School is one of the most important parts of a child’s life.

From learning to making friends, it’s a rite of passage that we all go through that sets us up for life.

As previously reported, persistent absence from schools in Swindon took a leap in the last academic year, having already been above the national average.

The borough’s figure leaped by more than four points in the autumn term of 2020/21 to 19.3 per cent, fully three points higher than the national average of 16.3 per cent.

This was revealed in a report prepared by Swindon Borough Council, which said attendance was a matter of concern and agreed a “years’ focus on attendance”.

Parents have a legal responsibility to ensure their children attend school regularly – failing to do so is an offence under the Education Act and can see them slapped with a fine.

Parents can even be taken to court where they can end up with a criminal record.

That has been the fate for seven Swindon parents so far in September.

We’ve scoured court records to find the parents who have been hauled before the justices for allegedly failing to ensure their kids have gone to school.

Their identities cannot be reported in the press due to discretionary reporting restrictions made by a magistrate.

Seven parents end up in court

A family have been slapped with a court bill totalling almost £1,400 after their child didn’t attend school regularly.

The six-year-old girl failed to attend her Swindon primary school regularly in March.

The case was proved against both of her parents at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court on September 1, and they were both fined £440.

They must also both pay costs of £202 and a £44 victim surcharge each.

Meanwhile, a West Swindon mum has been ordered to attend court in November charged with failing to ensure her three children attended their schools regularly.

The woman is accused of failing to ensure her children, aged 14, 9 and 8 attended regularly in February.

The case was heard at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court on September 6 in the absence of the parent, but the single justice decided to refer it for a full hearing.

She will instead appear before Swindon Magistrates’ Court on November 11.

No plea has been entered.

A mum must pay hundreds of pounds after her daughter failed to attend school earlier this year.

The six-year-old girl failed to attend the school in Swindon regularly between late March and early April.

The case was proved via the single justice procedure in the mother’s absence on September 1, and she was fined £220.

The defendant must also pay £202 in costs and a £34 victim surcharge.

A woman has admitted failing to ensure her son attended school regularly.

The seven-year-old boy did not regularly attend the school in North Swindon over two weeks in March.

The woman, who admitted the charge in a behind closed doors hearing at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court, was fined £116.

She must also pay costs of £150 and a £34 victim surcharge.

A mum failed to ensure her teenage children regularly attended their school.

One of the woman’s children, aged 15, did not regularly attend the school between late April and mid-May, whilst the other, aged 13, did not regularly attend between mid-February and late March.

The woman admitted the two charges via the single justice procedure.

The mum was fined a total of £220, and ordered to pay costs of £202 and a £34 victim surcharge.

A mother has been fined after her children failed to attend school regularly in March.

The absence concerned her two children, aged 14 and 12, in March.

Having admitted the offences, she was fined £73.

The woman must also pay £50 in costs and a £34 victim surcharge.