Jon Platt took his daughter out of school for a family trip to Walt Disney World in Florida. He was handed a £60 fine, which was then doubled when he refused to pay.

Isle of Wight magistrates had ruled in his favour but the local council had asked the High Court to clarify. Lord Justice Lloyd Jones and Justice Thirlwall subsequently dismissed the council’s challenge, ruling that the magistrates had not "erred in law" when making the original decision.

Now the government has said it could look to tighten up the law.

“The evidence is clear that every extra day of school missed can affect a pupil’s chance of gaining good GCSEs, which has a lasting effect on their life chances,” a spokesperson for the Department of Education said.

“We are confident our policy to reduce school absence is clear and correct.

“We will examine today’s judgement in detail but are clear that children’s attendance at school is non-negotiable so we will now look to change the legislation. We also plan to strengthen statutory guidance to schools and local authorities.”