Four parents have faced court action for failing to ensure their children were attending school regularly – but only one attended their hearing on Monday (May 13).

The mother, who lives in Normacot, had previously admitted failing to ensure her son was attending school in 2022.

She was fined £120, reduced from £180, at North Staffordshire Justice Centre. She was also ordered to pay £309 costs and a £48 victim surcharge.

Magistrates heard that between October 14 2021 and February 11 2022 the boy was absent from school without authorisation 56 times. The mother was invited to attendance clinics and sent warning letters, and home visits were also attempted.

Speaking through a translator on Monday, she told the court there was a language barrier and she could not read the letters and text messages. She added that her son was a poorly child with a low immune system, and he had a temper that could rise for no reason.

Only one parent attended the hearing on Monday at North Staffordshire Justice Centre (Wiki Commons).

Magistrate Wayne Gough said: "While we understand the lady has difficulty in encouraging her child to go to school, it's important for the child's education they attend as often as possible. We would encourage her to work closely with the local authority and the school to make sure this happens."

Cases against two other parents in Stoke-on-Trent and a mother in Stone were also heard at North Staffordshire Justice Centre on Monday. The Stone mother had failed to ensure her daughter was attending school regularly between October 2 and November 16 2023.

The girl had an attendance rate of just 41.3% during this period. The mother was told of her legal responsibility to ensure her daughter attended school regularly, the court heard.

She was sent further warnings when the attendance rate did not improve and invited to attend meetings. The case was adjourned until June 3 to enable the mother to attend court.

An Etruria parent was found to have failed to ensure their son attended school regularly between September 26 2023 and March 22 this year. During this time 87 unauthorised absences were recorded, including seven occasions where the boy had been late for school and arrived after registration.

The parent attended a meeting in October and said the child had a number of medical issues and had been referred to a paediatrician at Royal Stoke. Reasons given for absence included a nose bleed, cough and a headache.

The child had said he disliked taking part in PE, magistrates heard, but was advised it was part of the National Curriculum. The parent expressed concern their child was falling behind at school, but there were further absences.

Tracey Middleweek was prosecuting on behalf of Stoke-on-Trent City Council (Nub News).

A home visit was carried out in January as the boy's attendance had not improved. The parent said he was suffering extreme fatigue at the time, the court was told, and had been suffering frequent violent nose bleeds.

This case was also adjourned until June 3 to enable the parent to attend court. But another parent involved in a separate case was fined £300 on Monday, and ordered to pay £336.58 costs and a £120 victim surcharge.

The court heard the father, who lives in Smallthorne, was understood to have suffered a stroke in February this year and has since been discharged from hospital. He failed to ensure his daughter regularly attended school between May 16 and October 27 2023.

Tracey Middleweek, prosecuting on behalf of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: "She has not attended school since December 7. She said both her father and nan had expressed the view there was no point, therefore she did not attend.

"She has failed to attend for scheduled GCSE exams and it is highly unlikely she will attend for any subsequent exams given the current situation. She hasn't accessed careers and there is no post-16 provision in place.

"The life opportunities for this young lady now have been limited. She is likely to leave school with no qualifications and no career provision in place."

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