'I've saved £10,000 taking my kids to Mexico, Egypt and Lanzarote in term-time - it's good for them'

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Any parent will know that going away during the school holidays can drastically increase the cost of any holiday. But there’s one mum who refuses to pay the extortionate prices and instead takes her children abroad during term-time – saving around £10,000 in the process.

Catherine Warrilow says she has taken her two sons Noah, 14, and Sully, 10, out of school at least once a year for the past decade and has not been fined once.

The law says families can be fined £60 for taking a child out of education without their school’s permission, increasing to £120 if not paid within 28 days.

Parents could also be prosecuted for a child’s absence from school. READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community But Catherine argues that the trips are just as valuable as her children's time in school - and that her kids have never fallen behind. “We've chosen to do this so that we can maximise time together as a family around work and other commitments,” the mum, who is the managing director of Altrincham-based daysout.com, a company which sells tickets for popular attractions and experiences across the UK, said. “Yes, it saves us money, but there are multiple reasons that we make this choice.” The 43-year-old insists she only ever takes her sons out of education for a few days' maximum – either at the end of the February half-term or the summer holidays.