Father is left fuming after his daughter is banned from prom after he spent £550 on her dress and ticket because she didn’t earn enough ‘good behaviour’ points
- Matthew Grainger, from Darlington, County Durham spent £550 total on prom
- Daughter Lillie banned from event Polam Hall School because of point system
- Fuming father said Lillie is ‘devastated’ when should be focusing on GCSEs
- School have said made terms clear to parents and pupils and refunded tickets
A dad has been left over £500 out of pocket after his daughter was banned from going to her school prom despite paying for her ticket and dress.
Lillie Granger, who goes to Polam Hall School in Darlington, County Durham, was left devastated when she was told she hadn’t earned enough points to go.
The school requires students to earn 500 points to be invited, with points awarded for ‘attending study club and tutoring sessions, attendance and punctuality’.
Lillie, 16, believed she had reached the 500-point threshold. But she claims she had points taken away from her after a day off sick, and is now eight-and-a-half points short.
The school said they had refunded the ticket price to the parents of the pupils who couldn’t go, and denied that any pupils had points taken away due to poor attendance, saying they were only removed for ‘negative behaviour incidents’.
Matthew Grainger, from Darlington, County Durham, was left fuming when he was told his daughter Lillie, 16, wouldn’t be allowed to attend her school’s prom after he’s already forked out £550 on her dress and ticket
Her dad Matthew Grainger said: ‘When I made a £200 deposit for a dress, she hadn’t reached the target of 500 points so I got in touch with her head of year who said she wouldn’t have any problem getting there.
‘When the ticket appeared on Parent Pay I took it that she had reached 500 points so paid for it and the rest of the money for the dress.
‘After half term they told her she wouldn’t be going to prom because she was eight-and-a-half points short.
‘They are letting me pay for the ticket, pay for the dress, and the alterations, and then taking points from her.
Pictured: the dress Lillie won’t get to wear. Matthew said his daughter’s head of year told him she wouldn’t have an issue getting the required number of points to go to prom
‘I’m about £550 out of pocket.’
Lillie has been left stressed and upset after being told she can’t go to the prom on the school’s grounds at the end of June.
Mr Grainger, 51, a railway engineer, added: ‘She’s in the middle of her GCSEs at the moment and they have dropped this on her when her focus should be on the exams.’
The school have promised him a refund for the prom ticket, which he is yet to receive.
But Kate Reid, the school’s principal, said it’s not the case that any student had points removed for poor attendance, and that points were only lost for negative behaviour incidents.
Mrs Reid said: ‘Our prom is a school event, which takes place on school grounds and is supervised by school staff.
‘All Year 11 students and parents were first informed in November that they would need 500 points to attend prom.
‘The students began the year with 500 points to give them the best possible chance of attending and there have been regular updates for both students and parents throughout the spring and summer terms.
‘Students have been able to increase their reward points in many ways, including attending study club and tutoring sessions, attendance and punctuality to both school and lessons and maintaining and increasing their average Attitude to Learning Grades.
‘Points were only lost for negative behaviour incidents.
‘The school cannot comment on an individual student’s record, but it is not the case that any student had points removed for poor attendance.
‘Refunds have already been given to parents who had paid for a prom ticket in advance.’