A devastated mum claims she has been threatened with jail and a fine of up to £2,500 over her daughter’s poor school attendance record.
Nicola Giles, from Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, says her 14-year-old daughter who struggles with her mental health ‘dreads’ getting up for school each morning.
The 39-year-old claims that her daughter, who has suspected ADHD and has been referred to Children and Adult Mental Health Services, has been depressed and anxious over the last year.
Her daughter, who is in Year 10 at Montgomery Academy in Bispham, is so anxious that she has now notched up an attendance record of 36.64 per cent due to the stress.
In screenshots of messages sent to the school over the last few months, Ms Giles has repeatedly asked for help and support from the school, LancsLive reports.
But in a recent letter seen by sent by Blackpool Council’s pupil welfare service, Ms Giles is informed that she is ‘liable’ to prosecution by failing to send her child to school.
The letter states: “You have been informed that you are liable to prosecution by failing to attend school regularly.
“As you will see from the enclosed printout, there have been further unauthorised absences, and your child’s current attendance stands at 36.64 per cent.”
The letter goes on to say that future absences including dental treatment, health appointments or illness must be covered by medical evidence.
This could include support from a GP or health practitioner, an appointment card from a health practice or proof of medication.
It adds: ”Most schools can support children’s needs with medication and pain relief with parental consent.
"In some cases, a health care plan can be put in place to support an ongoing medication condition.”
The Blackpool Council letter then goes on to warn of key legislation which stipulates that parents have a duty to ensure their child's regular attendance at school.
It added that if parents knowingly fail to send their child to school regularly, they are guilty of an offence.
The letter said: “Proceedings under either legislation will be taken should this warning letter be disregarded. Please be aware that the maximum sentence for this offence is a fine of £2,500 and/or up to three months imprisonment.”
Nicola said: “There are a lot of times where she wakes up in the morning and she just refuses to go… she’s got to the point where she thinks, where are they going to put me today? Are they going to put me in isolation?
“I spoke to the welfare office at the council and I said I’m struggling to get her to school , what more do I do? No one seems to be bothered; all they’re bothered about is they’re saying it will go down as an unauthorised absence, which I understand.
"And then I might get prosecuted and I might get a fine, and I understand, but you need to step in a bit and try to help me here, you know - look: what can I do? I need help.”
Now she says the family has been left with no choice but to turn to Ofsted following what she claims are her daughter’s ordeals, which she says include being victimised and temporarily excluded.
Ms Giles said that her daughter is hoping to switch schools to study hair and beauty therapy, but that she has been stunned to be told that she could face a fine of more than £2,000 because of her daughter’s low attendance rate.
She said: “God only knows how I would get two and half thousand pounds together - I don’t think I would be the only person in that predicament - anyone would be like that.
"I’m worried that they might take it to that level and I would not know how to raise those kinds of funds to give them that because I haven't got that kind of money to give; I just want them to back off.
“Most days, when she gets back. I’m like, 'God what happened?' I just know, looking at her face what mood she’s in, coming out of school and I dread it - there’s always some issue every day, and I just don’t know what else to do.
"If I could get away with it, I would stop her going altogether, for the sake of her mental health.”
Stephen Careless, head teacher at Montgomery Academy, said: "We would always advise parent and carers to use the academy’s complaints process to try and resolve such issues.
"I did email a copy of our complaints policy, available on our website, to the parent concerned a week ago. As far as I am aware we are yet to receive any complaint as per the policy."
A Blackpool Council spokesperson said: “We do not comment on individual cases. Blackpool Council promotes and enforces regular school attendance by using the powers available to local authorities.
"Where individual cases require such steps we have been through a rigorous set of processes before issuing letters to parents or carers. Regular attendance at school is extremely important to allow children to go on to successful careers and future opportunities.”
The Department for Education says that attendance data is being gathered directly from school registers, as part of a trial, and that local authorities and academy trusts will be expected to have plans for how they will provide targeted support for pupils who need it and work with schools in driving good attendance.
Highlighting how the number of persistently absent pupils increased to 501,642 in secondary schools in 2020 from 454,167 the previous year, which does not include Covid, they said, in the statement: “Face-to-face education is important in helping pupils to fulfil their potential. During school time we believe pupils should be in class with their teachers and peers and enjoying all the benefits that brings.
"School attendance has obviously been affected by the pandemic – new data shows 87.4% of pupils attended school last week – but even before the pandemic there were issues that meant pupils who should be in school weren’t attending as regularly as they should.
"That’s why we are setting out a series of measures to help support schools to drive up attendance and help pupils and families overcome whatever obstacles they are facing.”
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