School in Dudley faces backlash over 'stretchy trousers' clampdown

Girls at Beacon Hill Academy in Sedgley were issued with letters telling them that this style of trouser is “not in line with uniform policy”.

Author: Claire EmmsPublished 14th Sep 2023

An under-fire headteacher facing a backlash from parents over ‘stretchy trousers’ has refused claims staff are tugging at girls’ waistbands and forcing students to get changed in cupboards.

It comes after a number of girls at Beacon Hill Academy in Sedgley, near Dudley, were issued with letters telling them ‘stretch-style’ trousers are “not in line with uniform policy”, with parents ordered to purchase tailored, full-length trousers instead.

Outraged mum Elizabeth Catherine says her daughter Eva, 15, has endured the worst-possible start to Year 11 at Beacon Hill Academy following a row over her school trousers, explaining how Eva – and many others – have been forced to miss lessons having been sent to isolation as a punishment.

“She’s at home again today after being forced to tears and made to try on trousers,” mum Elizabeth said. “We’re so frustrated. All she’s ever been is a model student, as was her brother before her.

“We’ve offered to compromise to have longer but still stretch-style trousers but the headteacher must be sponsored by Marks & Spencer or Sainsbury’s at this point because apparently only those will do.

“It’s not the start to her final year we expected, not at all. She’s always been a model student and she’s never been in any trouble. Actually, she dislikes being in trouble quite a lot…

“So to have her go back to school and have to experience sanctions and quite severe sanctions at that – we’re not talking about a letter or sent to detention, we’re talking about whole days spent in isolation with other girls.

“It’s nothing like we wanted her to go back to. She’s not had a great start to the year at all.”

Mum Elizabeth has since held a meeting with Beacon Hill Academy’s headteacher Sukhjot Dhami over the dispute involving girls’ trousers. She said: “So I went in with quite a few questions for the headteacher – some of them were my own questions, some were put to me by other parents because we’ve all been sort of building and grouping together to try and get these issues discussed.

“His line was, ‘It’s from the trust, it’s a trust-policy uniform and we have to adhere to it’. My question to him was that I understand the uniform policy and we’ve been very respectful of it – but why are you taking these extreme matters and extreme sanctions and actions towards the girls in order to force this policy? It’s shocking really.

“Some of the girls are coming home and reporting how their waistbands are being tugged at; they’ve been forced to go into cupboards to get changed into the ‘school trousers’ to try them on and to take their trousers off and take pictures of their labels. They’re also told to open their blazers to be inspected at the gates.

“These are young women we’re talking about and they’re developing and I can only imagine how that’s making them feel. I mean I know how it’s making my own daughter feel and many others. As a mother, I have to say, I don’t want my daughter to experience that.”

Responding to criticism from parents, Mr Dhami replied: “Recently, we’ve had a couple of parents that disagree with aspects of our school policy, mainly around our trousers. In recent months and, just before we broke up for the summer, there were some deviations and girls were wearing leggings rather than trousers. So we did a series of assemblies right at the end of term and then, during the summer holidays, we sent out a number of communications.

“We also did that in the first week of term and that’s all happened because of our high standards and high expectations. And that’s why it’s important we continue those standards.

“These types of trousers have crept in over the last academic years but, more recently, they’ve been creeping in over the summer term. Obviously, at the start of a new term, we want to have a fresh start. But what’s important is we are saying to families, ‘It’s not a problem, we will work with you, we will support you’.

“There are trousers available that have stretchable waistbands. There are trousers available for learners that might have medical conditions. But it does have to be in keeping with our school ethos and our school policy.”

On claims from parents involving students being made to feel embarrassed and ashamed being forced to change in cupboards, Mr Dhami said: “I’ve got to say that it’s completely false. No student has been asked to get changed in a cupboard. My staff are not asking students to take pictures of their labels.

“Unfortunately, there are a lot of false claims out there on social media.

“It’s not just about wearing black trousers that, for me, look like leggings. They should be in tailored trousers. There are a lot of professions such as the NHS, even McDonald’s and the Post Office and such industries where there are strict uniform codes. We’re not the only school – there are schools up and down the country that also have strict uniform codes.

“Some of the leggings-type trousers the girls are coming in with aren’t appropriate. We’ve said it’s absolutely fine to come in with slim-type trousers but some of the leggings are not appropriate. There’s the issue of them needing to be full length as well.”

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