Pupils treated like prisoners for wearing wrong shoes or trousers, say parents

Schools across the Black Country and Staffordshire have been clamping down on uniforms after children returned from their six-week holiday.

But some are resorting to tough measures including making children sit on their own in the library or even banning them from lessons if they are not meeting strict guidelines.

Schools in Wombourne, Willenhall, Tipton and Coseley have all been taking a tough line on trainers and trousers.

Lisa Mallin's 14-year-old twins Jordan and Azaria were told to go home on Tuesday from the ACE Academy, Tipton, as they did not have the proper shoes on, despite having spent £140 on two pairs.

She said they are now allowed to wear them until next week, but says she has been told they will be in isolation after that until they have new shoes.

"I've got to keep them off school for two weeks now until I can afford them, I'm not going to let them sit in isolation."

Another pupil, Courtney Stanford, 15, was also among a group sent home on Tuesday for having the wrong footwear.

Her mother Lindsey Hobley, of Laburnum Road, Tipton, said: "She said she didn't even get into the school gates, they were checking everyone as they walked in."

ACE Academy could not be reached for a comment.

Willenhall mother Kathryn Jones said parents were being bullied by education chiefs over uniforms.

Her son Rhys was among pupils sent home from the E-Act Academy, Walsall, on the first day of the new term.

The mother-of-two, of Princethorpe Road, Willenhall, is furious that she has 'wasted' £80 on a pair of new trainers which have been rejected as unacceptable.

Rhys, along with other pupils, was sent home with a note saying: 'Trainers are not acceptable for school and we would ask you to provide them with a pair of school shoes for their return to the Academy.'

Attached were pictures of footwear which are deemed suitable for school.

But Mrs Jones said: "They were pictures of trainers. I don't see what the difference is except that these have to be 'polishable'."

Headteacher Tom Ashley said parents had been sent a series of warnings about what was considered correct school uniform. "This is part of our efforts to raise standards and we have tried to work with parents all the way along. Only a very small number of students were affected."

At Ounsdale High School, Wombourne, students were sent home to change or were kept in the library if they could not go home.

Parent Laura Crowther was only aware that her 14-year-old daughter Elisha was not in class after she saw comments from other parents online. "I texted Elisha at 1.30pm to see if she was okay and she said 'no, we are in the library and they are not letting us out'.

"Her trousers were too tight around her ankles. They are the skinny trousers she has worn for the past few years."

The school uniform policy states that trousers should not cling to the ankle, but she said her daughter had always been allowed to wear them.

"They did say if they had any issues they would be sent home to change, not kept in the library like prisoners."

Principal Christine Brown said: "The school has a clear uniform policy and parents were advised in the summer term that all students needed to attend on the first day properly dressed in full school uniform. The vast majority of students adhered to this and we are grateful to them and their parents for their support."

About 100 pupils were sent home from the Coseley School on Tuesday, but children were turned away for a second time for wearing the wrong shoes yesterday.

Lucy Morris' daughter Chloe, aged 12, was one of those prevented from going to classes for a second time.

Mrs Morris, of Cannon Drive, Coseley, spent £45 on the shoes thinking they would meet the criteria. "I've already spent my money and I'm not prepared to buy shoes for Chloe that are too expensive for her to wear just after school."

See also:

100 pupils sent home for having wrong shoes