The court will hear an appeal from Isle of Wight Council against a parent, Jon Platt, who originally appeared before magistrates for taking his daughter to Florida in term time. Magistrates ruled in Platt’s favour, as did the High Court.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb then applied to the Supreme Court for a final legal challenge, with the Department for Education meeting Isle of Wight Council’s legal costs.

The case rests on what the court decides is regular attendance of a child, with the original one being won after Mr Platt convinced the court that a once in a lifetime trip was permissible because his daughter had a good attendance record. The government is concerned that some parents now see going away in term time as permissible and a way of avoiding inflated prices during peak times.

Some parents are happy to pay fines of £60 per child, knowing that this is far below the cost of the peak time premium on holiday prices. The case will be watched closely by the travel industry, as a Supreme Court ruling in parents’ favour could see a slackening of demand in peak periods, particularly during summer.

The judgment is expected by the spring.