Parents face £60 fine if child is late for school 10 times

PARENTS are facing a £60 fine – and could end up in court – if their child is late for school ten times in a term.

Staffordshire County Council has warned families they may issue a fixed penalty notice if children are repeatedly late without reason over a 12-week period.

If they do not pay up within 21 days, the fine will double to £120. Court action could follow if the bill remains unpaid. The council says the decision has been made to ‘promote good attendance’.

However the move has been criticised on social media. Christopher Higgins wrote on Facebook: ‘More fines for single mothers struggling trying to make ends meet with a teenager who’s bigger than they are... These families need help and support, not punishing them to breaking point!’ Stephanie Harrison said: ‘But what if the situation is totally out of your control?

‘Are they going to be decent enough to take that into consideration? My daughter has been late to school a few times which is through no fault of my own.’

Previously, parents only faced a fine if their child received 20 unauthorised late marks over a 12-week period. Staffordshire Council’s head of education, Paul Senior, said: ‘These changes have been agreed with headteachers and implemented to help promote and support good attendance.

‘The majority of children have an excellent record of school attendance and we recognise the efforts of so many parents to ensure their children attend regularly. If your child is late you must inform the school of the reason.’

Figures show that the council has taken 184 parents to court in the last two years.