The mother of a tormented schoolboy says her son took his own life after being forced by strict guidelines to keep attending school - despite being mercilessly bullied for most of his life. Simon Brooks, 15, died in April of an overdose, four days after  leaving a heartbreaking note which blamed bullies for making his life a misery. His bereft mother Julie Brooks said her teenage son had been severely picked on by classmates for 18 months and dreaded going to school each day in Pontyclun, South Wales. But she claims she felt under 'very real pressure' to keep sending Simon to classes, despite knowing the pain he would endure. Julie Brooks, whose son Simon died of an overdose earlier this year, says she felt 'very real pressure' to send her son to school, despite him being mercilessly bullied . In a letter, Simon blamed bullies for his misery. But Mrs Brooks said she felt 'helpless' knowing she had to keep sending her son to school . Mrs Brooks, of Tonyrefail, near Pontypridd, said she had no choice to keep sending him to school, due to strict guidelines imposed over absence  in South Wales. She also accused schools of being more concerned with absence statistics than a child's well-being. Writing on Facebook, she said:  'Simon was forced to go to school despite what he was enduring. He is now dead after taking his own life.' She added: 'I used to physically wring my hands as Simon left for school. I'd stand in the hallway and say to myself "what can I do?". 'It was horrible and I felt helpless because I was damned if I sent him to school and damned if I didn't - it was so frustrating.' Mrs Brooks made the comments amid publication of a controversial booklet, handed out across South Wales earlier this week, which sets out guidelines for parents in relation to absence. She said the leaflet - which says children should not take any time off even if they contract some contagious illnesses - shows that schools are more concerned only with attendance statistics than a child's well-being. She said: 'This booklet emphasises that fact and makes what I was feeling at the time very tangible. 'This booklet is all about making schools look good and not about the child's well-being.' Mrs Brooks has criticised this controversial booklet, handed out in schools across South Wales last week, which set guidelines for parents to follow in relation to absence . Simon, who attended Y Pant Comprehensive School, had experienced bullying for most of his life. He died at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, four days after taking an overdose. At the time of his death, Mrs Brooks told how Simon had been bullied at  his current school and at his previous school in Treorchy, South Wales, where he was allegedly assaulted on a train on the way to school. But she said Simon did not want to press charges or complain to the school authorities, because he felt it would only make things worse. She said: 'He was being pushed about, having his bag grabbed and subjected to verbal abuse. 'He loved the lessons and had a lovely group of friends, but he wasn't being left alone at break times and lunchtimes. 'Every Sunday night he would beg me not to send him to school. During the school holidays he would count the days and hours until he had to go back. 'He was so brave he used to go every day and try to stick up for himself.' The guide to 'managing sickness absence from school' claims to only offer 'guidance' for parents and urges them to consult the NHS Direct website and their local GPs for further advice . Although it does not refer to bullying specifically, the two-page booklet recommends pupils take no time off school if they contract a range of conditions including conjunctivitis and glandular fever . Mrs Brooks said Simon had also been punished for taking wine into school nine months before his death to 'numb the pain of the bullies'. After his death, Mrs Brooks and husband David wanted lessons to be learned. They met with the school's headteacher Mark Powell to discuss what had happened. She said Mr Powell and his staff had been 'trying very hard' but schools were under pressure from government and were 'under the microscope'. In the leaflet, which sparked Mrs Brooks' comments, the two-page booklet recommends pupils take no time off school if they contract a range of conditions including conjunctivitis and glandular fever. Among the illnesses listed on the booklet as not needing time off school are head lice, threadworm and hand foot and mouth disease. The latter is a viral infection described on the NHS DIrect website as a 'contagious' and 'unpleasant condition'. Glandular fever brings out symptoms including loss of appetite, extreme tiredness and swollen glands in the neck, armpits and groin areas. Mrs Brooks said she felt 'helpless' sending her son to school and the new booklet makes what she was feeling at the time very 'tangible' The guide  to 'managing sickness absence from school' claims to only offer 'guidance' for parents and urges them to consult the NHS Direct website and their local GPs for further advice. Mrs Brooks added: 'It's targeting all the wrong things in all the wrong ways. 'I'm hoping the combination of things will get the booklet discontinued - it's complete nonsense. 'If a child gets tonsillitis they're sick and if a parent takes them to school, the school will only ring the parents to get them to collect the child. 'To say I'm angry is an understatement. It's about allowing the school to decide if your child is ill or not and the booklet has not been given any thought.' The guide was published by a working group, consisting of members from the Central South Consortium and five county councils: Cardiff, Vale of Glamorgan, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Bridgend and Merthyr. Local authorities are said to be under pressure from the Welsh education watchdog Estyn to improve attendance levels across the region. A spokesman for the Central South Consortium said: 'The medical advice printed has been obtained directly from the Health Protection Agency in England in conjunction with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. 'Consultation was carried out with Cwm Taf, Cardiff and the Vale and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Boards and Public Health Wales who all approved the content of the advice table.' For confidential support on suicide matters call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch, or click here for details.
Simon Brooks, 15, from Tonyrefail, South Wales, died from an overdose .
His mother Julie said her son's life was made a misery at school by bullies .
Claims she was under 'real pressure' to send him to school due to rules .
She said: 'I was damned if I sent him to school and damned if I didn't'
Mother-of-five also criticised new leaflet which gives advice on attendance .
Claims booklet is for 'making schools look good and not child's well-being'
The mother of a tormented schoolboy says her son took his own life after being forced by strict guidelines to keep attending school - despite being mercilessly bullied for most of his life. Simon Brooks, 15, died in April of an overdose, four days after  leaving a heartbreaking note which blamed bullies for making his life a misery. His bereft mother Julie Brooks said her teenage son had been severely picked on by classmates for 18 months and dreaded going to school each day in Pontyclun, South Wales. But she claims she felt under 'very real pressure' to keep sending Simon to classes, despite knowing the pain he would endure. Julie Brooks, whose son Simon died of an overdose earlier this year, says she felt 'very real pressure' to send her son to school, despite him being mercilessly bullied . In a letter, Simon blamed bullies for his misery. But Mrs Brooks said she felt 'helpless' knowing she had to keep sending her son to school . Mrs Brooks, of Tonyrefail, near Pontypridd, said she had no choice to keep sending him to school, due to strict guidelines imposed over absence  in South Wales. She also accused schools of being more concerned with absence statistics than a child's well-being. Writing on Facebook, she said:  'Simon was forced to go to school despite what he was enduring. He is now dead after taking his own life.' She added: 'I used to physically wring my hands as Simon left for school. I'd stand in the hallway and say to myself "what can I do?". 'It was horrible and I felt helpless because I was damned if I sent him to school and damned if I didn't - it was so frustrating.' Mrs Brooks made the comments amid publication of a controversial booklet, handed out across South Wales earlier this week, which sets out guidelines for parents in relation to absence. She said the leaflet - which says children should not take any time off even if they contract some contagious illnesses - shows that schools are more concerned only with attendance statistics than a child's well-being. She said: 'This booklet emphasises that fact and makes what I was feeling at the time very tangible. 'This booklet is all about making schools look good and not about the child's well-being.' Mrs Brooks has criticised this controversial booklet, handed out in schools across South Wales last week, which set guidelines for parents to follow in relation to absence . Simon, who attended Y Pant Comprehensive School, had experienced bullying for most of his life. He died at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, four days after taking an overdose. At the time of his death, Mrs Brooks told how Simon had been bullied at  his current school and at his previous school in Treorchy, South Wales, where he was allegedly assaulted on a train on the way to school. But she said Simon did not want to press charges or complain to the school authorities, because he felt it would only make things worse. She said: 'He was being pushed about, having his bag grabbed and subjected to verbal abuse. 'He loved the lessons and had a lovely group of friends, but he wasn't being left alone at break times and lunchtimes. 'Every Sunday night he would beg me not to send him to school. During the school holidays he would count the days and hours until he had to go back. 'He was so brave he used to go every day and try to stick up for himself.' The guide to 'managing sickness absence from school' claims to only offer 'guidance' for parents and urges them to consult the NHS Direct website and their local GPs for further advice . Although it does not refer to bullying specifically, the two-page booklet recommends pupils take no time off school if they contract a range of conditions including conjunctivitis and glandular fever . Mrs Brooks said Simon had also been punished for taking wine into school nine months before his death to 'numb the pain of the bullies'. After his death, Mrs Brooks and husband David wanted lessons to be learned. They met with the school's headteacher Mark Powell to discuss what had happened. She said Mr Powell and his staff had been 'trying very hard' but schools were under pressure from government and were 'under the microscope'. In the leaflet, which sparked Mrs Brooks' comments, the two-page booklet recommends pupils take no time off school if they contract a range of conditions including conjunctivitis and glandular fever. Among the illnesses listed on the booklet as not needing time off school are head lice, threadworm and hand foot and mouth disease. The latter is a viral infection described on the NHS DIrect website as a 'contagious' and 'unpleasant condition'. Glandular fever brings out symptoms including loss of appetite, extreme tiredness and swollen glands in the neck, armpits and groin areas. Mrs Brooks said she felt 'helpless' sending her son to school and the new booklet makes what she was feeling at the time very 'tangible' The guide  to 'managing sickness absence from school' claims to only offer 'guidance' for parents and urges them to consult the NHS Direct website and their local GPs for further advice. Mrs Brooks added: 'It's targeting all the wrong things in all the wrong ways. 'I'm hoping the combination of things will get the booklet discontinued - it's complete nonsense. 'If a child gets tonsillitis they're sick and if a parent takes them to school, the school will only ring the parents to get them to collect the child. 'To say I'm angry is an understatement. It's about allowing the school to decide if your child is ill or not and the booklet has not been given any thought.' The guide was published by a working group, consisting of members from the Central South Consortium and five county councils: Cardiff, Vale of Glamorgan, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Bridgend and Merthyr. Local authorities are said to be under pressure from the Welsh education watchdog Estyn to improve attendance levels across the region. A spokesman for the Central South Consortium said: 'The medical advice printed has been obtained directly from the Health Protection Agency in England in conjunction with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. 'Consultation was carried out with Cwm Taf, Cardiff and the Vale and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Boards and Public Health Wales who all approved the content of the advice table.' For confidential support on suicide matters call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch, or click here for details.
Simon Brooks, 15, died in April of an overdose, which blamed bullies for making his life a misery. His bereft mother Julie Brooks said her she claims she felt under 'very real pressure' to South Wales. She also accused schools of being child's well-being. Writing on Facebook, she because I was damned if I sent him to school and She said the leaflet - which says children should is all about making schools look good and not not to send him to school. During the school to school and the new booklet makes what she was