A mother from Staffordshire has been fined after she allowed her son to miss school more than 80 times, following an assault by other pupils involving metal objects, a court has heard.
Mother Accepts Blame for Son's Absences
The parent told magistrates at North Staffordshire Justice Centre that she was responsible for her son's failure to attend school regularly. The boy attended only 11 out of 104 possible school sessions, with just eight of the absences being authorised.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council's education team conducted home visits, but even after the family was informed that the teenager needed to return to school, the absences continued.
Details of the Assault
The court heard that the boy was involved in a serious incident at school a few years ago, during which he was severely assaulted. The school implemented support measures and permanently excluded the pupils involved. However, one of those pupils later returned to the school to sit exams, causing significant anxiety for the teenager.
The mother admitted failing to ensure her son attended school regularly over a four-month period in 2025. She told the court: "I'm to blame for his attendance because I panicked in sending him back after he got assaulted at school. I reported it months before it was going to happen. He did go to hospital, he had a lump on his head. I had to keep an eye on him for 24 hours because he had been hit with metal objects. I panicked a lot with him being my first child. I can't say the school haven't done what they did for him - they tried to sort out a plan for him to go to school and I offered to get him up to go. I wanted him to be home safe, I was scared of it happening again. He doesn't leave the house - he just stays in."
Magistrate's Decision
Magistrate Carol Colclough acknowledged the mitigating factors in the case. The mother, from Burslem, who cannot be named to protect her child's identity, was fined £80.
