Denton Community Academy’s trust has defended its uniform rules after pupils were reportedly turned away on their first day back over skirt lengths.
A secondary school has defended its uniform policy after pupils were reportedly turned away on their first day back for wearing skirts “a couple of inches” above the knee.
One parent said his two daughters, who attend Denton Community Academy, were refused entry on Wednesday despite their skirts being bought through an official uniform provider.
The father, who did not wish to be named, told Manchester Evening News he had spent a “fortune” on new uniforms for his children. He said: “They were ringing us saying they weren’t allowed to enter the school.
“The skirts they had on were not rolled at all and fell a couple of inches above the knee, if that.
“It was throwing it down with rain and there were 40 or 50 kids standing outside, not allowed in. They were soaking wet and some were crying.”
The father said other parents also went to collect their children, while his two daughters spent the rest of the day at home and missed their first day back.
Northern Education Trust, which operates Denton Community Academy, said its uniform expectations had been shared with families several times before the start of the new academic year and insisted its policies were applied “consistently” and “fairly”.
The trust said: “Denton Community Academy is committed to maintaining the high standards that have driven significant improvements in our students’ educational outcomes.
“The academy is the most improved secondary school in Tameside and is now the highest-performing non-selective secondary school in the borough.
“We are incredibly proud of our students and the high expectations that have driven this improvement.”
It said families had been told about the uniform expectations on May 6, May 18, July 16 and August 20. The trust added: “We cannot comment on individual cases, but we strongly encourage parents with any concerns to speak directly to the academy.
“We will always work with families to resolve issues, and believe that direct conversation with the school, rather than through the media, is the most constructive way to do that.”
The father said he had since returned to TopMarks Schoolwear in Ashton, where he claimed the longest skirts available were around 20 inches.
He said his daughters were of average height for their age and claimed even the longest skirts available would not fall below their knees.
The father also pointed to a photograph in the uniform section of the academy’s website which he said showed a female pupil wearing a skirt several inches above the knee.
He said: “This is not an army camp. They’re treating them like soldiers, but they are children, they need an education. It feels like punishment.”
Denton Community Academy’s website says its uniform policy is intended to “set an appropriate tone for education”. It says the uniform provides “a sense of belonging and identity for all students”, while also being “comfortable” and allowing pupils to be themselves.
The policy also prohibits make-up, hoodies and jewellery, as well as “writing on hands or arms for any reason”.
It states: “We do not exclude students for wearing jewellery, having mobile phones or any other breaches of this policy.
“We will however, always ask students to rectify the issue that we have raised. These are reasonable requests.”
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