THE parents of a 15-year-old who failed to regularly attend their school have been fined more than £400 each.

A man and a woman – who both live in Weston-super-Mare and cannot be identified for legal reasons – were proved guilty in their absence at North Somerset Magistrates’ Court on Friday, April 1.

Court documents say the teenager “failed to attend regularly” at their school in the town between September 14, 2021, and February 4, 2022.

The parents were charged under section 444(1) and (8) of the Education Act 1996.

The Education Act states: “If a child of compulsory school age who is a registered pupil at a school fails to attend regularly at the school, his parent is guilty of an offence.”

Both parents were fined £440 and ordered to pay £100 in court costs and a £44 surcharge to fund victim services.

They have until May 1 to pay their total court bills of £584.

Legal action against the parents was taken by North Somerset Council, the unitary authority for an area that includes Weston-super-Mare, Clevedon, Portishead, and Nailsea.

The council’s school absence webpage says: “We will try to work with the family if a child is not going to school, but if this does not work we can issue parents with a penalty for failing to ensure their child attends school.

“The penalty notice is £60 but if not paid within 21 days rises to £120.

“When penalty notices remain unpaid, we can prosecute.

“Hearings take place in the magistrates’ court and may result in a fine of up to £1,000.”

In February, seven parents from Sedgemoor were fined hundreds of pounds after their children failed to regularly attend school.

They were fined by magistrates in Taunton after legal action was brought against them by Somerset County Council, which is responsible for ensuring parents and carers have their children in education.