Brighton: Pupils banned from school's prom celebrate at Pryzm

Some Year 11s at Dorothy Stringer School in Loder Road, Brighton, were not allowed to go to the leaver’s event at Pangdean Old Barn because they did not have enough “prom points” to “qualify”.

So mum Ruth Cover, 44, took matters into her own hands and organised a separate event for schoolchildren who were not allowed to attend.

Her son Harry, 16, and dozens of his classmates spent yesterday evening at Pryzm in West Street, dancing, chatting and celebrating the end of their time at secondary school.

Ruth, who lives in Fiveways, said: “It is clear to me that the expectations set by the school are much harder for neurodiverse children to meet compared to their neurotypical peers. These children are expected to adhere to strict rules and standards that may be impossible for them to achieve due to unique challenges.

Harry Cover, left, and his friends outside Pryzm (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

“I strongly believe that every child deserves a chance to celebrate and be included in end-of-year events like prom. By excluding children based on unattainable targets, the school is sending a harmful message that their differences are not valid or deserving of recognition.

“I am determined to show young people that it is not fair to set them up for failure and exclusion based on criteria that may be impossible for them to meet. These children deserve a special night to celebrate their achievements and hard work throughout the year.”

Ruth Cover, Harry's mum, said the children 'deserved a special night' (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

READ MORE: Mum slams school as children 'up in arms' over end of year celebrations

It was a night to remember for the schoolchildren who partied from 6 until 10pm, fuelled by food from Sorella Pizza Co, a van from Hove.

Dorothy Stringer pupils are assigned a score based on their "attitude to learning" - a new scheme which rates students on a number of metrics from resilience to enthusiasm.

A spokeswoman from the school said: “The prom is an end-of-year school celebration and an earned reward trip that recognises the effort, attendance and resilience of the students.

Ruth Cover and her son Harry ahead of the event (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

“The event is run by volunteers and around 60 per cent of the year group usually wish to attend. The process for allocating places is exactly the same as it has been for many years. Each year, it has been wholly inclusive in ensuring that the diversity of the student cohort is fully represented.

“All our students start Year 11 with the same number of ‘prom points’ and all initially qualify for the trip because we want everyone to have the opportunity to attend. Additionally, individual plans were put in place to support students which outlined what they needed to do to ensure they qualified for the trip."

Schoolchildren partying at Pryzm (Image: Ruth Cover)

“No student misses out through no fault of their own, and extreme care is taken to ensure that those with particular needs are prioritised.

"In addition, support with the cost of attending is given to students who are most in need through our financial support officer," the spokeswoman added.

“We have invested a huge amount of time, energy and effort in supporting all our Year 11 students, especially those with special educational needs. We have rules in place, and we have to be fair to all the students who worked hard to qualify for a place as well as those who did not.”