A mum nicknamed Auntie Penge for her work in the community says Harris Academy Beckenham made her have her son’s "extreme" hair cut three times in one week before they’d let him back into lessons.

Tyriq Cole, 13, was told to leave school premises because of his Mohican hairstyle and after the first two cuts it still wasn’t deemed short enough, his mum claims.

Mum Tanya Fullerton, 35, told News Shopper: “I said ‘what on earth - and how on earth is this affecting his education?’

“He’s had that haircut for his whole life – since primary school.

“He had it when he started at Harris Academy but then they decided it wasn’t appropriate.

“They kept saying it still wasn’t appropriate. In the end I cut it all off – he got a number 1.”

News Shopper:

Tyriq, mum Tanya and twin sister Taina

Ms Fullerton decided to come forward about the haircut incident, which happened at the beginning of this school year, after seeing the petition started against rules at Harris Academy Beckenham on Change.org.

The petition, which was started anonymously but written from the perspective of pupils at the school, singled out rules the petition’s creators felt should be scrapped for being “defective to learning, aimless and far too harsh”.

The rules include wearing only black coats and a one-way system said to be introduced with the aim of easing congestion in the corridors.

Ms Fullerton is a youth worker in the community and feels the disciplinary measures employed at the school are too extreme.

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She said: “I agree with the petition that was started because the rules are pointless.

“I work with children in Penge, I do everything for them I can.

“I do it all off my own back I don’t get any funding for it but everyone knows me, the police know me.

“My nickname is actually ‘Auntie Penge’.”

She says she feels an obligation to come forward and speak out against the school rules when other parents have been reluctant to as her children have become so unhappy at the school they no longer want to participate in sports events.

Tyriq and his twin sister Taina Cole are both skilled runners but don’t want to win any more trophies for the school, she says.

She told News Shopper: “No one else is going to come forward because they are scared for their child.

“Well, my child is no longer happy.”

A spokeswoman for Harris Academy Beckenham said Tariq was sent home twice to get his hair restyled rather than three times.

She told News Shopper: “Along with most other schools, we have a rule that extreme hairstyles, such as mohicans, are not allowed.

“In order to be fair to the vast majority of our families, who happily comply with this rule, we apply the same standards to everyone.

“Last September, a student came back to school after the summer holidays with a Mohican.

“He quickly had his hair re-styled and so the incident has now been resolved for almost a full school year.”