A mother has slammed a school for its “inhumane” treatment of pupils after her daughter was left “stressed and anxious” when she was refused permission to go to the toilet during class.

Bourne End Academy’s toilets are reportedly locked during lessons and pupils can only go to the toilet if they have a pass, but you must have a medical reason to get one.

Natalie Morris, from Loudwater, told the Bucks Free Press her teenage daughter was twice “humiliated” and told she could not go to the toilet when she asked last week – and sent a text home to her parents in despair.

The furious mother said “even in prison they let you go to the toilet when you want” and that the New Road school is “refusing children their basic rights”.

Mrs Morris said her daughter is even now trying to avoid drinking anything during the day so she doesn’t need to use the toilet during lessons.

She added: “This shows a lack of respect for the children who attend and their health needs. They will only let you go on receipt of a toilet pass, but you need a medical reason to get one, and even then this proves difficult.

“Toilets are locked during lessons and children have to raise their hand to ask permission to go. Children are expected to wait up to two and a half hours before they can go.

“Twice last week my daughter was humiliated and told she could not go. In despair she sent a text home to advise us she could not go.

“My husband phoned the first time after [one teacher] refused to let her go. After threatening with advising the press, they quickly sent a teacher to the class to allow her to go to the toilet.

“The second time she was refused by [a different teacher] at 1pm and my husband called again and was promised my daughter could get a toilet pass, but nothing was done. The head teacher promised a call back on Friday and still no one has called.”

In disgust, she refused to allow her daughter to go to school on Monday, May 16, because she still had not been given a pass and it was giving her teenager anxiety.

She said: “I have refused to let my daughter attend today [Monday, May 16] as she has no toilet pass. My daughter is becoming very distressed and anxious due to this. She tries not to drink in the day to avoid using the toilet.

“Girls at this age especially need to make regular use of the toilet when menstruating.”

Bourne End Academy head teacher Louise Cowley defended the school’s policy when approached by the Bucks Free Press with Mrs Morris’s concerns.

She said: “Toilets are available during the day, and students are encouraged to use them during break and lunchtimes so that learning is not unnecessarily disturbed.

“Any students with medical needs are given passes. We encourage parents to discuss any concerns or worries they have with us at any time and are happy to work with them to provide any support that their child needs.”