Luton school slammed by mum after 13-year-old put in isolation for wearing 'wrong' shorts during heatwave

Several children at Lealands High School were sent home to change or kept in isolation after the school changed its uniform policy on Friday to cope with the heatwave on Monday and Tuesday.

One mum said her 13-year-old had outgrown their PE shorts and had been wearing PE tracksuit bottoms for sports. As she didn’t want to buy a new pair with the school logo on until nearer to the autumn term, she sent her child in on Monday wearing plain blue shorts.

But she soon received a call from the Sundon Park Lane school saying her child needed to go home to change or would be kept in isolation, with around 30 other children.

"We are not in a position financially to provide new shorts for three days at school,” she said. “They said they could come in their school trousers but they are quite thick.

"I’m not trying to cause a scene, we are doing everything to keep cool and the school is more concerned about a logo.”

She says she asked if she could borrow a pair of shorts or even sew the school logo onto her child’s shorts but both were refused. She says she will now have to keep her child off school until the weather cools later in the week.

And she added that she had heard around 50 children had been affected by the new ruling.

"I can’t spend £20 on a pair of shorts that might not fit them in six weeks' time,” she said.

"With the panic and advisory of this red weather warning I think this treatment of my child and others is disgusting. All of this because one logo is missing, during the hottest day this country has ever experienced and I think the school need to be held accountable for how they're treating these children.”

In an email to parents on Monday headmaster John Burridge said: “It is disappointing that staff are having to deal with a number of students who have come in non-Lealands shorts and non-Lealand t-shirts today.

"Please can I request that all parents read and follow the information provided in letters home to avoid unnecessary difficulties in school.”

A spokesman for Lealands said: “To clarify; no student is or was expected to stay away from school. With parents' permission, some went home to change into the correct clothing before returning at the start of the day and others stayed in school with restrictions. All students should be in school and can wear their school trousers/skirt with a shirt (no tie or blazer in the last two weeks of term due to heat) and on these two exceptionally hot days we made the additional concession of students having the option to wear their Lealands PE t-shirt and shorts. A letter was sent to parents on Friday which explained this clearly.”