AN ACADEMY has been accused of not supporting a star gymnast after it refused her permission to compete in a major international competition.

County gymnast Alix Booker, 10, will be marked as an unauthorised absent by John Henry Newman Academy today as she travels to Malta to perform on the international stage.

The schoolgirl's mother, Myra Booker, asked for her daughter to be excused for four days from today to compete, but was refused permission.

This was despite every other child going on the trip from Abingdon Gymnastics Club being backed by their schools to go for gold.

Mrs Booker said she felt let down by the school and decided to take her daughter to the competition regardless of the consequences, which could be a fine or prosecution.

The 44-year-old, who lives in Rivermead Road, Rose Hill, said: "This is making me lose faith in the school.

"She is on the gifted and talented register for her gymnastics and it appears as if they are not supporting her in something that she could go a long way in.

"Out of the 17 girls in total going, Alix was the only one who has not got her absence authorised. It is just not fair."

Mrs Booker, a mother-of-three, said she asked the academy months in advance of the trip for an authorised absence.

She said: "Her attendance is 94 per cent and upwards. I would understand if she had a low attendance."

Alix is a member of Oxfordshire's county gymnastics squad and trains nine hours a week over three days.

Her coach, Nikki Woodward of Abingdon Gymnastics Club, said she had progressed "very quickly" since taking up the sport two years ago.

The head coach added it was the third time the club based in Berinsfield had taken gymnasts to the Malta GymStars International Women's Artistic Competition.

She said: "We have never had any school not given authorisation for a gymnast to go, it's usually recorded as sporting absence or exceptional absence.

"The competition provides them all with the opportunity to be independent and experience competition abroad.

Principal Jackie Ranger said no fine would be issued to Mrs Booker, but confirmed Alix's absence would go down as unauthorised.

Mrs Ranger said meetings had taken place with the parents to discuss the reasons behind for not granting permission.

She added: "Alix is one of our gifted and talents students and we are extremely proud of her both inside and outside the school.

"We have been trying to improve our attendance which was below the national average, but has now improved.

"We take a consistent approach to authorising absence across the school, which has had an impact on improving attendance."

In May, a father who refused to pay a £120 fine for taking his daughter on an unauthorised term-time holiday won a High Court ruling in his favour.

After the case, the Government said it would look to change the law which states children's attendance is non-negotiable.