Parents say school is run 'like a regiment'

In the wake of a mother's anger over her daughter being told she could not wear a denim jacket to school, parents of a younger child are going even further.

Nick and Debbie Leete have written to North Yorkshire County Council to complain about Allertonshire School, saying head teacher Madeleine Hart is taking school uniform policy too far and that she runs the Allertonshire "like a regiment."

Mrs Hart says the policy is aimed at preparing youngsters for adulthood and to create an image of which Northallerton can be proud.

Furious over two incidents involving her 11-year-old daughter Emma, Mrs Leete said: "She should relax a bit. This is a school, not the army."

She claimed the uniform topic was being put above education and lessons, with pupils being summoned out of last lesson to attend an assembly on dress code.

"Our daughter got 100pc in a German assessment, but we fear this won't last if Mrs Hart is allowed to carry on like this," said Mrs Leete, of Bullamoor Road.

The couple stress they fully support a uniform policy in general but think the present situation is "a farce."

They are even considering moving house before their six-year-old son is due to attend the Allertonshire. "We do not have any respect for the school as it is run by Mrs Hart," says Mrs Leete.

The couple are angry about two incidents over clothes. The first was when Emma was not allowed to wear navy blue jogging bottoms, but a black pair as specified in the uniform policy. The Leets say they had to borrow money from a friend to buy the correct colour pair.

This month there were problems over school shoes. Emma was sent to school in trainers as her shoes were unfit for wear. A note explained her parents would buy her a new pair once they had been paid.

But Emma contacted her mother to say she was not allowed on the west wing of the school in case Mrs Hart saw her.

"She said she was told she would be put in isolation if the head saw the trainers," said Mrs Leete. "She was also excluded from morning assembly. We felt we had no choice but to buy some shoes that same day. But because we had not budgeted for this we had to cut back on groceries."

The Leetes have written to the county council's head of pupil and parents services, George McQueen. He has told them he will discuss the matter with Mrs Hart.

Last week, the D&S spotlighted the case of Gill Clarridge who objected to her daughter Abbie being told not to wear a denim jacket to go to and from school.

She said parents had been told pupils must wear particular types of coats and sports jackets. "Hoodies", fleeces, denims or fur coats were banned.

Mrs Clarridge said this left Abbie with just one coat suitable for school, and that was given to them by a friend. Like the Leetes, she said she supported a uniform policy in principle.

Mrs Hart said she was sorry the Leetes had felt unable to try to resolve their difficulties within school.

She said they were aware jogging bottoms had to be black, had signed up to the policy and that the blue pair was bought despite this.

Regarding shoes, students not wearing the correct type were kept on their own side of the split-site school to avoid giving the wrong impression to others.

Mrs Hart said Emma was not told off over her trainers and was provided with work to avoid her having to cross the dividing bridge.

"We care about our students," said Mrs Hart. "We are aware that as well as teaching them academic subjects, we are also teaching them about life.

"At the Allertonshire, we feel that by asking parents to sign and adhere to a uniform policy we can work together to prepare our young people for the world of work."