A headteacher who was praised as a ‘star’ at Tory party conference is forcing ‘isolation’ on students whose parents can’t keep up with lunch payments.

A letter send to parents tells them that their payments are overdue and until their debats are repaid the child will be placed in ‘lunch isolation’

They will receive a Sandwich and piece of fruit only. They will spend the entire 60 minutes period in lunch isolation.

Only when the entire outstanding sum is paid in full will they be allowed into famiy lunch with their classmates.

A copy of the letter was posted on Twitter by journalist Richard Adams

Here's a copy of the letter sent to parents: pic.twitter.com/I9YQezKg25 — Richard Adams (@RichardA) July 29, 2016

The letters were sent out by Michaela community school, a ‘Free’ school in Wembley, north London.

Free schools were pioneered by the previous Education Secretary Michael Gove.

Katharine Birbalsingh, the headteacher at Michaela, was frequently praised by Gove and given a prominent speaking spot at the Tory party conference in 2010.

She told the Daily Mail, which first ran the story, that it was an attempt to encourage parents to “change their ways” and “support their children”.

But the mother who received the letter said it was threatening

I found the letter quite threatening. Isolating children for their parents not paying upfront is degrading. It’s embarrassing for poor families

Dionne Kelly, an unemployed care worker, told the Mail she had eventually paid the money by the time she got the letter, but her son had been punished anyway.

She has now moved her son out of the school.

UPDATE: A Twitter user has ‘corrected’ the letter

This is where Michael Gove’s “free schools revolution” and education “reforms” have taken us. Shameful