A school was labelled as 'pathetic' after sending home more than 50 pupils for signing each other's shirts during their last day of term. Pupils of Wymondham High Academy in Norfolk were disciplined for celebrating their last day before study leave by writing well-wishes on each other's uniforms.
However, the school's headteacher said the pupils were ordered to be sent home so that "negative behaviour" would not "escalate". And a letter was sent to parents explaining the reason that same day.
In the letter, headteacher Chris Smith said that there were a "small number of year 11 students who arrived at school wanting to celebrate their leavers' day by engaging in shirt signing and disruptive behaviour".
Mr Smith added that an official leavers' day celebration is planned in June. The news, however, did not sit well with some furious parents and pupils, who have slammed the school's "pathetic system".
According to the Mirror, a parent of one of the pupils sent home said: "The school is an absolute joke.
"It's being run like a boot camp and there are so many frustrated parents. The school has a pathetic, archaic, system in place."
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It is not the first time the school has been scrutinised by parents regarding uniforms. In June 2022 parents hit out at the school's new uniform rules which meant that in hot weather boys could wear skirts - but not shorts.
One pupil who was sent home said: "It was my last official day before study leave.
"Most schools allow students to sign shirts on the last day, we thought we'd be allowed and started as soon as school did. Later during form time the fire alarm went off and we all had to go out on to the field where teachers pulled people out of the lines who had visible writing on their shirts.
"We were told that our parents were called and that we were being sent home."
Another year 11 who was sent home added: "We got told that 'rules were rules' and that what we were doing was 'disturbing lessons'.
"It's completely unfair what happened - we shouldn't have been sent home."
The Mirror contacted the school for a comment.
