Parents slam Armfield Academy's "draconian" uniform policy which punishes pupils on their first day back

On Wednesday (August 31), secondary pupils at Armfield Academy were stopped at the school gate to have their uniform inspected, and those who were deemed to have broken the school rules, were taken to the school uniform store rather than class.

At the uniform store, pupils had to surrender either a mobile phone, house keys or bus pass, in return for their required school issue items, which they could borrow for the day.

Parents report they were out of the classrom for over an hour while this was taking place.

At the end of the day, pupils could then have their original items returned to them, with a promise they would buy accetable alternatives as soon as possible.

One parent said: “The first issue for me was that the rules aren't clear in the first place. There's a lot of contradictory information out there, so parents can't support the school rules because it's not clear exactly what they are. But then two- first day back at school, when they should be welcoming them to the new term and settling them in, they weren't even allowed to go further than the school gate. It's the whole heavy handed, broad brush, draconian way they went about it that made not only myself but a few parents, unhappy. It just felt like the the students weren't being treated fairly first day back.”

This parent’s child was deemed to not be wearing the appropriate footwear, as their plain black shoes were not made of leather- despite the fact the school’s website merely states that a sturdy pair are required.

If leather is mandatory, then that “is not on” says the parent, who explains “for one, you’re excluding a group of people on religious and moral beleifs, and two, not all parents can afford leather shoes, especially with the cost of living crisis as it is at the moment.

“I just think there was a lot of confusion going on on day one, and I don't think the school operated very well. It wasn't best foot forward for the start of a new term. There were students upset by it, was there any need for it really? Did they balance that against lesson time lost? I think they had their priorities in the wrong order.”

Headteacher of Armfield Academy, Mark Kilmurray said: “All parents/carers have been advised prior to the summer break of the Armfield Academy uniform requirements, which refers to students wearing school shoes and not branded trainers.

“The vast majority of parents/carers support our efforts in ensuring high standards of school uniform and we thank them for this.

“We are all mindful of families struggling with the cost of living crisis, combined with the immediate costs of new uniform, PE Kit or indeed where there are siblings. Over recent years we have supported numerous families, providing them with appropriate footwear and other items of school uniform, all of which has been well received.

“One of our challenges is to work with a small number of families who may find it difficult to operate within a school structure that relies on cooperation and adherence to some simple rules and standards. We always look to broker solutions and work with families, with the overriding aim of keeping students in school, focused on their learning.

“Should any child have a medical related problem with their feet or cannot wear shoes for religious/ethical reasons, or moreover simply cannot afford a particular item of uniform we will always support them.”