Pupils must “qualify” for a ticket to their school prom, sparking fears children with special educational needs are being discriminated against.

Year 11s at Shoreham Academy are sorted into three “tiers”. It is understood tiers are based on behaviour and attendance and those with good records have already been told they can go to the event.

Some have already bought outfits for the prom, a party which marks the end of their time at the school.

Meanwhile, those in tiers two and three have been told they are yet to qualify for a ticket.

The prom will be held at Pangdean Old Barn in Pyecombe during the first week of July and more than 240 students are expected to attend.

But one parent, who asked to remain anonymous, said the ticket system is "opening students up to bullying and guilt”.

She said: “If a pupil has special educational needs or has been unwell/absent for any length of time, they are put into tier two or three. They are being penalised, making life even more difficult for them and their friendship groups. It makes an easy target to their peers for bullying.

“Prom should be a celebration of pupils’ time at school having finished. They’ve completed it. The school will say the tiers are to encourage good attendance in the last part of the year, but shouldn’t the school just wish them well on to a positive future no matter the issues they faced?

“Parents of children in tier one have been out buying prom dresses already and excitedly posting pictures online. I had to go and spend £300 on a dress and there’s no guarantee my daughter will even get to wear it.

“She’s also seen pictures of people in tier one sharing photos online, knowing that she might not get to go at all. It’s not right.”

The school has fiercely rejected claims it is putting some students at a disadvantage, saying each child has their own “action plan” on how they can get a ticket.

A spokesman for United Learning, which runs Shoreham Academy, said: “The event, which is known as the prom, is actually a ‘reward trip’. The point of the trip is to recognise the effort, attendance and resilience of these students.

“The process for allocating places is exactly the same as it has been over the past five years at the academy. Each year, it has celebrated the achievement of the students and has been wholly inclusive in ensuring that the diversity of the student cohort is fully represented.

“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.

“Those students who have not yet already secured places have been given personal guidelines on what they need to do to ensure they qualify for the trip.”

Shoreham Academy took part in Proud2Be’s children’s mental health week last week. In a post on Facebook on January 29, the school said: “This year’s theme is My Voice Matters and Place2Be hopes to empower, equip, and give a voice to every child in the UK."

The Argus asked United Learning how the school’s support for giving every child a voice aligns with blocking some from attending the prom.

The spokesman said: “Shoreham Academy is delighted to support Proud2Be and other mental health charities which demonstrates its commitment to these issues. If the school felt that in any way qualification for the reward trip was discriminating against any student characteristic it would, of course, change its policy.

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“But the school does not believe that this is the case and has had the overwhelming support of students and parents over the past few years in how the trip has been awarded and run.”

Pangdean Barn has a standing capacity of up to 250 people. It was alleged by one parent that the event would not be able to accommodate all Year 11 students.

The Argus asked United Learning for the exact number of students in Year 11 but did not receive a response.