A SCHOOL has been accused of unfairly banning children from their prom if their attendance falls below a certain threshold.
The Hereford Church of England Academy does not allow students to attend prom unless their attendance is above 94 per cent.
The school told students that if they failed to hit attendance targets they would not be eligible for the leavers’ party after GCSEs are completed.
Mum Jen Jones said her 15‑year‑old son Corey was left disappointed after learning that he may not be allowed to attend. She received an email from the school reminding families of the rule.
Mrs Jones received an email from the school which read: "I just wanted to send a gentle reminder that to be able to attend prom at the end of the year there is a requirement of 94 per cent attendance."
Corey’s attendance currently stands at 90.4 per cent.
The email said: "[We want to] communicate to all year 11 students who are currently under the 94 per cent requirement so that it is not a shock nearer the time if students are unable to go."
Corey's mum explained that her son was excited for the occasion and it was a way to push forward through the GCSE exams.
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"My son at the start of the year said he was looking forward to prom and had everything planned out, from what he was going to wear to how he was going to arrive.
"We started planning with him, but then when we found out about him not going Corey was not happy." She said.
She believes the policy punishes children who may have been absent for legitimate reasons such as illness or unforeseen circumstances.
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"I feel that this isn't fair to any child, prom is about a celebration of how far they have come and what they have achieved.
"Just because a child has time off for being ill, late because of traffic or even having an injury it doesn't mean they should be banned from prom.
"It feels like all the Hereford Academy cares about is numbers not the child themselves."
She added that she believes all students should be allowed to attend regardless of their attendance percentage.
The Hereford Church of England Academy declined to comment.
