Primary school vows to FINE £120 if their child is late

Parents will soon be slapped with a £120 fine if their children are persistently late to one school in Wales. 

Penygarn Community Primary School in Torfaen announced the penalty after continued issues with youngsters not arriving on time – or at all. 

In a letter sent out to parents, the school’s head teacher, Lindsay Smith said attendance could be in the form of a student not arriving at school or showing up late.

The punishment would be fixed notices issued through local authorities of £120 which would be halved to £60 if paid within 28 days. 

Smith said parents could be prosecuted through the courts if they refused to pay it.

The fixed penalty notice will be considered if a student misses morning and afternoon registration for five school days or 10 sessions. 

This also includes being absent for five days over the course of a term due to holidays or a delayed return from time off.

Torfaen Council Education Director, Andrew Powles said this approach is available to all schools but the governing body has the final say over whether or not to introduce it.

Penygarn Community Primary School in Torfaen announced the penalty after continued issues with attendance. The school’s head teacher said parents could be prosecuted through the courts if they refuse to pay the fine 

Powles said: ‘Individual governing bodies decide whether to issue fixed penalty notices for unauthorised absences and the local authority supports the implementation of this policy.

‘Schools have a legal duty to accurately record the attendance of learners and marking a pupil who is significantly late as absent is in line with Welsh Government guidance.

‘Being routinely late to school or lessons is disruptive for the child and others in their class. Pupils or families who struggle to attend school on time should speak to their class or year group teacher to discuss what support is available.’

Torfaen was one of the worst-performing boroughs in Wales for attendance but is now placed at 6th best in the country, with attendance having an average of 93 percent. 

The county borough ranges between 91.1 percent to 95.7 percent. 

Secondary students’ attendance ranges between 85.7 percent to 93.9 percent with an average of 89.1 percent which has risen over the past four years. 

Meanwhile, figures show there’s been a drop in persistently absent pupils with attendance below 90 percent at primary schools in Torfaen.

From April 2024 numbers have plunged from 23.5 percent to 20.4 percent this year, while secondary schools have fallen from 33.9 percent to 30.7 percent over the same period. 

At the end of 2024, Torfaen education officials thought the area was ahead of the curve and could see attendances bouncing back to pre-Covid levels in five to seven years.

Torfaen Council, Learning and Achievement Head, Andy Rothwell, said figures will get better over time. 

‘We still continue to see an improvement in overall attendance in Torfaen and that is really pleasing but we’re still not where we were pre-pandemic,’ Rothwell said.

Penygarn Community Primary School has been contacted for comment.