A furious parent has described her son's school as a 'prison' after he received a detention for having half his shirt tucked out.
Karen Taylor took her son Logan, 14, out of The Romsey School after he was put in internal exclusion for having his shirt half-tucked in and not having his top button done up.
She described the school as being like 'a prison' and said: “The education part of the school is being thrown out of the window.”
Mrs Taylor, 48, of Duttons Road, Romsey, said her son was initially given a 20-minute detention for his shirt being half tucked out.
But she told him not to go in protest against what she saw as the draconian rule.
It was then bumped up to a 40-minute detention and then a one-hour detention - so Karen contacted the school.
Unwilling to back down, the school put Logan in internal suspension after this conversation - where he was made to work by himself for the day.
Therefore, Karen made the decision to take him out of the school entirely.
She said: "He hasn't been naughty.
“He hasn't had uniform problems before. The school looks like a prison at the moment. They say the policy is on their website. The teachers are like bullies.
“I always make sure his shirt is tucked in every morning, but it gets untucked naturally with him moving around the school. I want him to be at school, I'm fretting over it.
"Logan has been getting migraines about it. I don't agree with what the school is doing.
“It could have a terrible impact on his education. I don't want to move him because we live a stone's throw away from the school. The worst case scenario is that he gets excluded.”
Mrs Taylor added that at least 20 pupils had been in detention for issues with uniform that she was aware of.
She said: "There is a serious lack of communication from the school."
She said that she knew of numerous other parents whose children had experienced the same issues.
This comes just a few months after another parent complained about the school's policy of confiscating mobile phones and not returning them until the end of the day.
On the school's website, it said: “We value our smart school uniform as it ensures that all of our pupils feel an equal part of our school community.
"Wearing a uniform teaches you to be smart and ensures that you are ready to approach your learning with a professional mind-set.
"Pupils are, therefore, expected to wear the official school uniform for the full five years that you attend the school. It should be worn correctly both in school and on the journey to and from school."
It was also strict on how the tie should be worn, with the school's 'portcullis clearly visible in its entirety below the knot'.
Shirts should be 'plain white with buttons and collar' and 'should be tucked in at all times', the website said.
Responding to Mrs Taylor's complaints, headteacher Annie Eagle said: "We are very proud of the high expectations and aspirations at The Romsey School. These expectations are reflected in our students' engagement in learning, in excellent uniform and their exemplary attitudes and behaviour across the school.
“It is of course vital that we work to ensure consistency with these expectations.
"Students are encouraged to make great choices. If a student does not make good choices, we work closely with them and their family to ensure that they understand, as you would expect, that there will inevitably be a consequence in line with published school policy.
"It is so important that we prepare our students for the reality of life beyond school whilst enabling them to be the very best they can be."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel