East Sussex pupils 'sent home despite correct skirt length'

Girls were sent home from school when their skirts were deemed too short in the morning only to be told they were acceptable later, it is claimed.

Shannon Moore, 15, was one of those sent home from Seaford Head School, East Sussex, but later invited back.

Her mother Kelly said Shannon was among 30 pupils pulled up for allegedly breaching uniform rules.

Head teacher Bob Ellis did not dispute the uniform u-turn but did not confirm how many pupils were reprimanded.

Speaking to the BBC earlier, Mr Ellis said the school had "very high uniform standards" and added: "We do have an approved supplier. If parents want to go to an alternative for cost reasons they can, but it must meet our uniform code".

In an email to parents on Monday, he said students who failed to adhere to the code "will be sent home immediately to correct their uniform or alternatively placed in isolation".

Ms Moore, a primary school teaching assistant, said Shannon's uniform had complied with the restriction on wearing a knee-length skirt, but she was among six sent home.

"I was furious when the school called me. She has two skirts the same, I couldn't bring her in another one and I was at work. So they told her to sign out and go home," she said.

"It's the same skirt in the next size up as she's had the last five years at that school.

"I emailed the head teacher and then I got another call in the afternoon to say that her skirt was fine, and she could go in tomorrow."

The mum-of-three said she bought Shannon's skirts online because the recommended school supplier did not stock uniform to fit pupils who were very slim.

"School isn't a fashion show, but clothes do need to fit," she said.

"Shannon's lost a day of her education, for absolutely no reason," she added, "and other pupils who couldn't get home had to sit in a room on their own all day doing nothing. What a waste of time."