Twenty-two parents fined for their children's persistent absence from schools in Kettering, Corby and Wellingborough

A number of parents who failed to ensure their children were in school regularly were before the magistrates' court during the past week.

The cases – heard under the single justice procedure – were brought by EW4 Education Entitlement Service on behalf of the local education authority.

Twenty-two parents were before the court on October 24 to be sentenced.

They were all charged with the offence of being a parent of a child of compulsory school age who failed to attend regularly under the Education Act 1996. All the offences took place during the 2021/22 school year. Some of the children were not regularly in school for up to an entire school year.

No reasons were given for the children's non-attendance in court papers but the step is only taken as a last resort after other interventions, including penalty notices, have failed. Parents are only usually prosecuted where there are unexplained absences of more than three weeks. Where there are two parents, both will be prosecuted where possible.

We have taken the decision not to identify the defendants to protect the identities of their children, but we are identifying the schools involved.

- A dad from Wellingborough was ordered to pay £846 in costs, fines and fees after failing to regularly send his child to Sir Christopher Hatton Academy for two months in Spring this year.

- One Corby mum had to pay £1,088 for failing to regularly send two children to Our Lady of Walsingham Catholic Primary earlier this summer.

- A mum and a dad from Wellingborough had to pay £229 each after failing to regularly send their child to Olympic Primary School between April and July this year.

- In Wellingborough, a mum and dad were ordered to pay the court £295 each for failing to send their child to Warwick Academy during the summer term.

- Another Warwick Academy dad was told to pay £604 for not regularly ensuring his child was in school during the first part of this year.

- A Corby mum had to pay £470 for failing to regularly send her two children to Beanfield Primary Academy for a month during the summer term.

- A second Beanfield Primary Academy parent had to pay £1,572 for not regularly sending her two children to the school for two months.

- And a Corby mum and dad had to pay £846 each for not ensuring their child was at Corby Business Academy regularly between January and April this year.

- A Geddington mum was ordered to pay £706 for failing to regularly send her child to Geddington CE Primary in the summer term.

- In Desborough, a mum was ordered to pay £846 in costs, fines and fees for failing to send her child regularly to Montsaye Academy in Rothwell.

- And a second mum, from Rothwell, was told to pay £846 for not sending her child to Montsaye Academy during the first half of this year.

- A Kettering mum admitted not sending her child to Kettering Science Academy in the first few months of 2022 and will be sentenced at a later date.

- A Desborough mum had to pay £846 for failing to regularly send her child to Loatlands Primary during the summer term.

- And an Oundle woman and man were ordered to pay £604 for not ensuring their teen was regularly at Prince William School in Oundle between April and July this year.

- A dad from Corby was hit with an £846 bill for not ensuring his child was at Lodge Park Academy and Montsaye Academy during the summer term.

- At Croyland Primary School, a mum was fined £1,572 for not regularly sending her two children into school between September 2021 and April 2022.

- And at Kettering Science Academy, a mum was fined £846 for not ensuring her teen was regularly in school for four months earlier this year.

- In Corby, a mum was ordered to pay £1,572 for not regularly sending her two children to Exeter – A Learning Community for the entire school year.