Furious parents liken Mansfield Woodhouse school to army boot camp over uniform rules

And some parents have likened Manor Academy to an army ‘boot camp’ over the ‘baffling’ uniform rules.

However, the school says its uniform policy ‘offers a strong start for high standards of behaviour, excellent focus on learning and supports our students to develop good habits for future employability’.

A number of parents with children at the Park Hall Road school have complained, saying about 40 pupils were put into isolation in the first few days back after the summer break because of uniform misdemeanours.

In a letter to parents at the end of July, the school had said ‘plain black tailored trousers – these are not skinny fit trousers and must be full length’ were uniform and black socks only were allowed.

But parents are claiming the policies have not been consulted upon, have not been communicated effectively and the school is showing little discretion.

And they say, because some children are showing ankles or wearing trousers the school does not deem correct, youngsters are being denied valuable classroom time.

Poppi Roberts said her 14-year-old daughter had been pulled to one side and placed in the school hall instead of normal lessons.

She said: “It baffles me. Not one parent was consulted and we only had one email about generic uniform policy sent out at the end of last term.”

Vicki Jackson, whose 14-year-old son attends the school, said: “No warning of uniform changes that I’m aware of. All these little changes, that affect our children, our wallets, without any proper communication.

“This is supposed to be an educational establishment not a boot camp. I don’t see how any of the new rules benefit our children’s education and mental health.”

And Clare Morgan, whose daughter, also 14, attends the school, said: “Grace has been excluded for three days for having her ankles on show.”

Clare said her daughter challenged it, saying ‘sorry, but my mum can’t keep affording trousers because you keep changing the rules’.

A spokesman for the academy said parents had been contacted and it was trying to uphold standards.

The spokesman added: “Before the summer holiday, we wrote to parents to share the uniform guide and reiterate the importance of maintaining a high standard of dress across the school, including wearing black, non-branded, tailored trousers, and black socks.

“Those students who arrived to school not adhering to the clear uniform policy have been placed in isolated learning, where teaching has continued, as was set out to parents in our letter at the end of last term.

“We do empathise with any families struggling due to the increasing cost of living.

“In recognition of this, and in line with the uniform policy we have held at the school for many years, the academy is purchasing trousers for the small number of students that do not have them.”

The school said it was committed to ‘all students having equal opportunities to succeed and ensuring they have a good year of learning’.