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Original poster

Sending home from school

33 replies

frami · 31/01/2017 20:44

Our Secondary School's new head has had a clampdown on uniform, which in itself is not for me a problem. The issue I have is how it is being implemented. On arrival at school the kids are made to line up in the street outside the school gates where they are inspected and any child not adhering to the standards are immediately sent home. My problem with this is that many of the children travel long very distances to the school and are being sent home without their parents being informed. The Head claims that because the kids haven't entered the school gates they are not reponsible for the kids. Does anyone know if this is correct? This is a big issue as a few years ago a child died while out of school. (Parents thought he was in school. School assumed he was off sick, which resulted in school always contacting parents about detentions, sending home, non appearance etc.) Also the people doing the "inspections" are not teachers merely support staff. The kids find their decisions arbitary and inconsistant, with "easy" students who's parents will not cause trouble being singled out. I feel if they are going to send home kids, that the Head should be the person deciding this but do not know if this is a legal requirement. Can anyone advise?

BTW To clarify: my child has not been sent home but parents' have been given an opportunity to meet the head in person and when I do I want to raise my concerns in a fair and reasoned manner.

OP posts:
JessieDoops · 31/01/2017 23:19

Contact ofsted

Merlin40 · 31/01/2017 22:55

Seems like a big safeguarding fail to send them home without informing parents. They're taking a big risk.
It won't be a day off school - I imagine the school is tracking who has gone home and when they arrive back.

Original poster
frami · 31/01/2017 21:45

𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐦𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐲 I agree my child is always in correct uniform and has not been sent home but there will always some who are not and some who I fear will deliberately flout the rules if they think they might be able to get a day off school as a result. I agree with being diciplined for non compliance with uniform rules but parents should be informed before they are sent home.
𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐧𝟏𝐭𝐲𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 the policy you describe is exactly the same as in the school under the previous head and worked very well. The school is already very successful, and it feels as if the new head is looking for problems to solve. For example the uniform has always stated kids should use rucksacks rather than any other bag, colour, make didn't matter. Now they have to be plain black, no writing , logos, pattern anything. To send kids home for such an offence seems a little draconian to me.

OP posts:
insan1tyscartching · 31/01/2017 21:07

In dd's school uniforms are checked on the way in to school and by form tutors in registration. Any infringements result in pupils being put into internal exclusion room and parents informed who then have the choice to bring in the required item to allow their child to return to lessons or to leave the child where they are for that day. It's not a surprise to anyone, uniform requirements are clear and consequences of failing to meet them are well known. AFAIK it isn't a regular occurrence in dd's school anyway probably because it is a very clear policy.

ivykaty44 · 31/01/2017 21:00

This type of Draconian behaviour is awful.

Can you imagine what would happen if people were lined up outside work to have thier attire examined before entering the building.

This should be reserved for the army, navy and RAF where personal know what they signed up for and had a choice.

HorridHenryrule · 31/01/2017 20:55

Report them.

Hassled · 31/01/2017 20:51

The school have a duty of care towards the pupils - the fact they're outside the school gate seems to me to be irrelevant. And if they're outside the school gate and so are apparently not responsible for their well-being, why are they checking uniform there? They can't have it both ways - either they're at school and can have uniform checked, or they're not at school and can't.

I don't know about the legalities but if you look at the DfE Keeping Children Safe in Education statutory guidance - Here it says that "Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families and carers has a role to play in safeguarding children." I would see this as a safeguarding issue.

Floggingmolly · 31/01/2017 20:46

Just send them in wearing the correct uniform, rather than trying to control what happens when they're not?