Teenager banned from class because of her prescription footwear

Shannon Hesford, a 13-year-old pupil at Buttershaw Business and Enterprise College, Bradford, was a straight-A student and hoped to be a surgeon before being kept out of class.

The teenager has to wear prescribed insoles in footwear that can be laced tightly. When her mother, Rachael Hesford, could not find any suitable smart shoes in which they would fit, she bought black trainers instead.

But the school says her daughter is breaking the college's 'no

trainers' policy.

The only colour the Nike shoes display is the white trademark flash, a spot of pink on the sole and on the lip which is hidden by Shannon's trousers.

Miss Hesford said: "It was the best I could find that would fit her and hold the insoles in place. She can't wear little dolly shoes like the other girls.

"Last year she had black lace-up trainers that were lime green on the sole and no-one said a word. So why now? At parents' night teachers told me the sky was the limit for her, so why are they doing this to her? School has a medical letter on file. She's not a trouble-maker but she's been made to feel as though she is."

In a statement, headteacher Richard Hughes said: "We have very high standards for school uniform, but we are also flexible where it is appropriate and necessary to be so. If students need to wear a different kind of footwear for medical conditions then they can do so, although we ask that these are plain black where this is possible."

Miss Hesford added: "The college is not being flexible at all. If that's the statement then why aren't they sticking to it?"