Pupils are sent home in blitz on... socks
A SCHOOL has sent girls home for ‘showing an inch of ankle’. Around 50 pupils fell foul of a uniform purge on their first day back after half term.
Girls who wore shoes without socks were told they were infringing the rules by showing their ankles. Others were penalised for wearing the wrong trousers or footwear.
Jessica Willis, 14, was told by teachers at Consett Academy in County Durham that showing her ankle was a ‘distraction’.
Her mother, Victoria, 38, said: ‘I am absolutely disgusted the school has sent my daughter home this morning. She is showing an inch of her ankle so it is classed as a distraction to male teachers. They shouldn’t be looking at the pupils like that. What about teachers who turn up to work showing their cleavage, wearing short skirts, knee high boots and tight trousers?’ Andrea Shannon posted on Facebook: ‘My daughter is sent home for ‘Showing too much ankle’ – an insidious little phrase that I take great exception to. Are they saying that students can’t cope with the sight of the joint between the leg and foot? I completely understand and agree with a school uniform but for a pupil to be sent home for a lack of sock is a disproportionate response.’
Beth Rigden, pictured above, was ordered to leave the school because she had one-inch turnup trousers. The 14-year-old’s mother, Lisa, 32, said: ‘It’s ridiculous – they are there to learn rather than be sent home for uniform. They said she had to go home but as soon as she rolled them down one inch they were fine.’
Rachel Somerville, the school’s director, said: ‘As the vast majority of our parents appreciate, at Consett Academy we believe in upholding high standards. We have a uniform policy which is communicated with parents via our website and students are frequently reminded of the policy during the school day.
‘We have increasingly noticed a number of students are choosing not to wear the correct trousers, black shoes and appropriate socks and tights. This not only breaches our policy but isn’t fair to the 95 per cent plus of students who are correctly dressed. We are now working with parents and students to rectify the situation.’