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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Dominique Afacan

Fines don’t stop me taking my children out of school for holidays – but fear does

School holiday fines reached a peak in 2025 - (Dominique Afacan)

What are your plans this February half term? Will you be skiing en famille in Val D’Isere, popping to Cape Town, jetting off to visit friends in Abu Dhabi? Or will you, like me, be trudging around in the rain, trying to convince your five-year old that a “holiday camp” at the school they already go to every day is a treat?

It’s my own fault, of course. I’ve chosen to live in one of London’s most bougie neighbourhoods where a half term automatically equates to a family holiday. If you overhear mums discussing the benefits of Ikos at the school gates, they’re talking about the hotel, not the yoghurt.

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