A secondary school in Houghton-le-Spring is under fire from parents over what they call a "cruel" system of allocating prom tickets, which has left some students excluded from
the end-of-year event.
At Kepier Academy, students who have fallen behind on homework or have low attendance records have been told they cannot attend the school prom scheduled for 26 June. The school, which is part of the Eden Learning Trust, is said to be enforcing rules based on attendance and behaviour criteria — a policy common in many schools — but parents argue that it unfairly penalises students facing genuine difficulties.
Several parents voiced frustration, claiming the school failed to consider mitigating circumstances such as health issues or mental health struggles.
“I understand if it's about serious behavioural problems,” said one parent, who wished to remain anonymous. “But many of these kids aren’t badly behaved — they’ve just had a hard time keeping up. It’s disgraceful. It’s just cruel.”
The BBC reports that at least 30 students have been denied entry to the prom. Many of these students also missed their primary school leavers’ events due to the Covid-19 pandemic, adding to the emotional weight of the exclusion.
One mother said her daughter, who is generally well-behaved and has reasonable attendance, was left “heartbroken” after being told she couldn’t attend. The student had struggled with her mental health and found it difficult to manage homework.
“She came home crying, feeling like she wasn’t good enough,” her mother said. “It’s left her feeling isolated and excluded.”
She also criticised the school’s class chart system, which deducts points for minor infractions like forgetting stationery, saying it placed undue pressure on students.
“The kids have been on edge all year, worried about whether they’d make the cut for prom,” she added.
Another parent, Miss Peterson, said her daughter was excluded due to poor attendance that stemmed from illness. “It’s unfair,” she said. “These are kids who already missed out on their primary school leavers’ celebrations because of Covid. Now the school’s taken prom away too.”
The Eden Learning Trust has been approached for comment but has not yet responded. Photo by Oliver Dixon, Wikimedia commons.