Parents fuming as school sends 'smart' looking girls home because of their skirts

Fuming parents have told of their shock after a school sent their children home because they were wearing the wrong kind of uniform.

Cottenham Village College in Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, sent home and suspended nearly a dozen students across its year groups on Monday after their uniforms were deemed incorrect. The 11 were gathered in a room and told they would be sent home if they did not change into the "correct" uniforms.

The school, said it sets "very clear expectations" when it comes to its uniforms, and communicates these to students and their families in "a range of ways". But furious parents have railed against the decision, claiming that their children have been made to stand for inspection each morning despite leaving home each morning looking "absolutely smart".

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Speaking to , Diane Hurst, mum of year 8 student Alexandra who was among those sent home, said her daughter was told her grey knee-length skirt was made from the wrong fabric. She told the publication she was "absolutely appalled" that she was sent home, adding that she had worn the skirt for all of year seven and the first month of the autumn term.

She explained: "My daughter, when she leaves, looks absolutely smart. Every morning when they get to school they're stood out in the playground and they're actually inspected, and if they don't match up they have to go to a 'boutique' to change the item of clothing." The mum explained that the "boutique" has spare uniforms for students.

When Alexandra was sent to change her skirt and couldn't find a spare that was the right fit, she said she was placed in isolation and her parents asked to come and collect her from school. She added: "Why can't they just go in if they're looking presentable? I think they should concentrate more on the educational side."

Year nine student Amelia said she was pulled aside and told her skirt was rolled up, and showed staff this was not the case before she was directed to a room with a large group of girls from other year groups. She said: "It stresses me out a little bit because I'm there to learn and I want to get an education and they're really stopping that."

Becky George, the mum of year 11 student Chelsea, said her daughter went to school with a skirt that was "the right colour, the right length, it's just the wrong material". Ms George said she was concerned about students' mental health after the incident, adding: "They just care about their policies and that's it."

A spokesperson for Cottenham Village College (CVC), said a "small number of students refused to change" and that parents were "offered the opportunity" to bring in items that fit with its uniform demands. They said: "We have very clear expectations on uniform, and this has been communicated to families on multiple occasions in a range of ways; in addition to weekly reminders about uniform we have been in touch with individual families where there have been issues.

"Our website also makes our expectations very clear. All families were invited to let us know if they were struggling to provide uniform for any reason so that we can help source items. This week, students arriving to school not in the right uniform were offered the opportunity to change into brand new uniform items loaned by school so that they could continue the school day with no disruption to their learning.

"A small number of students refused to change, and each had a follow up call home where the parent was offered the opportunity to either bring in the correct item of uniform, or have a conversation with their child to ask them to change into the items of uniform loaned by school so that they could attend lessons. Girls have the choice of wearing grey trousers, or a grey knee-length skirt – both of these can either be bought at any supermarket or the uniform shop."