A PARENT who failed to ensure their two children attended school regularly has been fined £800 by York Magistrates.

The court was told that their 11-year-old child had been absent for 45 out of a possible 169 sessions at their primary school between September 1 last year and January 19 this year, said a City of York Council spokeswoman.

She said that was an absence rate of more than 26 per cent, which compared with an average of less than 4 per cent in York primary schools.

"The 15-year-old had been absent for 36 out of 167 possible sessions over the same period – an absence rate of over 21 per cent compared to the City of York average in secondary schools of less than five," she said.

"The parent had failed to provide any legitimate reason for much of the absences and consequently the head teachers had made the decision to not authorise them, which prompted action from the authority."

She said the parent, who did not attend court and had not offered any mitigation, was ordered to pay a surcharge of £80 and costs of £280 on top of two fines of £400.

Schools adviser Mark Smith said the 'significant fine' demonstrated how seriously magistrates considered the matter.

He said the council only ever used court when attempts to encourage good attendance had failed and the authority needed to protect the interests of children who were being denied the education to which they were entitled.

“This was a rare case because attendance in our schools is excellent," he said. "Any parent concerned about their child’s attendance should discuss the matter with the child’s school."