Milton Keynes mum ordered to pay £1,200 by court for failing to send her son to school regularly

The mum, who is one of a string of parents to be similarly prosecuted by Milton Keynes Council, appeared before MK magistrates last week.

The boy, who is 13, failed to attend his city secondary school regularly between January and May last year, magistrates heard.

This is contrary to the Education Act of 1996.

The mother pleaded not guilty but was found guilty by the court.

On top of the fine and court costs, she was ordered to pay a victim services surcharge of £48. The total came to £1,248.

All parents are liable to a maximum fine of up to £2,500, serve a community order or even a prison sentence of up to three months if their child does not attend school regularly. Courts can also impose a Parenting Order.

A spokesman for Milton Keynes Council said: "Regular attendance at school is vital to help children achieve and get the best possible start in life. Children who frequently miss school often fall behind. In fact, there is a strong link between regular school attendance and achieving good grades at GCSE - having an attendance rate of 80 per cent is equivalent to missing a day a week."

All parents have a responsibility to ensure their children receive a full time education between the school term after their fifth birthday and the last Friday in June in the school year they turn 16 (Y11).

"If your child fails to attend school regularly you may be guilty of a criminal offence and this could result in a prosecution. All Milton Keynes schools have their own attendance policies and are responsible for managing pupil attendance," warned the council spokesman.

If your child if going to be off school, you should contact the school as early as possible to explain why he or she needs to be absent and to obtain permission to ensure the absence is authorised.

"Only the school can authorise your child’s absence. An authorised absence is where the school has given approval in advance or has accepted an explanation for the absence afterwards. In most cases this will be due to your child being ill. If your child has a lot of absence due to illness the school may ask for GP or other medical evidence to enable them to make a decision about authorising the absence," said the spokesman.

He added: "If the school does not accept the reason for absence or no reason is given the absence will be marked as “unauthorised” and you will place yourself at risk of prosecution or of receiving another financial sanction."