A UK family, recognized for being the country’s largest, faced legal action after opting to take their children out of school for a luxurious holiday to Disneyland.
While visiting Disneyland is typically a magical adventure, it can pose significant logistical and financial challenges for those with a large family.
A British couple experienced this firsthand when they decided to venture to Florida’s Disneyland, resulting in an unexpected fine in addition to their travel expenses.
The couple, Noel and Sue Radford, who are the parents of Britain’s largest family with 22 children, took many of their kids and grandchildren on this trip to the theme park.
The Radfords went all out, spending around $70,000 to celebrate Sue’s 50th birthday in April with the trip.
They covered the expenses for flights, lodgings, and park tickets for their children and 11 grandchildren. However, they were summoned to court and fined for taking some of their younger children out of school to make this journey.
Hailing from Morecambe, Lancashire, the couple was convicted of not ensuring regular school attendance for four of their children between March 24 and May 1, 2025.
Each was fined $88 per child, plus $160 in court costs, adding $1,024 to their overall Florida vacation expenses.
The family shared glimpses of their holiday on Instagram, including a photo of them with Donald Duck.
A representative from Lancashire County Council justified the decision to impose fines on the family, emphasizing the importance of school attendance.
“Ensuring young people receive a good education and have a good start in life is one of our key priorities. Evidence shows that attainment is linked to attendance, so supporting our schools with this issue is important,” they stated.
“The decision to authorize absence or not rests with the headteacher of the particular school and Penalty Notices are an enforcement option that are available to local authorities, if requested by schools. It is the court that determines whether a fine should be issued,” they continued.
“The laws on attendance are very clear and there are some legitimate reasons why pupils can’t always go to school. We always encourage schools to work closely with parents to reduce unauthorized absences and our aim is to ensure that children and young people attend school and receive a good education.”