A mother has withdrawn her 15-year-old daughter from school just weeks before her GCSE mock exams after the pupil was told to remove a nose piercing. Louise Mcnamara said she would not force Shannon Irving to take out the stud, which cannot be removed for another eight weeks.
Shannon, a Year 11 pupil at Oxford Academy, got the piercing on Saturday as an early 16th birthday present. Despite knowing the school bans facial piercings, she claimed other girls wear small studs without issue. On Monday, her head of year spotted the piercing and removed her from classes.
The school offered to educate Shannon in isolation if she refused to remove the stud, but Ms Mcnamara rejected this, calling it unfair. She asked for schoolwork to be sent home, but the school refused, warning that keeping Shannon at home could lead to prosecution.
Deputy headteacher Sally Elliott said Shannon was aware of the rules, which allow only one small stud in each ear. She added: “It helps students not get distracted from their education and helps them learn that there are rules in life.” The school has not changed its policy on nasal piercings.
