Half of UK families would take their children out of school during term time to secure a cheaper holiday

Major study finds half of families can’t afford a summer holiday – 1 in 3 parents have told a white lie to take kids on a break in term time.

Would you tell a white lie to your child’s teacher to take them on holiday during term time? A new study shows that 1 in 3 parents admit they have and half of UK families are willing to take kids out of school during term time to save on costs – study into harsh reality faced by families this summer during the school holidays.

The study follows a petition to permit families to take their children out of school for up to 10 days, fine-free, reached 187,000 and will be debated in Parliament.

Key findings:

Over half would take their children out of school during term time to secure a cheaper deal
37% confess to telling a white lie to take their kids on a break during term time
Of over 4000 families surveyed by Park Christmas Savings, 75% think there should be free childcare in summer holidays
Findings come as a UK petition for parents to take their children out of school for up to 10 days fine-free reached 187,500 and will be debated in Parliament

Over half of UK families are willing to take their children out of school during term time to secure a cheaper holiday, according to a new survey on family summer savings.

The research from Park Christmas Savings found just under half of UK families cannot afford a holiday this summer due to increased costs in travel, household bills and childcare.

Many parents admitted they have resorted to taking their kids out of school during term time, with over a third (37%) confessing they have told a white lie to their child’s teacher to cover-up their cost-cutting decision to get a more affordable family break.

It comes as a UK petition for parents to take their children out of school for up to 10 days fine-free reached 187,500 signatures and is now guaranteed to be debated in Parliament.

According to research by the campaign group Fight School Fines, not only is cost a huge factor for families wishing to take their children out of school in term time but also, according to campaign founder Natalie Elliot, the pressure to meet the needs of children with special educational requirements (SEN) which they say must be factored into when issuing families with £80 fines.

Package holiday prices can increase by an average of 18% during school holidays, with some destinations seeing price hikes of up to 28% per person. Some families are paying twice and in some case three times the cost of a break by booking within official school holiday time.

Over 4000 UK families took part in the summer savings poll which is part of family budgeting specialists Park’s annual summer ‘Junemas’ campaign to encourage early bird saving to avoid debt when paying for Christmas.

One in three families (75%) admitted they think childcare should be free in the summer holidays to help take burden off families with working parents.

Other findings showed one in five families expect to spend more on their total budget than last year with those who can’t afford a holiday opting for DIY breaks and ‘staycations’ instead.

Katherine Scott, director of marketing at Park Christmas Savings, said: “Our Junemas summer savings survey shows just how much cost-conscious families are struggling with the affordability of taking a precious summer holiday. Affordable, flexible childcare and crippling costs have put UK households under enormous pressure. It means that a well-earned family break is becoming impossible for the majority.

She adds: “As a family focused brand we champion parents who are prioritising not getting into debt by cutting costs on their household budget, especially major annual outgoings such as holidays and Christmas.”

Find out more about budgeting ahead for Christmas with Park Christmas Savings here: https://www.getpark.co.uk/budgeting/