Bury St Edmunds family fight to get Lucie, 16, a student at County High School, to prom after she was banned over her behaviour

A teenager has been left ‘distraught’ after being banned from her school prom – and her family have launched a petition in the hope of getting her there.

Lucie Jull, 16, a student at Bury St Edmunds County High School, spoke of feeling ‘upset and hurt’ that she is not permitted to attend her school’s end-of-year celebration events, including Wednesday’s prom.

Last week’s letter from the school to Lucie outlined her continued behavioural issues in school – in contravention of its behaviour policy – as the reason she is not allowed to go.

Lucie’s mum Melissa Claydon said her daughter, who is awaiting a neurodiversity assessment, had been ‘punished enough’ for her struggles.

Sally Kennedy, head of County High School, part of Unity Schools Partnership, said they communicated with parents in December that any persistent breaches of the behaviour policy could result in students not being permitted to take part in end-of-year celebrations including the prom, and this was followed by subsequent communication.

She added when a student had a learning need, including a hidden disability, they put in place strong support and an individualised plan.

The change.org petition launched by Lucie’s family has already garnered more than 400 signatures.

The petition says: “She is absolutely distraught and cannot understand how she can be excluded from these events.”

It adds that Lucie has never been the ‘naughty child’, but the ‘struggling, neurodiverse teenager who tries so hard to fit in’.

The letter from the school, dated June 14, says Lucie had been informed in February that her invitation to the end-of-year celebrations and prom had been removed due to continued behavioural issues, but it may be reinstated if there was a sustained effort to follow the positive behaviour for learning policy.

However, the letter cited incidents since March including being late for school or class and one suspension, which Lucie understands was for not handing her phone in.

The letter said the incidents were despite extensive support in place for Lucie.

Lucie said: “I’ll never be 16 again, I might not be going to the same college or sixth form as my friends, so this will be my final celebration with them, but I’m not allowed to go.

“I’ll instead be watching the celebrations through social media and that makes me feel upset and hurt.”

She said she had tried for so long to prove she had as much right as anyone to be allowed to attend prom and the leavers’ assembly.

Her mum said Lucie had served multiple punishments, sometimes unfairly, and was now being punished all over again despite trying so hard to be ‘normal’ and to fit in.

“I truly believe that Lucie has been punished enough for her struggles and that should be the end of it but instead we’re still fighting for inclusivity of our neurodiverse children,” she said.

Ms Kennedy added that the school communicated very carefully about the importance of meeting behavioural expectations when in Year 11, and unfortunately a very small number of students did not meet them.