Carol Goodchild and daughter Kate Foster (left) with Lauren Rogers and her mum Sharon Dalton

by Rachel Hovenden

Two girls were sent home from school with just two weeks to go until they finish their GCSE exams - because they dyed their hair.

Lauren Rogers and Kate Foster, both 16, have been told they will not be able to go back to Thamesview School until the dye washes out.

Lauren has dyed pink strands in her hair and Kate has turned her hair magenta.

Head teacher Rhiannon Hughes said they cannot return to the Gravesend school until their hair is the natural colour.

She has also banned youngsters from having mobile phones out in classrooms, including during their breaks.

Pupils may use them in a central hall called The Heart and outside the building, in Thong Lane.

Mrs Hughes, pictured left, said: "The parents sign up to the school’s policies about students' appearance.

"The girls are in year 11. They know what the rules are. It doesn’t change while they are taking exams.

"Our rule is that hair colour should be a natural colour and pink is not natural."

She added that Lauren had come into school two weeks ago on the day of the prom with pink strands in her hair.

She told Lauren to go and see the trainee hairdressers at the school to see if they could clip it back and cover the colour up.

They managed to do so - and she went to the prom.

But Mrs Hughes said that since then, the dye in Lauren’s hair had spread.

Lauren’s mother Sharon Dalton, 41, said: "She’s got three or four exams left and she has been told she can’t go back to school until it’s washed out.

"The funny thing about it is that there are double standards.

"The headmistress gave her permission to dye her hair in red for her school prom.

"And quite a few children in the lower years have their hair dyed."

Lauren Rogers and Kate Foster were sent home from Thamesview School

Mrs Hughes aded: "Everywhere has a uniform. If people go for job interviews they will be expected to dress a certain way.

"If you work at M&S or the police you have a unform."

Thamesview School was told it was good with outstanding features in its Ofsted report last October.