An angry mum has slammed a controversial decision to ban parents from attending their children’s nursery school graduation.

Normally pupils leaving to start primary are given a special scroll and handed their new school tie at the ceremonies.

Last June, parents were able to attend the events – after the easing of lockdown – but, this year, they have been banned.

Proposals to have the same ceremony in nursery playgrounds, with social distancing in place, have been thrown out.

Mother-of-four Kirsten Stoddart, 35, whose son Harris attends Moorpark Nursery, in Renfrew, was told of the ban in a letter from Renfrewshire Council.

The systems analyst said: “Pubs and shops are open and people have been told they can go to Glasgow Green to watch the Euros but we can’t stand outside a school for five minutes and take photographs of our children.

“It’s not right.”

Harris was due to graduate later this month before starting at Kirklandneuk Primary, also in Renfrew, in August.

The children were also given graduation gowns which they can wear during the ceremony.

Kirsten added: “Harris has been at Moorpark for the last three years and it has been a big part of his life.

“We cannot fault the nursery, as they have been great with us.

“The decision is due to Scottish Government guidelines which restrict parents from attending school events like prizegivings and sports days.

“As a result, Renfrewshire Council have imposed a blanket ban on all graduation events at nurseries.

“I have asked them to reconsider but they have refused.”

Kirsten says she is dreading having to tell her son that she won’t be with him on his big day.

She added: “These are milestone moments for our children.

“I have been at every nursery school event and nativity play since he started. Harris has never looked across and not seen his mum.”

Kirsten, who also has one-year-old twins and a seven-year-old son, is backing a Change.org campaign calling on councils to review the nursery graduation ban.

Within a few days of its launch last week, more than 3,000 people had signed up.

Kirsten said: “We can’t understand why graduations could take place last year, at the height of the pandemic, but not now, when most people have been vaccinated.

“It has been a difficult year for Harris and other kids of his age because they have already missed out on so much. It is forgotten that children of his age have made all the same sacrifices as the adults but their lives have not gone back to normal yet.”

A council spokesperson said: “All our nursery centres and classes will have events to mark children graduating to primary school.

“However, current Scottish Government guidance means that parents will not be able to attend these events.”