Injured martial arts world champ 'threatened with fines' by Doncaster school over attendance

15-year-old Chloe Tilley and her dad Richard are locked in a battle with Scawsby’s Ridgewood School over recent absences from lessons after she suffered a dislocated knee and recurring tonsilitis.

Mr Tilley says his daughter, a two time world champion, has repeatedly been warned over her attendance, despite using crutches as she recovers from her injuries.

He said: “We keep getting verbal threats of fines for illnesses - every time we ask for it in writing, it is ignored.”

He also says Chloe, who practices tae kwondo and kick boxing, has attended after school clubs to catch up on missed work – but on a number of occasions no work was provided for her to do.

Mr Tilley said: “She was on crutches with her leg. They did a risk assessment and said she was not allowed on stairs.

"Chloe came out of a class and a doorway was locked. It was a glass window door and the teachers there mouthed to the students to go around.

"Chloe and her friends told them through the window that Chloe was on crutches and they insisted they walk around which involved climbing stairs.

"Chloe was upset so I collected her from school. A staff member told me Chloe didn’t like school and I said “can you blame her after this?”

Mr Tilley says he made an official complaint to headteacher Andy Peirson and later received an apology.

The family have also been paying for Chloe to receive private maths tuition and Mr Tilley said: “It’s a lesson she struggles with, so when they’re wanting to fine us for being ill we say “look we’re good parents we do what’s best for our kids.

“Ridgewood is constantly defensive and confrontational. It’s like they have a set of rules and expectations for kids to deal with and everything is black or white and when there’s a curve ball or someone challenges their decision, they aren’t intellectual enough to go off script and sort it out.

"I’ve requested information so I can counter it with medical records for the absences.”He says they have asked the school for work for Chloe to do at the family home in Scawthorpe and added: “There original attitude was “we don’t supply work at home, if you’re well enough to do work at home you’re well enough to do it in school”.

"When I’m ill off work, I can work from home in periods, because I might have a rest or medication and feel better for an hour or two so I make myself productive, I am not however well enough to travel and go out in the cold or to be too far from a toilet, or not allowed a drink in class for example.

"So it’s not really a one size fits all situation.

"We get threatened with fines, I’ve told them I’m sick of the verbal threats. Either put it in writing to me or stop.

"I’m not bothered about the money for the fine it’s that paying it is to accept admission to fault, which is illness and you cannot fine a parent for a child being sick.

"We’re worried because Chloe potentially needs two operations – her tonsils removed and knee surgery and we’re dreading the “support” the school will offer.

"We just want what’s best for our daughter and not getting caught up in this very petty feud.

"She lives and breathes martial arts – she misses it so much after her injury and cannot wait to get back at it.”

Ridgewood headteacher Andy Peirson said: “We cannot comment on individual cases.

"However, Ridgewood School sets high expectations for attendance and, when necessary, we follow DfE guidance to support students to improve their attendance.”