A furious mum has blasted her son's school after he was banned from wearing his Clarks shoes.
Strict dress code rules mean Nike Air Forces and Hush Puppies are among the popular footwear brands pupils are not allowed to wear at the school. But according to one mum, her son was put in isolation for wearing his Clarks shoes, which happen to look similar to the Nike pair.
The 36-year-old, from Werrington, said kids should not be "treated like caged animals" as she spoke out against the headteacher at Moorside High School in Staffordshire.
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She said: "They are there for an education - they are not there to be treated like caged animals. They are putting them in isolation rooms and not letting them mix with their peers at lunch breaks or anything - they are eating their lunch in these rooms.
"My son has been checked four times. The head says once he has found my child with this footwear on, he will be going in isolation. I said ‘over my dead body’. He wears Clarks school shoes. There’s been a hall full of children in isolation and then the isolation classrooms have been full too. There’s quite a lot.
"If something is not broken, don’t fix it. We’ve never looked at a Moorside pupil and thought they look really scruffy."
Stoke-on-Trent Live reports that in addition to the ban on shoes, one schoolgirl was accused last week of wearing make-up and another was criticised because her skirt was the wrong material.
In response, Moorside High School has repeated its earlier statement to StokeonTrentLive about its uniform policy. Headteacher Darryn Robinson said: "Our uniform creates a sense of identity and community for our pupils. These changes represent a wider part in raising standards within the school as well as continuing to create a source of pride. The uniform policy has not changed.
"The school communicated clear guidance on all aspects of the uniform and worked with parents, guardians and pupils from June last year to prepare for this September. Changes were made in June following consultation with parents with final adjustments made this September to avoid additional cost implications for families.
"We have worked closely with families to ensure that the transition is as smooth as possible. Students in school are provided with appropriate work, linked to their curriculum at all times. We continue to work closely with families to ensure the highest expectations and outcomes for our learners."
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