• Rhiannon Picton-James argues that costs are prohibitive for many families - because prices soar when everyone holidays at the same time
• READ MORE: Mum-of-four says term-time Gran Canaria trip was a 'no-brainer' after saving £2,500 - despite £480 school absence fine
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The number of term-time holiday fines has reached record highs. Again. There has never been a clearer case for changing the UK's school calendar model.

It's time to admit that Britain's version is no longer working. The school holiday calendar has remained unchanged since its conception in the Victorian era, even though the way we work, parent and live is very different now.

In Germany, they split schools into 16 districts which take off different weeks, meaning that school holidays are staggered.

The benefits are clear: it eases travel congestion, prevents holiday price spikes and aids commercial tourism. Not to mention, it's easier to guarantee time off work because not everyone in the company is competing for the same week off.

Every parent I know thinks the school calendar needs to change.

Parents in the UK risk big fines if they take children out of school during term-time - but face unaffordable holiday prices if they stick to the rules. In Germany, schools break at different times depending on what region they're in

My GP recently told me he had his daughter in the surgery with him over the school break because he had no one to take her and no colleagues who could cover.

And my hairdresser told me he had been called in by the school to talk about a term-time holiday he had taken with his SEND children. The teacher said, rather patronisingly: 'I know you can get some good deals, but it's important they're in school,' implying that he could not afford to travel during the peak times of the year.

But he wasn't doing it to get a cheap deal. It's the only time his children are able to go abroad because overpacked airports, overwhelming queues and crammed resorts are too difficult to navigate for neurodivergent children. He said that if they didn't travel during term time they wouldn't go away at all.

For him, the holiday was worth the teacher's telling-off; for me, it is about cost. When I booked a February half-term trip for my family of three, the flights cost £200 each.

The following week they dropped back to £60 each - meaning I'd spent £600 on £180 worth of tickets. That's before the rise in hotel prices.

Financially, it would have been more than worthwhile to take the £80 fine (for taking a child out of school) for at least £1,000 worth of savings.

I'd do it if I wasn't so terrified of the potential court case, because parents can also face legal action for a child's unauthorised school leave.

But that hasn't deterred them as 459,288 fines were issued in England last year, according to figures from the Department for Education - a 4 per cent rise from the previous year despite the penalty rising from £60 to £80.

Every summer, parents are forced to make the same choice: break the law, face a fine or deny their children experiences of a well-rounded childhood.

The Government doubling down on punishment isn't working. Fines have risen, enforcement has tightened and head teachers are put in the IZA position of acting as truant Picture: officers rather than educators.

When every family in the country is funnelled into the same week, prices soar. Flights triple overnight. UK staycations become unaffordable. Airports turn into sensory nightmares. Employers refuse leave as too many staff have children. And parents are told that the problem is their irresponsibility. It isn't.