Furious parents have slammed Holderness Academy for its ‘ridiculous’ policy on school skirts.
At the beginning of term, parents claim their daughters were made to line up and have their skirt waistbands inspected, to confirm they were purchased from the approved uniform provider. The children wearing supermarket brands were allegedly then reprimanded by being put in isolation, despite these skirts being a fraction of the cost and apparently looking the same.
One of these girls was 12-year-old Lilly, who has spent time in isolation since last week. Due to her slim physique, her parents Katie and Wayne say they could not find a skirt to fit her from Rawcliffes Schoolwear and instead purchased one from Asda.
Katie told Hull Live: “We originally did try to get her the right skirt but Lilly is tiny, it kept falling off her. The skirts are between £17.99 and £21.99 each from Rawcliffes, but we managed to find black pleated skirts from Asda, which cost £7 for two.
“She wore a Sainsburys skirt last year and had no problems but this year, teachers have been asking pupils to lift up their blouses so they can see the label in the waistband. When Lilly was found to have an Asda skirt, she was put in isolation and came home very upset.”
In isolation, also known as ‘reflection’, students are made to sit in silence and answer questions from a textbook independently, rather than have a teacher-led lesson. Parents have called out the disruption to learning over what they believe is a minor issue but also have concerns for the mental health of their children.
Dad Wayne said: “It’s not her fault that she can’t fit into the right one and she shouldn’t be punished for it- the school need to contact the parents directly to discuss it. The majority of the children being put in isolation are good kids that don’t deserve to be there.”
Lilly herself described the experience of being in isolation as ‘boring and stressful’. She said she finds it hard to learn by herself with a textbook and has missed out on spending break times with friends.
She isn’t the only pupil at Holderness Academy facing these problems, as 14-year-old Toni-Leigh Dunn has now been pulled out of school by her mum. Toni was placed in isolation for two days, after a ‘humiliating’ ordeal, where she also claims she was made to line up and have her waistband checked.
“Toni’s form tutor instructed her to lift her blouse up in front of her whole class and male teachers,” Toni’s mum, Becky Richards, claimed. “Then loudly read out that her skirt was from Asda, prompting other kids to make fun of her and claim she couldn’t afford the proper one.
“At the rate Toni is growing, I can’t afford to be splashing out £20 every couple of months for a new skirt. This is the last straw that makes it clear learning isn’t the priority, it’s about how the school looks.
“If you have to check the label to know it’s not a Rawcliffes skirt, can it really look that different? I have now taken her out of school and she has a mentor and a tutor to help her with everything she needs away from that environment.”
Toni said: “It was really embarrassing, I didn’t like having my skirt checked and it’s a relief I don’t have to go back.”
Despite widespread controversy, Holderness Academy and other schools in the area are standing firm with their new uniform policies. A spokesperson for the Consortium Trust, of which Holderness Academy is part of, said: “The start of the academic year is a key period in which standards and expectations are set.
“We work respectfully with our learners to support good habits and adherence to key policies; this is in the best interest of all members of the school community. Our schools’ uniform expectations foster equality and encourage a sense of pride and belonging in the community.
“We are working through a small number of concerns that have been raised by parents and will continue to work with them to overcome any barriers. We work respectfully with our students, demonstrating our school values at all times.”
However, the Department of Education has made their stance on uniforms clear, advising schools to prioritise cost over anything else when it comes to sourcing uniform. A spokesperson said: “We have been absolutely clear that uniform should be affordable and costs for parents should be kept down by enabling them to choose high street and unbranded options.
“Our statutory guidance is that cost and value for money for parents should be the most important consideration by schools when deciding how to source uniform and we expect schools to follow this.”
