A MOTHER saw red after her A* pupil daughter was excluded from class for dyeing her hair.
Anne-Marie Ketley, of Brookes Avenue, Rhy,l was left fuming when her daughter Terri Bancroft, aged 15, was put in week-long detention at Blessed Edward Jones RC School for colouring her hair crimson just weeks before her exams.
Ms Ketley, a single mother of three, said: “She dyed her hair over the Easter holidays with a semi permanent dye.
“Last week she went into school, and they rang to tell me it was too red. I told the school I was made redundant when I was pregnant, and I now have an 11 month old. I am a single mother of three, and I can’t afford to take Terri to the hairdresser.”
Ms Ketley said the family has made efforts to tone down the hair colour, but stripping Terri’s hair would cost more than £80, and they were advised not to use extra dyes because the results would be unpredictable. The school ruled an exception could not be made.
Ms Ketley said: “They put her in consequences because of her hair. It’s the room where they put naughty kids. She wasn’t allowed out on breaks, she had to be escorted to the dining room and was segregated from her friends. She wasn’t allowed the usual amount of work, so she has been asking for more.
“Terri is in year 10, and in the middle of her exams. She has always been an A* pupil, and has never been in trouble. She wants to be an RAF pilot. She went down from five lessons to two a day. I was panicking - her results are a big deal to her.”
On Monday, Terri allowed back into lessons but her mother said she was “still not happy”.
David Lewis, headteacher, said: “The expectations for uniform including jewellery and hairstyles are clearly set out as an integral part of each student's planner.
“Whilst we do not comment on individual cases, we work hard to resolve issues with parents whom I have found to be very supportive of the school and our drive to raise standards and improve discipline.”