A Welling teenager has been forced to wear odd shoes to school or face missing lessons after injuring her ankle.
Sophie Bailey, 16, suffered a torn ankle ligament two years ago but had a recurrence in January, requiring her to wear an air cast boot.
Cheryl Razzell, 36, of Buckingham Avenue, showed letters to Harris Falconwood Academy staff from a consultant confirming that her daughter needed to wear trainers due to medical reasons on Monday.
However, the school will allegedly only let Sophie into lessons if she wears a trainer on one foot and a school shoe on the other.
Ms Razzell told News Shopper: “We had a meeting with the assistant head principal and she said she would show us the trainers to go out and buy.
“I asked her if Sophie was allowed to wear the trainers she currently has in the meantime but she replied saying she would have to sit in Unit.
“This means she would be sitting on her own in a classroom and wouldn’t get the benefits of being around other students.
“The school just does not care about their pupils at all.”
Sophie attended school on Monday, but did not go in yesterday.
She is set to sit her GCSE exams in the upcoming months and Ms Razzell says the footwear fiasco has been a huge distraction.
The Microsoft employee added: “She’s an A* student and has been predicted very good grades in her GCSEs.
“The amount of stress this has put Sophie through is crazy – she has come home in tears.
“They told her that she had to have one trainer on one foot and one school shoe on the other foot - but that would be humiliating and embarrassing for her, plus it would cause health issues.
“The point is that they’re literally blocking a student who is willing to come and learn because she’s not wearing the correct footwear due to a medical reason.”
Sophie originally tore her ankle ligament playing volleyball in the summer two years ago – but had a recurrence in January after she trod on a loose rock.
A Harris Falconwood Academy spokesman said: “We accept that Sophie’s foot injury wasn’t handled in an ideal way.
“She has returned to school as expected.”
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