School sends 60 girls home for wearing tight jeggings
TEACHERS ordered 60 girls out of their classes after they turned up wearing trousers that were too tight.
Some were sent home and told to return in regulation clothing.
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Parents yesterday hit out at the school’s “extreme” reaction, saying the teenagers had missed out on important lessons.
The girls, from Samuel Ward Arts and Technology College in Haverhill, Suffolk, arrived for the first day of term wearing jeggings – leggings designed to look like tight-fitting jeans.
Half were sent home to change while the rest had to take part in “supervised study” away from other pupils.
Yesterday one parent, who declined to be named, said her 13-year-old daughter had been sent home and she was unhappy with how the situation had been handled.
“It seemed very extreme to send the children home just because they weren’t wearing the right clothing.
“I don’t understand why they had to be so strict about it and make them miss their lessons.”
The 800-pupil school caters for 13 to 18-year-olds and prides itself on being in the top 10 per cent in the country for its SATS and GCSE grades.
It became a specialist technology college in 2000 and Ofsted called it “outstanding” with “excellent leadership and management”.
In July, the school sent parents a letter warning it would be clamping down on pupils who turned up wearing “non-regulation” clothing this term. Girls can wear trousers, but not jeans or leggings. Head teacher Howard Lay said: “We sent a letter home before the summer holidays explaining the uniform requirements and stating that leggings and jeggings are not part of the uniform code. But around 60 students turned up not wearing the right uniform. Half were sent home and the rest stayed on site and had supervised study.
“The situation has now been resolved and all 60 students are back at school wearing the correct uniform.
“We had meetings with a few of the parents and the majority have been very positive and supportive of what we’re doing. They respect it’s the school rule and we’re enforcing it.
“The youngsters involved are all good students. The clothing they were wearing was just not appropriate.”
Jeggings were made popular by US reality show stars Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton. British stars such as Fearne Cotton have now made them fashionable over here.
