Leigh RobinsonTHE MOTHER of a 16-year-old girl suspended for smoking outside her school just three weeks before her GCSEs has criticised the headteacher's decision.

Elaine Robinson said her daughter Leigh was more than a hundred yards away from St Laurence School, Bradford on Avon after finishing for the day, when headteacher James Colquhoun approached her and asked her to put the cigarette out.

After refusing she later found out she had been suspended for three days and was unable to appeal the decision until the suspension had been completed.

Mrs Robinson, 42, of St Aldhelm Road, said: "I have always tried to show the even hand with Leigh but on this occasion I can't.

"She was unaware that her behaviour would have led to this. I don't know what sort of message Mr Colquhoun is trying to portray to the kids but it's not working.

"He's obviously of the opinion that whatever goes on 100 yards from his school is his."

Mr Colquhoun arrived at the school in January 2004 with a reputation as a disciplinarian.

In a two-month period while headteacher of All Saints College, Newcastle, 117 pupils were excluded from the school, while in one year he oversaw a total of 477 exclusions for issues such as smoking and behaviour.

Mrs Robinson said although her child was far from being a model pupil she could not understand the decision to suspend her just days before her exams.

Having studied the school rulebook Mrs Robinson said there was no mention of smoking outside of school premises and considered the ban unfair.

"I really don't think the punishment fits the crime. He also did not tell her she was going to be suspended if she did not stop smoking," she said.

"He never even gave her an option. As far as she was concerned she was acting within her legal rights. I don't agree with smoking but at 16 if the law says she can then there's not a lot I can do about it."

But Mr Colquhoun defended his stance, saying Leigh's actions had tarnished the image of the school.

In a statement he said: "This particular student was in defiance of the headteacher following a request to extinguish the cigarette and thereby brought the school into disrepute.

"Her offence was clearly a breach of our expectations.

"I am sorry it all came to this, but there is a clear standard on what is required of St Laurence students in school uniform, on the edge of school premises and on the margins of our school."

A spokesman for Wiltshire County Council said: "We encourage schools to balance the needs of school discipline with a supportive approach to helping pupils stop smoking."