Parents facing imprisonment if children are late for school!

So the other day I asked you all what you thought about the new policy which allows schools to fine parents who are repeatedly late to pick up their children from school. Out of the 1,540 of you who took the poll, opinions were pretty split with 44% of you voting yes you do think it’s a good idea and 56 percent of you saying no you didn’t agree with it.

But now I am seeing that parents could face fines, prosecutions and even Imprisonment if their children are late for school starting from next September.

At the moment 500 schools in Hampshire have signed up to the scheme starting in the Autumn term, and are warning parents that if lateness occurs 10 times then there will be a fine of £60 issues by the council. Failure to pay within 21 days will double the fine to £120, and refusal to pay could mean that the council prosecute. There are many other councils that are implementing fines for recurrent lateness, including Wales, Southend, Islington and more.

If your child’s school is planning on signing up to this new prosecution scheme then you will be informed well in advance, but if they do then you will have to have a really good excuse as to why they are last because only ‘exceptional circumstances’ will be deemed acceptable! 

CLICK HERE to read about the schools new procedure of fining parents late for the pick up.