A 12-year-old schoolboy was put into isolation because his hair cut wasn’t “appropriate”, his furious mum says.
Katie Burton had given son Harry Currie, 12, a grade two buzz for summer.
But when he turned up for school the next day, teachers allegedly separated him from year seven classmates saying he could only rejoin them once his hair had grown.
Mum-of-five Katie, 31, who works as a barmaid, said: “I was really shocked.
“We’d done a grade two all over because their policy says not grade one or less, and it says no short sides and long on top.
“I was really careful to stay within the school’s hair policy. This feels very unfair. He just wanted his hair short for the summer.”
Katie cut Harry’s hair on May 7 and said staff isolated him from the other kids as soon as he entered the school the next day.
They allegedly branded the lad’s barnet as “extreme”.
WHAT ARE THE RULES OVER SCHOOL UNIFORM?
The Department for Education says it is down to the individual school to decide:
- Rules about appearance
- Whether there should be a school uniform policy and, if so, what that should be
- How the uniform should be sourced
These duties are placed on all governing boards by statute to ensure that school policies promote good behaviour and discipline among its pupils.
However, the Department for Education strongly encourages schools to have a uniform, as it can play a key role in:
- Promoting the ethos of a school
- providing a sense of belonging and identity
- Setting an appropriate tone for education
Source: Gov.uk
He was put in a room with other naughty schoolkids who were out of class that day at Teesdale School, in Barnard Castle, Co Durham.
Katie, who lives nearby, had no idea what had happened until Harry got home and was upset, she said.
Harry said: “At first I was really worried. I didn’t know why they’d asked me to wait out of class.
“Then they asked if I’d done it for a medical reason. I was told I had to wait there until my hair grew back. I was really confused.”
Katie has kept Harry at home since the incident and said she is so appalled by the incident that she’s looking for a new school for him.
She said: “They’ve failed in their duty of care towards him. It’s disgusting.
“Nobody phoned to say he was in isolation. I found out when he came home really upset.
“I couldn’t believe it.”
A spokesperson from the Northeast Learning Trust said: “As stated in our uniform policy, which is available online and shared with parents, extreme haircuts are not permitted in school.
“If students fail to meet our school’s expectations, sanctions will be applied.
“Whilst we cannot discuss individual children in the public domain, we have an open-door policy and are more than happy to discuss any matters in person.”
