hours, he’s up early in the morning and doesn’t get to see his kids when they go to school,’ she said. 

‘Nine times out of ten he’s home when the children are in bed. When’s our family time allowed?’ 

However comments appeared divided. While some were supportive, not all her followers agreed that the trip was educational or necessary, with some saying they agreed with the fine. 

One said: ‘I think schools should now double the fines, it’s quite clear the current levels are not being respected by middle class parents.’

Another wrote: ‘It’s all about the money. They don’t care about the kids.’

A third penned: ‘Could you imagine all 30 children in a class taking 1-2 weeks off school during term time? You could have a child missing every week of the year.’

A fourth commented: ‘As a teacher, parents should be allowed to take kids out as long as their attendance is okay. It’s so educational and is really important.’

Danielle said she would pay the ‘stupid’ fine and would just book the trip away during the bank holidays, when the children are off school.

The government states that if a parent receives a second fine within a three-year period, it will be charged at the higher rate of £160.

The government say the fines are in line with inflation and is the first time they have increased the fee since 2012. 

If parents choose to take on the court, then they could be slapped with a fine of up to £2,500 if their child has been found skipping school.

It states on the official website:  ‘Fines are a last resort, and parents will be offered support to help improve their child’s attendance first. 

‘The vast majority of fines for unauthorised absence (89 per cent) are issued for term time holidays.’