Legal high student excluded for good

A MOTHER has accused a school of being "underhand" after it excluded her daughter for using a legal high – then encouraged her to join a sister academy.

Four pupils were given temporary exclusions from Cleethorpes Academy last month after they smoked a legal high at school, as reported.

The three boys and one girl – who told the Telegraph that the moment of madness had "ruined her life" – have since been permanently excluded.

However, the mother of the girl – who wants to remain anonymous – feels her daughter has been treated unfairly.

She also claims that the four students were encouraged to join sister school Tollbar Academy, which has exactly the same drugs policy as Cleethorpes.

She said: "They told me that it wouldn't be an exclusion if she went to Tollbar. I don't know exactly why but it seems very underhand to me.

"She is not a victim and knows what she did was wrong, but she did not supply the drug and she has been treated as harshly as the boys who did.

"I think they are making an example of her because she went to the paper and it embarrassed them."

The 14-year-old girl has now gone to Havelock Academy, where she is now much happier after falling into a deep depression following the exclusion.

However, she fears that her relationship with her father – who is vehemently anti-drugs – has been irrevocably damaged.

The girl's mother had planned to appeal the exclusion decision but said the process lacks teeth as it cannot force the school to reinstate her.

It would also mean that her daughter would have to go to a pupil referral unit – such as Park House – in the meantime, rather than a mainstream school.

She said: "I was stuck between a rock and a hard place."

Cleethorpes Academy principal Martin Brown has defended the school.

He said: "Cleethorpes Academy takes part in the local authority's Behaviour and Attendance Collaborative to try and support students at risk of permanent exclusion and offer them places at alternative schools.

"This would include Tollbar as, although it is in the Tollbar Family of Academies, it is still a separate school and offers students a fresh start.

"Both academies have accepted students via this process and have also made referrals to the body on occasions.

"The collaborative means that schools can work together, in the best interests of students, to avoid permanent exclusions.

"This supports individual students whilst still maintaining effective discipline policies in schools."