HEAD TEACHERS should be allowed to follow a ‘common sense' approach to let parents take children out of school during term-time without being hit with an automatic fine, according to council leaders.

The Local Government Association, which represents councils across the country, is calling for the removal of a blanket ban that prevents mums and dads taking their children out of school for holidays during term-time.

Until last September, heads could grant up to 10 days leave a year for family holidays in 'special circumstances'. But now head teachers can grant absence outside school holidays only in 'exceptional circumstances' and local authorities are obliged to instigate fines and enforce legal proceedings on behalf of schools.

But the LGA says the current rules hit hard-pressed parents looking to go abroad during school holidays hard with costs sometimes more than double that of travelling during term-time.

"Ensuring every child has a good school attendance is of paramount concern for everyone working with children," said Cllr David Simmonds, Chairman of the Local Government Association's Children and Young People Board. "However, common-sense must prevail in cases when mums and dads ask to take their child out of school during term-time if there is a legitimate reason.

"An outright ban is too simplistic, and doesn't recognise that family life and circumstances aren't always so black and white. We shouldn't have a system where family holidays are just for the rich or indeed children aren't able to take time off in light of family bereavement. There needs to be flexibility within the system.

"Headteachers know the circumstances of families and what's going on in their school throughout the year and should be trusted to make decisions without being forced to issue fines and start prosecutions."

South Lakes MP Tim Farron echoed the call for the ban on term-time holidays from school to be scrapped.

“Many people in areas like ours have to work all through the summer at the height of the tourism season," he said. "I will keep pressing ministers on this and asking them to give more flexibility to schools and headteachers.”

Cumbria County Council said no fines were issued in the last academic year for parents taking children out of school to go on holiday.