A year 9 pupil has been excluded from her school in Newbold Vernon after she threw a sweet at a teacher during a charity event.
In order to raise money for Children in Need, students had been allowed to throw wet sponges at teachers as part of a charity fun day. However, after throwing a gummy bear at the Deputy Head teacher, 13 year old Katie was accused of “assaulting an adult”.
After the incident, Katie was put into isolation for two days and consequently excluded from the school. She has been told that she will not be allowed to attend an £850 school ski trip to Italy that had already been paid for by her family.
Sue Freeman, Katie’s mother, said that the sweet did not injure the teacher yet the school staff did not see the funny side of what had happened.
She believes the school have completely overreacted to the incident, stating: “I’m so angry. I want people to know how petty our education system has got […]The school have said they'll get the money back to us but the family have already spent hundreds of pounds on ski gear for her – it was going to be a Christmas present ”.
Katie is “absolutely gutted” that she is no longer allowed on the school trip, but the school’s letter to the family said that “The decision to exclude Katie had not been taken lightly” and she will now attend weekly school meetings about her behaviour and attitude.
