School uniform rules treat pupils 'like criminals'

Kerry Roblett said her daughter, a Year 11 student, brought a note explaining she needed to wear trainers due to a recent foot injury.

Despite this, she was denied entry and sent to isolation in the sports hall with at least 40 other students, the mother said.

She explained: "[In isolation there are] no pens, no paper, no work, no nothing. Literally, you just sit there and you do nothing.

"The rules are a little bit unfair. We feel the children definitely aren't getting heard, and they're definitely getting treated like criminals."

The school responded: "For any pupils away from their peers, we provided the same induction activities."

Another parent, who did not wish to be named, said her daughter spent days in isolation after arriving at school wearing black trainers, which had been acceptable the previous year.

She said she raised concerns about the uniform policy in July but received no response.

The school's website stated students must wear black leather or "leather-like" waterproof shoes, but does not explicitly ban trainers.

A spokesperson for Manshead said: "Uniform matters because it sets a positive tone for learning, promotes fairness and helps pupils feel part of the same team. Our expectations simply bring us into line with other local schools.

"We wrote to families on 10 July and shared reminders before September, including clear images of what correct uniform looks like, especially footwear."

The parent added: "I almost feel as if I was bullied into purchasing new shoes because I don't want it to disrupt her education."