A MODEL pupil has been banned by her school from attending the end of year prom after her parents refused permission for her to attend extra revision classes.

A school governor has quit in protest over the treatment of Kayleigh Baker, 16, a prefect who already has two A grade GCSEs and a string of academic awards to her name.

But senior staff at Hurworth School, near Darlington, insist they have done nothing wrong and say the tough line on extra classes benefits pupils.

Kayleigh, 16, who has never been in trouble, has also been stopped from playing for the school netball team and from going on trips.

School chief executive Eamonn Farrar said: "We know what's best for the children and that is why we make them go to these lessons.

"If one child doesn't go to them it will have a massive effect on the other children. It might even affect their life chances."

But the row has made Kayleigh, who lives near the school, ill with stress and she has lost a stone in weight.

She said: "I have always liked school and enjoyed my lessons, but this has really upset me."

School governor Chris Aston, who resigned over the dispute, wrote to the other governors saying the school had been "severe" and "extremely punitive".

He said he could not justify the school's decision to pupils, friends or other parents.

He said: "I personally know of a number of teachers who are far from happy with the way this has been handled.

"I'm convinced the school will continue to be academically successful and that is my hope, but I wonder at what cost to individual parental and pupil choice."

Hurworth School is one of the best-performing in the country. Last year, 93 per cent of pupils left with the benchmark of five A* to C grades and it is consistently in the Government list of top schools.

Pupils in year 11 are asked to attend up to two hour-long after-school lessons every week at the headteacher's discretion.

Teachers give up their time to run the sessions, which the school says were made compulsory five years ago.

The argument started last June when the school asked all year 11 parents to sign a form allowing their children to attend the sessions.

Kayleigh's parents, Kay and Ellis Baker, did not sign, saying their daughter was already a high achiever who did not need the burden of extra classes.

Afterwards, headteacher Dean Judson wrote to them saying Kayleigh would be banned from any "other voluntary activities" at the school. This included the prom at Hardwick Hall, near Sedgefield, County Durham, next month.

However, Kayleigh, who wants to be a lawyer, was allowed to attend a school achievement ceremony, where she picked up five awards.

Mrs Baker wrote to the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) asking if the school was allowed to make the extra lessons compulsory.

Sue White, of the DfES, replied: "All study support (out of school hours) activities are entirely voluntary and there should be no compulsion on young people to attend."

But Mr Farrar said young people could be kept back after school for things like detentions.

Mrs Baker, 38, said: "We have a lot of respect for the school. I was on the parents and teachers' association for three years, Ellis has sponsored the netball kit, and, until now, we have been discreet, but it has been like hitting your head against a brick wall.

"The school has been cruel and there is no justice whatsoever."

The decision has hurt Kayleigh even more because she had a long gold prom dress hand-made in China about a year ago.

Mr and Mrs Baker went through the school's complaints procedure, but stopped because they did not want the wrangle continuing when their daughter took her exams.

They described the complaints procedure as slow and ineffective.

Kayleigh is on the gifted and talented list at Hurworth School.

Last year, she had 100 per cent attendance and her school reports have all been outstanding.

Every year she has received a commendation from the headteacher.

Mr Judson has described Kayleigh as "brilliant" in her past two end-of-year reports.

Her form tutor wrote: "What can I add to what I have already written about the lovely Kayleigh? She is an inspiration to others with impeccable behaviour and totally focused attitude.

A hugely popular member of my tutor group."

Mrs Baker said Kayleigh had started suffering from anxiety attacks and developed headaches and a rash as a result of the stress. In recent weeks, schoolmates launched a poster campaign to try and persuade Mr Judson to allow Kayleigh to attend the prom. The teenager said: "My friends have been fantastic and they are all as upset as I am.

"I volunteered to help younger children on a school trip to Wales this summer, but I am not even allowed to do that."

Chairwoman of the school's governing body, Sam Jameson, supported the headteacher's decision, saying: "To date, I have received no other complaints from parents of students in year eleven."