An outraged parent has criticised a Marlow school after she says her daughter was tormented by the sound of building work while trying to sit exams.

The parent, who asked not to be named, said students were forced to listen workmen "banging and drilling" while completing their GCSE mocks.

As work continues on the school's new sixth form block, the mother questioned why staff couldn’t have asked the workers to down tools.

She said: "All that drilling and banging, she had to listen to that all week.

"I’m just outraged that the school could do that to its students, I know it’s only mocks but they give students their morale to try and improve their grades.

"I have asked if they can move them but they say they can’t. It’s not a fit environment, the only way is to stop the building work while the mocks are going on.

"They’ve assured me it’s not going on when the GCSEs are happening, but how can I feel assured? It’s outrageous that they should suffer."

Head Geralyn Wilson said work on the £1million block was suspended for eight days while the exams were completed, but that those sitting ‘catch-up sessions’ were the only ones affected.

She said: "We used to do the mocks before Christmas, but now we like to have them towards the end when students have finished nearly all of the course content.

"There was no work on site for eight days and we tried to keep disruption to a mimimum, but there is only so long we could suspend the work for."

Mrs Wilson added she will personally speak to the families affected about their grievances.