School in row over wrong trousers

Pupils used to wear black jeans but the policy does not allow that

Parents are complaining that children are being removed from classes at an Oxford school for wearing the wrong type of trousers.

Staff at the Cheney School started enforcing a strict uniform policy this week, resulting in a number of students being sent home.

The school said only a small number of pupils had been taken out of classes.

But parents said the experience had been distressing to their children, who were also missing out on education.

Chrissie Charvill said her daughter, who is 13 and attends the school, "was very distressed".

"She was in school uniform so it wasn't a problem for her," Ms Charvill said.

"But she was worried that some of her friends had actually been denied access to education by being segregated.

"They weren't allowed to work on any of their school work and some of them actually missed a science test.

"It's just been a very distressing and negative experience for all of them."

Letters sent

Jolie Kirby, who took up the post as head teacher at Cheney School in September last year, said the school had written to parents on this issue twice in the past year.

Another letter was sent on Friday to say the uniform policy, which states that black jeans are not allowed even though students used to wear them, was being enforced.

She said any student sent home was sent home at the wishes of the parents.

A handful of children had been isolated in a different classroom, but they were supervised and had work to do, she added.

Ms Kirby said although students should concentrate on studies, things like uniform do matter and she wanted pupils to "look as smart as possible".