Call to take parents of naughty pupils to court

Ministers said they want headteachers to make use of parenting orders, which can force parents to make their children behave, or face fines of up to 1,000.

Under an order, parents can be told to make sure their child does not stay up late, cannot drink alcohol at home, and goes to school on time.

Schools Minister Vernon Coaker said it was time for parents to be held accountable for their child's behaviour.

A Bill currently making its way through Parliament will require all parents to sign up to behaviour contracts – known as Home School Agreements (HSAs) – once their child is accepted at a school. If a child continually misbehaves, a school can apply to the courts for a parenting order.

According to Government figures, no parenting orders for behaviour were issued between September 2004 and August 2008.

But Ministers said heads should be using the powers.

Mr Coaker said: "For heads to have the power to take court action against parents whose children continue to behave badly, disrupt lessons and impact on other pupils is a vital step in the right direction."

Speaking at the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) annual conference in Manchester yesterday, Schools Secretary Ed Balls said: "Heads have not felt sufficiently confident legally that courts will support them if they applied for a parenting order for behaviour, which is obviously a last resort."

Mr Balls cited a new report by the Government's behaviour tsar, Sir Alan Steer, which says it is important that headteachers can use this back-up power.