Travel Company Proposes Inset Weeks to Ease Holiday Costs for Families
Travel firm On the Beach has launched a campaign urging headteachers across England and Wales to group school inset days into full weeks, aiming to reduce term-time absences and make family holidays more affordable. The company has written to 25,000 headteachers, suggesting that regionally staggered inset weeks could provide a solution to a persistent problem that the government has struggled to address effectively.
Current System and Proposed Changes
Currently, most schools in England allocate five inset days per year, while Welsh schools observe six. These are days when teachers undertake training and administrative tasks, but pupils do not attend. Although schools have autonomy over scheduling these days, they are rarely consolidated into longer blocks. On the Beach argues that by clustering inset days into full weeks, families could book week-long trips outside of peak term times, accessing significantly lower prices.
Zoe Harris, chief customer officer at On the Beach, emphasised the frustration many parents face. "Families shouldn't have to choose between following the rules and being able to afford time away together," she stated. "The real issue is that cheaper off-peak holidays are visible, but there's no straightforward way to access them without children missing school. Inset weeks could directly address this gap."
Financial and Attendance Implications
Analysis by insurer Go.Compare, published in July last year, highlighted the financial burden on families. It found that the average price of a package holiday to Spain was 20% higher during school breaks compared to term time, equating to an extra £337 per person. This price disparity forces many parents to consider unauthorised absences, risking fines.
Recent Department for Education figures reveal that nearly 460,000 fines for unauthorised family holidays were issued in the 2024/25 academic year. Parents can be fined £80 per child if paid within three weeks, rising to £160 if paid within four weeks. On the Beach contends that inset weeks could mitigate these fines by providing legal opportunities for affordable travel, thereby boosting school attendance figures.
Case Study and Support from Educators
Andy Stirland, principal at Python Hill Academy in Nottinghamshire, supports the proposal, citing positive experiences from his school's implementation of an inset week attached to the spring bank holiday in May for the past seven years. "Parents should not be faced with fines or enforcement for wanting to spend family time together," he remarked. "Inset week has allowed families at our school the option of cheaper holidays while maintaining our attendance figures. Our school attendance has been above the national average every year, and I believe without inset week, this would be a very different story."
On the Beach asserts that headteachers hold the key to resolving this issue, potentially boosting holiday accessibility and solving a problem that the Department for Education has yet to adequately address. The DfE was approached for comment but has not yet responded to the proposal.
