Pupil Rosie Bromley excluded from Cardinal Allen Catholic High School after row over acrylic nails

When Michelle Bromley’s 14-year-old daughter Rosie wanted to have fake acrylic nails put on for a friend’s wedding, she says she phoned up her school to ask for permission.

To her surprise, her daughter’s teacher at Cardinal Allen Catholic High School, on Melbourne Avenue, Fleetwood, assured her that the pale pink nails would be allowed.

But the following week, Rosie, a year nine pupil, was put in isolation.

Michelle, 42, of Warley Road, North Shore, said: “Why should she be put in isolation for something that the teacher said she could have?

“She wouldn’t have got them in the first place if she had said no.

“I feel like she has been set such a bad example.”

But Andrew Cafferkey, headteacher at Cardinal Allen Catholic High School, said: “Our rules are very clear that acrylic nails are not allowed.

“This is because they can be dangerous as they can cause nasty wounds if they are ripped off, and can also hinder a pupil’s ability to take part in lessons including PE, science and technology.”

Michelle, a beautician, said Rosie refused to attend isolation, and as a result was excluded from the school for the remainder of the term.

“I just feel like my daughter is being unfairly punished,” she said. “She’s not a bad girl and when you read her school reports it proves that. All she wants to do is her school work.

“I don’t know what they have got against her or why they have treated her like this.

“I feel absolutely fuming. Rosie comes home and she’s depressed and unhappy. She feels like she’s not going to get an education.

“To me, a young girl should be able to grow up. I don’t agree with them being plastered in make-up, but a little bit of mascara or lip gloss isn’t hurting anyone.

“The school needs to move with the times. So what if they want to make themselves look nice? It doesn’t affect their education.

“At the end of the day you’ve got 150 girls at that school who have got fake nails, hair dye, fake tans and make-up on. It’s not fair to single out Rosie.

“You have teachers who go around with pink and purple hair.”

Mr Cafferkey said: “Policies are in place if any student refuses to accept school rules, especially in relation to an issue that could be a matter of safety to themselves or to others.

“We work closely with parents and carers to explain the reasons why our rules are in place. We follow our policies consistently to ensure that all students are treated fairly.

“I can confirm that there have been no exclusions from school resulting from wearing acrylic nails.”