The issue was debated in the House of Commons earlier this week when MPs heard that 90% of school heads would welcome advice from the government about what constitutes an “exceptional circumstance”.

The debate came following an online petition calling for parents to be allowed to take children out of school for up to two weeks was signed by more than 120,000 people.

Currently, parents who take their children out of school for a holiday can face a £60 fine, which can rise to as much as £2,500 or even three months in prison if the parent refuses to pay and ends up being prosecuted.

Since September, headteachers have had the power to set their own dates for school terms with the hope that this will produce staggered school holiday dates, which could reduce holiday prices for families.

But research of 500 teachers found that only 4% of them would consider imposing staggered terms and more than half said they were not even aware that staggering was an option.