The step-dad of a Greenwich school pupil who claims he was kicked out of the classroom after refusing to remove his charity wristband has hit out at teachers for their "ludicrous" reaction.

Since the row erupted on Tuesday 15-year-old Jack White has been excluded for three days from Harris Academy Greenwich, but the school insists his exclusion was not because of the charity band.

His parents have slammed the school's actions as "ridiculous", claiming teachers were "making a mountain out of a mole hill".

The teenager was in his first class of the day when he claims he was asked by a teacher to remove the black and white Lest We Forget wristband he has been wearing for the past few months.

After refusing to remove the band he was asked to study in isolation, which Jack declined to do - believing he had done nothing wrong.

News Shopper:

Jack White with his parents Barry and Angela Hooper.

Step-dad Barry Hooper claimed the school is "not prepared to listen to his [son's] side".

The 44-year-old told News Shopper: "I think it's way, way over the top. He's had this wristband on for months and it's never been any issue.

"The teacher saw him and told him to take it off, he's said 'sorry I don't want to take it off, it's something I feel very passionate about, I don't want to take it off'."

Mr Hooper said the British armed forces is a cause Jack feels strongly about, particularly as a family friend's son died fighting in the Gulf War.

Each year since his grandma died, he's said to lay a poppy at her grave in remembrance.

Along with Jack's mother Angela Hooper, the pair hoped Jack would be allowed to stay in school until the end of term on Friday.

But his exclusion means he has been forced to miss a Spanish exam - and instead sit the test in January - ahead of taking his GCSEs next year.

News Shopper:

Mr Hooper added: "He's got an exam - surely schools should be trying keep students calm before their exams more than anything else "It just seems a bit ludicrous before the end of term.

"He knows what he wants to do when he leaves school, he has been really buckling down hard to do work.

"All he wants to do is go back to his class."

A Harris Academy Greenwich spokesperson said: "It would be inappropriate to specifically comment on an individual student, but nobody at our academy has ever been excluded for wearing jewellery.

"Indeed, even though we have a ‘no jewellery’ rule, if this was in the run up to Remembrance Sunday we would happily have given permission for students to wear Remembrance wristbands in the same way as we encourage the wearing of poppies.

"We do however have high expectations of manners, attitude and behaviour and, in order to be fair to the vast majority of students who conduct themselves with great maturity, we apply the same standards to everyone."