Pupil 'in isolation' due to hair style.

[OrmRenewed]

DD of colleague is just about to do her GCSEs. She has her hair dyed blonde and black. It is a bit odd but not extreme in any sense of the word. It is against school dress code but it's been that way since last April. Now, out of the blue, she is in isolation and not being taught at a really important time academically.

Colleague is spitting feathers. What is the best thing to do? She can't 'undye' her hair. Can they exclude her for this?

[GetOrfMoiLand]

God knows. It seems really bloody odd that her hair has been like this for ages and they have only clamped down on it recently. Have they got a new draconian headteacger or something.

Surely they have to teach her at such a time.

What difference does it make if your hair is blonde, black or pink? I know rules are rules but still.

[mnistooaddictive]

I am sure there is a law saying you can'y exclude a pupil from education because of their hairstyle. Lots of schools will make a fuss about hair if it is extreme but this doesn't seem to be the case. I assume this is a state school as independent can do what they like!
I would ring up, ask to speak to head and ask for explaination.

[OrmRenewed]

I don't know her that well. She is a bit of an awkward bugger I know that but has always been ruby.

Colleague is completely flummoxed as to what precipitated this. New HT started over a year ago.

i agree getorf - lessons are more important than rules right now.

It's a school with a good academic reputation but it's so far up it's own arse about it's image and it's rules.

[OrmRenewed]

Thanks.

The school has just rung and he's taken his mobile out of the office for the call.

[hocuspontas]

Rules are rules however crappy. And you break them at your peril (As I'm always telling dd2). They may have given her warnings that she's chosen to ignore. Who knows? I think your colleague needs to get her to a hairdresser.

[OrmRenewed]

Oh I agree. But a warning of something so severe should have been given in writing I reckon. And there has been none.

[crumpet]

Why can't she "undye" her hair by dying it a less controversial colour? Not a big job surely?

Pity the school is only now enforcing its rules, but maybe there are other reasons behind it. At the end of the day it is agains the rules.

[Kez100]

If she wants her awkward child taught than she needs to change her hairstyle. It ain't rocket science. It might not be on the national curriculm but its a great lifes lesson that she should take ownership of the most important time of exams and not expect that she can break whatever rule she wishes because them timing is important.

[OrmRenewed]

It's a 'he' not a 'she'.

[Clarissimo]

Not at C is it? They did same to me during exams and the only exam I ever failed was because I was in tears (short story teacher A told me to wear the colours of the political party I was with as school elections that day, teacher b took offence)

OTOH good academic rep sounds like H?

Whichever, the parents need to write urgently to Head and Governors asking for reasons for this to be implemented when it has been ignored for so long, and go from there.

And have an informal chat to your LEA, they can be quite helpful off the record IME

[OrmRenewed]

Yes it's H.



Do I know you?

[Clarissimo]

Of course you do, spot the crappola typing

OK I was outes yesterday anyway, tis I, Peachy

[GetOrfMoiLand]

Think that if you go for a very academic school with all it's associated nonsense stuff (strict uniform polisy, hair, make up etc) you have to actually conform to what that school's image is. If you want your child to have a flock of seasgulls haircut (oh how that comment ages me), wear mini skirts and sandals to school send them to one of the less academic schools who are generally more lax on this kind of thing.

However random internal exclusion for a haircut she has had for a year at such a crucial time is nonsense. However, in this case the school really does hold all the cards. The parent should tell the school that she really needs to be back in lessons, and that the dd will go to the hairdresser to sort the hair out immediately.

[GetOrfMoiLand]

it's IT's!! I meant its. Am not fick honest.

[OrmRenewed]

Aha peachy! i did wonder if it were you . You went to C did you?

getorf - I agree that she should have stuck to the rules in the first place but assuming that this is the situation as is, excluding her is unreasonable.

And why does a 'good' school have to be more hung up about appearances than a bad one? I just don't see that.

Annnnyhow.... school has agreed to let her back into lessons as long as she agrees to let it grow out and doesn't retouch it or anything. Apparently the head 'mentioned' it to the girl back in November but didn't make it formal. She went in yesterday is skinny black jeans because her school trousers tore. So basically I suspect the head thought enough was enough.

[OrmRenewed]

BTW ROFL at flock of seagull's haircut

[GetOrfMoiLand]

"And why does a 'good' school have to be more hung up about appearances than a bad one? I just don't see that."

Oh I know it is just a sweeping statement there based on my own (narrow) experiences.

DD used to go to a selective school which had a really strict uniform policy, she left that school and now goes to a bog standard comp and she could go to school in a raH RAH skirt and nobody would bat an eyelid.

Just think that of the schools I know (Cheltenham and Gloucester) the 'desired' ones have blazers and strict appearance codes and the 'less desired' (usually resulkts based and therefire less academic) wear jumpers and can have blue hair.

My original post sounds horribly snobby though so thanks Orm for pulling me up on it.

[GetOrfMoiLand]

I feel really paranoid when I do now as think it looks passive agressive!

[OrmRenewed]

Oh I wasn't meaning to pull you up on it. I know you are right but I don't know why it seems to matter more. The school DS#1 goes to has recently pulled itself up and is now 'outstanding' from being a total dump. One of the new head's strategies was the enforcing of the uniform policy very strictly (uniform not hair though - DS has hair down to his shoulders). She reckoned it gave the pupils something unimportant to rebel against - if you were chuntering about how Mr X made you do your tie up properly you might not be thinking up new schemes for being a pita. Don't know how sane that is but the head does seem to be a miracle worker. What winds me up is the thought that any school can be valued more by the outside world because the pupils look smart - rather than by their results and behaviour.

[OrmRenewed]

Why the passive-aggression getorf?

[GetOrfMoiLand]

Oh that's good - I thoight I had come across as a braying snob.

Actually I probably am a bit of a snob - heart sank a bit when dd moved school (due to hideous bullying) becasue she looked so lovely in her blazer and tie, and new school just has a crappy jumper and tie. I know it doesn't matter but for some unfathomable reason it does.

That reason your head gave - gives them something daft to rebel against - sounds really common sense.

To be honest I am quite down on schools - hate the divisive selection in Gloucestre (4 fantastic schools, 4 awful ones) and the fact that it seems like the bad old days of the 1940s with grammars and secondary moderns, and the fact the kids in the less acadiec schools think they are thick and second class citizens from the age of 11, when they 'failed' the 11 plus.

But (ranting on even more) I went to dd's options evening yesterday at her comp and was really impressed with the attitude of the teachers. So yes it is a 'rough' school but bollocks to it, it aint as bad as I thought.

[GetOrfMoiLand]

Why, what do you mean by that? Why? WHY?

Lol - there have just been so many posts which go " "

[Clarissimo]

Boys school here v v funny about uniform- mind you they're funny about everything, had note home saying no being rude about school on facebook PMSL- I eman, how you gonna police that?

And she may wish to stick clear of MN

Yep Orm CT, although best friend went to H and shall we say just delayed her rebellion ? H was noted as producing (revealing my deacade alert) more serious goths than anywhere else, my fiend and her mate both did full full black lycra / face paint job