A GWENT mum has been given one last chance to make sure her daughter attends school - or go to jail.

The woman, from Cwm-bran, was told by magistrates in Newport "a custodial sentence was very much in our minds" after she broke a parenting order and the Education Act.

Instead, sentence was deferred until next January in the hope the 11-year-old-pupil, who cannot be named, would radically improve her attendance record.

Michael Cordy, chairman of Newport magistrates, told the mum-of-two: "It's down to the advocacy, particularly of your solicitor, to whom you owe a great thanks, that we're going to defer sentence."

The woman will next appear in court next year on January 5. "We expect to see a radical improvement in the girl's attendance at school," Mr Cordy said.

"If, on the other hand, her attendance has not improved you could be in no doubt that a custodial sentence can be very much in the minds of that court."

The court yesterday heard the girl missed 114 days of school between September, 3, 2003 and March, 9, 2004.

On June 8, the girl's mother pleaded guilty to breaking a parenting order, set by Torfaen council's education welfare officer, and failing to keep her daughter home from school without reasonable justification.

A record was kept by welfare officer Helen Smith and a number of excuses were given for the girl's truancy. These included: Mother being too depre-ssed and unable to get her daughter ready for school. The girl's school clothes being wet.

A power cut resulting in the plug-in alarm clock not going off The girl not wanting to attend.

llness.

The mother also did not comply with another term of the parenting order, which stated the school should know by 10am if the girl would not be attending.

The woman blamed her depression on "no interest in life, no money and no friends" and was taking anti-depressants.

Counselling was set up and she has agreed to co-operate with the welfare team.

Councillor John Turner, Torfaen council's cabinet member for education, said the case was a warning to others.