School trainer row: 120 pupils placed into isolation at ONE school for wearing wrong shoes
Around 120 pupils were placed in isolation from classes for a day after wearing the wrong footwear to school.
The children at Hart School in Penkridge Bank Road, Rugeley, worked from desks in the gym. Twenty children were taken home by their parents as a result.
The incident happened on Monday – the day youngsters returned from their half-term break in the first term of the school year.
Bosses at the school, who claim to have sent at least three letters out to parents over its new uniform policy, have now set a new deadline for compliance of Wednesday, January 3.
There will be no further days of isolation until that date. In a statement, the school said: “At the Hart School we are committed to improving our standards in every aspect of our school life
“By upholding a high standard of school uniform we are promoting the best behaviour and raising educational standards.
“The school expects all of its students to wear the correct uniform detailed in our published guidelines. The school actively works with parents and carers to ensure that students are able to attend school dressed appropriately as per our policy.”
Under the uniform policy, shoes must be made with plain back leather, or be ‘leather-look shoes’. They must also be fully polishable, and cannot be pumps, canvas or boots. Converse shoes, although leather, are classified as pumps and are banned, according to the guidelines. One parent contacted the school over the action taken.
She said: “The school changed their policy at the start of the school year banning all leather Converse, or in their words no trainers allowed.
“Most parents had already bought these shoes beforehand and as they are not cheap have refused to change them, which has led to a high percentage of students being sent into isolation today.
“The majority of these students are missing vital revision time with their subject teachers.”
