I just take mine out, always have always will, I more than anyone understand the impact of government cut backs and how little this ruling is because they care about children.
Where are the sure start centres, etc, gone, where are the social workers and play workers, gone, I will never blame the head, in fact I feel sorry for him, he is a lovely man with his hands effectively tied, but nor will I pander to this ridiculous criminalisation of the masses, when the current government in increasing pressure on exactly the sorts of families who need help and support the most.
Our local EWO, who I personally contact for advice, when my DC was school refusing (traumatised) actually suggested I got in the car and pretended I was leaving them home alone.
Where was the support DC needed, nowhere, there was and is no help so I will parent my child in the way I see best and not some ridiculous bureaucratic pen pusher who has never met them.
But even before this I believed that special magical time that comes from a holiday and suspension of day to day living as a family, far outweighs any educational benefit small children get from 10 days in school.
They are children, babies really at 3 - when attendance starts to be monitored. The most important person to them should be their mother and father.
Time will come when they have to live their lives by a rigid set of rules, but not when they are children who deserve a childhood.
I am actually removing mine from school for the summer term so we can home ed without them being the schools responsibility - I think they will learn more rampaging through the woods, the fields and the beaches, splashing in rock pools and having the time of their lives then they will in an over filled classroom.
That said my preferred option would be flexi schooling - this was a legal option, but the government have effectively removed this flexibility from a head by forcing them to change codes and have it affect their attendance figures.