Dad fumes as kids spend first school day in detention for 'inappropriate' shoes
Parents of pupils at a college in Cornwall have been left furious after their children were put in detention on the first day of school for not having “defined heels” on their shoes.
Gavin Mitchell said his daughter was one of a number of kids at Bodmin College who spent the first day of their final year of school in a ‘reset room’ because they didn’t have appropriate shoes.
Mr Mitchell believes that as many as 35 Year 11 pupils were put in detention - all day - for the same reason and that many parents had not been contacted by the college to inform them of the issue. While the father-of-two said he understands the need for a uniform policy, he has been left “fuming” at the college’s decision to take children out of lessons on the very first day back at school.
“My daughter spent eight hours in reset copying out of a book because she was told she didn’t have the right shoes,” Mr Mitchell said. “She didn’t even get to find out her tutor group. To punish kids for the parent’s downfall is just wrong, reports Cornwall Live.
“They were denied an education on their first day and they weren’t even given a warning. The workplace is strict, if you go in with the wrong shoes, you get a verbal warning but [the college is] torturing kids to make sure the parents buy the right shoes.”
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Pictures of proper school shoes, as well as where parents can purchase them, were posted under the uniform policy on the college's website, dated June 2023. It explains that “shoes should be plain black, polishable or patent, and unbranded with no logos. Shoes that will no longer be acceptable from September 2023 include: hi-tops, canvas material, trainers, branded items with logos and any style of boot.”
Bodmin CollegeHowever, there was no mention of shoes needing to have a “defined heel”, until Bodmin College shared a Facebook post last week - days before school started - further explaining what kind of shoes would be acceptable. Mr Mitchell said by this point, his wife had already bought new shoes for their daughter, which they thought would be appropriate.
“They brought out this policy idea about the uniform at the beginning of the summer but it didn’t specify that shoes needed to have a defined heel to be appropriate,” he said. “Then at the end of August, they came out with vague specifics on what shoes they want but they failed to notify parents.
“Most parents found out through their own kids that they were in reset because the school didn’t tell them. Don’t get me wrong, I like strict rules, so I was even defending the school when my daughter complained about the new uniform policy over the summer.
“But to find out my kid was punished because we failed to buy the right shoes is ridiculous. They were still adequate and presentable shoes without brand names, they just didn’t have a defined heel.”
Mr Mitchell said his daughter had to borrow a pair of shoes from a friend to wear to school for the rest of the week as she wasn’t able to find an appropriate pair to purchase in time. He added she was left feeling upset about the incident and didn’t want the school year to start off with her being placed in detention.
“When I got back from work [on Tuesday] my daughter and my wife were really upset after going out trying to find new school shoes but they couldn’t find any,” he explained. “My daughter isn’t happy and she’s had to borrow some shoes from a friend. It’s her last year at school and it’s crucial.”
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