Kids’ school absences cost parents £19,000
● PARENTS in Runcorn and Widnes were fined a total of £19,380 in 201516 because of their children missing school.
Solicitors have warned that some may be unaware that they can appeal over school absence penalties.
Simpson Millar law firm used the Freedom Of Information (FOI) Act to discover that Halton Borough Council issued 323 education penalty notices in 2015-16 and that no appeals had been lodged with the courts.
The company found that North West councils issued the most fines, worth £1.3m in total.
Halton Council said sanctions were only used in cases of ‘absent’ or ‘insufficient’ parental co-operation over tackling low attendance and that penalties were imposed consistently.
But solicitor Julie Robertson said there was a lack of consistency between local authorities and regions over how penalties were imposed.
In Peterborough, no parents appealed while Suffolk County Council ● withdrew 709 fines.
She also said some councils had used ‘scaremongering’ and ‘ misled’ parents by saying they had no right of appeal.
Mrs Robertson said: “What one head teacher agrees are special circumstances, another doesn’t.
“It is a postcode lottery. We need more consistency and, in some areas, more common sense.
“Clearly, some schools are using their discretion appropriately where the parents are sensible in their choices and decisions. Others seem to be rather abundant in slapping parents with a fine regardless of the circumstances.
“You have to wonder why, for example, almost twice as many fines were issued in the North West compared with London.”
Cllr Tom McInerney (children, schools and families) said: “The legislation places the decision as to whether exceptional circumstances exist with the headteacher. There is no further legislation or statutory guidance as to what constitutes ‘ exceptional circumstances’.
“The local authority, in partnership with the school and any other relevant agencies, consider the individual circumstances relating to a pupil’s case before considering whether a penalty notice would be appropriate”
He added: “Sanctions of any nature are for use only where parental co-operation in this process is either absent or deemed insufficient to resolve the attendance issue.
“All penalty notices issued within Halton are done so within the terms of the current penalty notice protocol to ensure that they are issued consistently and fairly across the borough.
“The protocol applies to statutory school age children from age five to age 16 and to all maintained schools and academies.
“However, individual schools can choose not to