Parents will be slapped with fines of up to £120 and risk being dragged to court if their child is consistently late for school over three months, it was revealed today.
A crackdown on pupil absence will see parents issued with fixed penalty notices if their child is late ten times in a 12-week period.
If they do not pay up within 21 days the fine will double to £120 per parent, per child, and court action could follow if the fine remains unpaid.
Previously, parents only faced a fine if their child received 20 unauthorised late marks over a 12-week period.
Kingsmead School in Hednesford, Staffordshire, has written to parents to warn them of the new rules starting this week.
Kingsmead School in Hednesford is one of several schools in Staffordshire to have written to parents to warn them of the new rules starting this week
Their letter said: ‘These changes have been agreed with local head teachers and have been implemented to help promote and support good attendance to school.
‘Failure to inform the school of a planned absence or provide evidence of an absence that is suspected to be a holiday could result in a fixed penalty notice.’
It added: ‘It is important to remember it is your responsibility to inform the school of a planned absence.
‘Parents and carers that fail to do this will be required to provide evidence to explain their child’s absence’.
Staffordshire County Council is bringing in the new rules from the start of this term to ‘promote and support good attendance to school’.
The council’s head of education, Paul Senior, said: ‘Previously a pupil had to achieve 20 unauthorised late marks before a penalty-notice warning could be issued.
‘This has now changed to ten marks and late marks do not have to be one after the other for the penalty notice to be issued.
‘You are therefore encouraged where possible to ensure your child attends school on time.
‘However, if your child is late you must inform the school of the reason why as they may be able to offer you some form of advice or support.
‘If your child is late ten times over a 12-week period you may receive a penalty-warning notice and also potentially a fine.
‘These changes have been agreed with headteachers and implemented to help promote and support good attendance to school.
‘The vast majority of children in Staffordshire have an excellent record of school attendance and we recognise the efforts of so many parents to ensure their children attend school regularly.’
The council letter stresses that parents also face being fined for any period of unauthorised leave from January 1.
The letter states: ‘Your headteacher will continue to be the only person able to authorise leave in term time, but this will apply only in exceptional circumstances.
‘Any unauthorised absence will be referred by your headteacher to the local authority.’
Some social media users were furious at the move and claimed it was a ‘money making opportunity’.
Christopher John Higgins said 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.’
Web user Ryanwolf07 said: ‘It’s the answer to everything isn’t it. Fine them or criminalise them!
‘Never seems to work though. I think they need a better alternative.’
Another, Robert, added: ‘Another scam by Councils to fill or top up coffers..’
Web user Thomas said: ‘Another money making scam by Staffordshire county council.
‘Not much equality going on though is there… for example, how do they monitor the attendance and timekeeping for children who are home schooled?’
Shop worker Jamie Stonier, 30, says he is having to take his children on holiday in September this year because of work commitments.
He added: ‘I’ve already written to the school and asked for permission and I’ve been told I will find out what is going to happen two weeks before the break which seems a little short notice.’
Figures revealed that the council had taken 184 parents to court in the last two years and collected a total of £102,080 in fines.