Furious parents say their children have been given detentions for breaking “ridiculously strict and sexist” school uniform rules. Pencoed Comprehensive sent a letter to parents before half term saying they would be checking pupils’ uniform met the school’s policy for what was acceptable.
Parents say that most of those given detentions were girls who were told their skirts were too short. The school, in Bridgend, whose rules say skirts should be no shorter than 5cm above the knee, confirmed around 20 pupils had been taken to the school hall and spoken to, but denied skirts had been measured and did not confirm how many had been given detentions.
"No measuring took place or was carried out by staff at any time," the school insisted. But some parents said their children's skirt lengths were measured.
One mother, who said her daughter got lunchtime detention because her skirt was judged too short, claimed so many children were given detentions that they had to be sent to the school canteen. She claimed uniform was checked as some pupils arrived at school this week while others were ordered out of lessons to check what they were wearing and skirt lengths.
Read more: 'Make uniforms cheaper' says Education Minister as he states school logos should not be compulsory
Some parents have now written to the school to complain. They said they are not opposed to uniform but the school was taking the policy too far.
They said they felt school was unfairly targeting girls and also going against Welsh Government guidance by insisting on tops with logos and shorts bought from a uniform supplier. Some are refusing to buy new uniform before the end of this term and challenged the school to continue putting their children in detention.
The school said an increasing number of students aren’t meeting its “high uniform standards”. A letter from acting assistant headteacher Matthew Thompson, sent to parents and seen by WalesOnline, said: “Unfortunately, after a period of monitoring we have identified that our high uniform standards are not being met by an increasing number of students. Due to this, we will be implementing a non-negotiable, robust approach to ensure we meet our high standards.
Have your say on the issue in the poll below, or click here to open it in a new window.
“After half term, we will increase the monitoring and identification of where the uniform policy is not being met. As per our policy, student’s presence during break times and lunch times will be reduced where they are not meeting the expectations.
“In these circumstances, parents will be contacted and requested to bring in the correct uniform. Should the issues continue, your child may be asked to go home and change.
“In preparation for September please ensure that any items purchased adhere to our school uniform policy.”
The letter adds that “the only shorts permitted are formal chino style shorts that are available to be purchased at a reasonable cost at the uniform shop” and says some of the uniform breaches include:
- Non-school hoodies and jumpers (Often branded and expensive)
- Short skirts of a tight material
- Leggings
- Trainers
One mother, with two daughters at the school, said: “My younger daughter was part of a group yesterday who were lined up and told that they were checking skirt lengths. They were told “its OK, it won't be a male teacher”.
“Then the male teacher asked them all to turn around and visually checked all the skirt lengths. It was at this point that my daughter refused to participate, had a panic attack and was sent to pupil reception.
“As a parent I am absolutely fuming. I try to raise my children as aware of women’s rights and gender inequality and this is not the message I want them to learn, it is totally against my (and our family’s) beliefs.
“I don’t want my children to grow up in a world that has perpetuated discrimination and harassment that society has spent decades trying to change. I also don’t want to send my children to a school that damages their mental health as it has done this week.
“We have discussed changing schools or home schooling as potential alternatives. My daughters are livid.
“They are missing school and lacking concentration because they feel their rights and feelings have been undermined and ignored. As I said, one of them will ultimately stop going altogether if it continues.”
The mother of a year seven pupil said she was stunned at the “heavy handed” way the school has dealt with the situation. She said she was not opposed to uniform but the school’s policy and way it is being implemented went too far.
“I feel very angry. I have sent a letter of complaint to the head,” she said, “This is 2023 and to have their clothes inspected in this way is not right.
"I was told a year seven maths class was ordered out and the girls were asked to twirl to check the length of their skirts. My daughter got a detention because her skirt was too short, she had to stay in at lunch for 20 minutes.
“All this week the canteen has been full of detentions because there were so many of them. I have sent my daughter in, but with a letter saying she won’t be attending detentions.
“This only seems to be an issue with girls. No one is checking boys’ trousers to check if they are too tight.
“I think it is sexist. It is inappropriate.”
One parent said: “Why do shorts have to be from the uniform shop? This is when the Welsh Government are saying uniform should be bought cheaper.
“I am not against uniform. I don’t disagree that school uniform is important, but this is going too far.”
The school responds:
A spokesperson for Pencoed Comprehensive said: "Due to concerns regarding school uniform standards, the school recently write to parents, carers and guardians of all 917 pupils to advise them that after the half term break, we would be checking compliance with the school's expectations on uniform.
"This was in reaction to a noted increase in the number of pupils who had started to wear hoodies, inappropriate footwear and other non-uniform items.
"As a result, around 20 pupils were recently asked to gather in the school hall on Monday and Tuesday for a brief reminder about uniform expectations.
"While appropriate skirt lengths were discussed as part of this 15 minute conversation, no measuring took place or was carried out by staff at any time.
"Maintaining a consistent school uniform remains an important part of our efforts to raise aspirations and standards among our pupils and the school will be carrying out further work to support this"
Pencoed Comprehensive’s uniform rules laid out in letter to parents
- Black trousers
- Black tailored shorts (available from the uniform shop)
- Black Skirt (no shorter than 5cm from the knee) with black opaque tights – tight, short, stretchy or lycra skirts, are not allowed. Jeans, leggings, jeggings, tracksuit bottoms,cropped trousers are also prohibited.
- White shirt
- Tie in one of 4 house colours (red, blue, green, yellow). Students will be allocated a house colour.
- Black V-neck sweater with school logo – no cardigans, pull over/zipped hoodies, or non-school jumpers are allowed.
- Warm, waterproof/water-resistant outer coat – no pull over/zipped hoodies or tracksuit tops.
- Optional – white polo shirt with school logo – summer term only, after Easter holidays.
- Black leather school shoes – no suede or fabric shoes. Following pupil consultation, plain black leather trainer ‘style’ shoes are now permitted.
Visible nose, lip, tongue or eyebrow piercings are not but small, clear studs for nose piercings are permitted.
The school does not permit pupils to have ‘extreme’ haircuts and unnatural haircolours (e.g. Blue, green, pink hair colour, tramlines etc.).
The school's website details how uniform breaches are dealt with. It says the graduated response includes restricting pupils' movement on the school site, asking them to go home and change and ultimately, exclusion.
The school warns: "Where breaches of the uniform expectations are persistent and in open defiance of the school’s uniform or appearance policy, and where all other avenues for resolving the uniform dispute have been exhausted, then the school may consider exclusion as a last resort depending on the circumstances of the case."
Read next:
Welsh Government to consider changes to school uniform policies that could save parents hundreds
The shocking number of pupils missing school in Wales described as a national crisis
The massive row about sexual harassment in schools
School uniform logos could be scrapped in Wales to help with cost of living crisis
