Latest news with #schoolattendance
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Pembrokeshire mum fined after her child repeatedly skips school
A MOTHER from Milford Haven has been fined for her child's school attendance during the autumn term last year. The 37-year-old – who cannot be identified to protect the identity of her child – was accused of failing to ensure her child attended school regularly between September and December 2024. She pleaded guilty, and was ordered to pay a £60 fine and a £24 surcharge at Haverfordwest Magistrates' Court. No order was made for costs after it was decided it was not in the interests of justice to do so as the mum, from Hakin, had made attempts to make the payment before the case came to court.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Pembrokeshire mum told to pay over £1,300 for children not attending school
A PEMBROKESHIRE mother has been fined for failing to ensure her children went to school regularly. The 38-year-old mum – who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of the children – was accused of not making sure her three children of compulsory school age regularly attended school between last November and April. The offences were proved in the defendant's absence at Haverfordwest Magistrates' Court on July 24. The mum, from the Milford Haven area, was sentenced to pay a £660 fine, £400 in costs, and a £264 surcharge.
BBC News
7 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Free breakfast clubs in Sunderland and Maryport 'boost attendance'
Free breakfast clubs are boosting attendance and improving behaviour in schools, headteachers have clubs were introduced earlier this year by the government at some primary schools in disadvantaged communities to ensure children have a healthy breakfast before Road Primary School in Sunderland is part of the first phase of the national roll-out of the pilot scheme. Headteacher Cathy Westgate said it helped children have a "lovely, calm start to the day" . She said children from bigger families, who had previously been late as it had been "really difficult" for parents to drop students off, had been "arriving first thing"."It's really helping them once they start school…it's just brilliant."Up to 70 pupils at the school have been having a free breakfast every morning during term time. The children said they enjoyed having extra time to eat breakfast and socialise with friends, and it made them feel better in parents, the free breakfast clubs offer help to juggle childcare and work at no extra Fortunate Airhunuoge, who works night shifts, said it helped her save time and money. It has not been just primary school pupils seeing the benefit of a good 40% of students on free meals, Netherhall School in Maryport, a secondary school, has been running its own free breakfast club for the past three years thanks to support from an anonymous David Tromans said the breakfast club had started with the aim of improving attendance, but was also "addressing some of the wider issues in terms of poverty associated with the area"."Our attendance has shot through the roof because the students come in early," deputy headteacher Mark Bailey added."They get a great start to the day and they take it forward with them for the rest of the day." The government's Early Education Minister Stephen Morgan said it was "brilliant" to see the impact free breakfast clubs were added over two million meals had already been served, benefiting up to 180,000 pupils. Follow BBC North East on X and Facebook and BBC Cumbria on X and Facebook and both on Nextdoor and Instagram.
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Parents left furious after school says doctor's note will no longer be an excuse for absences
Furious parents in Tennessee are threatening to take their children out of school after a county in the southern US state decreed that a doctor's note will no longer excuse a pupil's absence from school. In a change that has been branded 'ridiculous' and 'appalling' by some, kids in Lawrence County will now simply be marked as either absent or present. After three no-shows, 'intervention' will start, while eight would result in a referral to juvenile court. The policy purportedly aims to improve attendance, but many are against it, with some suggesting that they would now consider home-schooling their offspring. Rebecca Sanchez told WSMV 4, a local news station in Nashville, Tennessee, how her daughter ended up missing up lots of classes due to health issues. 'Between the strep throat and the flu, I can say she missed about 17 days,' the mother said. Disappointed by the new directive, she explained that having 'never been for or against homeschool,' the policy 'has definitely changed' her mind. The outlet also reported that during the area's June school board meeting, the Director of Schools for Lawrence County, Michael Adkins, laid out the policy, explaining that a child could 'fail the grade' for missing school days. Some were incensed by the new directive, with one person on social media branding it 'a ridiculous idea Michael said: 'You can fail the grade. You can fail the course. You are going to be petitioned to court. You are not going to participate in graduation, get your driver's license or permit.' 'We are going to take control of the attendance of our students,' he continued. 'You can bring all the doctor's notes you want, but it is still unexcused.' Although certain exemptions will exist - for example, for chronic illnesses - Michael emphasized that the new policy would help children develop a strong work ethic. He said: 'If you have the sniffles, that is fine. You are going to have them when you go to work one day. We have all gone to work sick and hurt and beat up.' At the same time, Lawrence County allegedly told local medical providers to 'emphasize the importance of regular school attendance while treating school-aged patients.' In the case that a child goes to school when they are feeling unwell and is sent home by the school nurse, they will also be marked as having missed some of the school day. Parents including Lauren argued that parents are being stripped of their parental responsibility. She said: 'As a parent, how can we give someone else the right to say what is wrong with our child?' The new policy has also been heavily criticized online, particularly on Reddit, where the changes were posted earlier this week. Writing in a subreddit called 'ZeroCovidCommunity', which appears to have been set up during the Covid-19 pandemic as a place for people to advocate for 'reducing transmission' through concrete measures, one person said: 'Well this sounds like a ridiculous idea. People love to focus on anything but the actual issue.' Another person argued: 'Said district needs to be sued for its incompetence.' A third Reddit user wrote: 'Their announcement said it training kids to sacrifice their health so someone else can make money. 'If I were a parent in the district, I would be tempted to bring a lawsuit. That is literally inhumane.' A fourth weighed in on the policy, writing: 'As someone with a severe chronic illness that would've caused a LOT of absences if I'd had it as a kid. This is terrifying.
RNZ News
24-07-2025
- General
- RNZ News
How the Rural Mama Collective is helping unite mothers
The Meke Academy in Napier provides an alternative education to rangatahi who have stopped attending school. Levi Armstrong, the man running the Academy, says students who used to attend traditional school once or twice a term are turning up to Meke daily. He talks to Jesse. Photo: Levi Armstrong
