Parents of absent Ceredigion school pupils could face a £60 fine from this month.

Ceredigion County Council has adopted the Code of Conduct for Penalty Notices – Irregular Attendance at School / Alternative Education Provision.

The Welsh Government requires local authorities to draw up their own local Code of Conduct regarding implementation of penalty notices and establish procedures ready for its implementation during the 2014/15 academic year. This is statutory duty and Ceredigion will begin to implement this legislation from January 2015.

Councillor Hag Harris, Cabinet member with responsibility for Learning Services, Children and Young People's Partnership, said: “The penalty notice measure will support the council in ensuring that parents fulfil their legal responsibility in that their children attend school regularly and arrive on time.

“The issuing of penalty notices is, however, just one of the tools that can be used to tackle unauthorised absence from school and, before any penalty notice is issued, due consideration will be given as to whether there are any mitigating factors.”

The legislation enables a penalty notice to be issued with a £60 fine (rising to £120 if paid after 28 days, but within 42 days) for unauthorised absence from school. Persistent late arrivals at school may also incur a penalty notice