A 13-year-old girl says she was threatened with being sent home from school after turning up with her hair decorated like a Christmas tree.
Poppy used an empty water bottle and some battery operated lights to create a festive hairstyle on one of the last days of school before the Christmas holiday.
But when she arrived at Manchester Health Academy she was told her look was 'inappropriate', reports the MEN .
Poppy's mum Christie Leigh, says her daughter was told to put her hair down - or go home.
Christie said: "I am quite upset really, it's just Bah Humbug. It's just a bit of fun and Christmas cheer before she breaks up."
She added: "She just wanted to make things a bit more exciting."
"Poppy is always messing around with her hair. She walked in this morning and said 'mum, can I do my hair like this for school? It looks like a Christmas tree'."
"She wrapped her hair around an empty bottle of Volvic water and then she asked me to put the lights in for her.
"Her hair is usually down to her bottom. She refuses to let me cut it.
"She doesn't care what people think, she's gone to get on the tram from Benchill like she does every morning.
"One of the teachers said her hair looked fantastic, but she was told to take it out or go home.
"Poppy wouldn't come home because she loves school and is one of the top students, so she had to take it out."
Principal Keven Green said: "The Academy has the highest of expectations around uniform and teaching and learning, and all through this week, staff and students have remained focused on learning.
"Friday is a day where there will be a series of Christmas assemblies and a time for students to reflect with friends and staff about the Christmas period.
"At no point did the Academy send a student home.
"The child concerned is a wonderful student and, whilst it was a remarkably creative hairstyle, it was, unfortunately, inappropriate for school."
