SCHOOLGIRL CAUGHT IN PURPLE HAIR ROW

A FURIOUS mum has taken her daughter out of school in a row with teachers over the girl’s purple hair.

Eva Herbert had dyed her hair before returning to Orchard Mead Academy, in Hamilton, Leicester, for the new term.

However, her colouring left teachers at the academy less than impressed.

They told Eva her hair contravened the school’s “Dressed for Success” uniform policy and said she should return it to a natural shade.

Teachers decided the 14-year-old would have to do her lessons in isolation until the colouring issue was resolved.

However, her mum Claire has instead decided to pull her out of school for a second day.

Ms Herbert, who runs a salon, said: “I’m furious about this. Eva has always had different hair colours.

“Before the summer holidays it was green and nobody at the school had a problem with it.

“Her hair is actually more plum than purple and it is neat and tidy in a ponytail.

“Her uniform is always smart but now it’s an academy they’ve got this new posh uniform policy.

“They’ve said I need to dye it but I’m not going to, no way.

“Eva’s hair colour is important to her.

“She hasn’t always been the most confident and it has helped her.

“Eva finds the whole thing ridiculous. Her hair colour doesn’t affect her ability to learn but putting her in a classroom on her own does.

“I’m not having it so I’ve pulled her out.

“There’s another girl in exactly the same position as her.”

Ms Herbert, from Thurmaston, said the dye was already washing out and Eva’s hair would return to its natural brown colour in a few weeks.

In a letter to Ms Herbert, assistant principal Katie Lowe said the academy had high expectations for its students and that students must not have “extreme hair styles or colours which would be deemed unacceptable in a professional business environment”.

She said: “Eva’s purple hair falls short of those expectations and we would like to work together to remedy this.

“The academy reserves the right to decide what is deemed acceptable in the case of all uniform requirements.

Eva’s current hair falls short of those expectations and we would like to work together with Eva and her parents to remedy this.”