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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Ben Turner-LE & Ben Abbiss

School girl excluded after being told trousers showed off ankles

A school girl claims she was told to change as her trousers were too revealing and distracting other pupils because her ankles were showing.

Olivia Harrison, 13, said she was forced to get a replacement pair of trousers and socks after showing too much flesh and falling foul of the strict uniform rules at John Smeaton Academy in Leeds, West Yorkshire during lunchtime on Monday.

The defiant school today said it "makes no apologies" for having "the highest standards across all areas of school life" including uniform.

Olivia told Leeds Live. said: "[The staff member] She said I had to change my trousers and socks because you could see my ankles and she said it was distracting for other pupils and teachers.

"I said, 'are you saying they're going to get turned on?' And [the staff member] said, 'well I wouldn't put it like that.'

"She said my trousers showed my figure too much as well."


Olivia, a Year 9 pupil from Leeds, said she was told to go into isolation aftter objecting to the request to change into lost property clothing.

When she refused she said she was excluded for two days and sent home, with a further three days in isolation to complete after she returns to school on Thursday.

Olivia's mum, Karen Harrison, said several students have fallen foul of uniform rules since the school was taken over by The Gorse Academies Trust at the start of term.

She said: "It's got really bad the last two weeks. Olivia's trousers are from Debenhams, they're the ones she wore before with no problems.

""Now I've got to order more trousers. They should be more interested in education and not what pupils are wearing."

Karen said she has tried to contact the school several times but to no avail.

A spokesperson for The Grove Academies Trust said: "We have the highest standards across all areas of school life, whether that is in the classroom, in terms of behaviour and with regard to uniform.

"We make no apologies for this and are pleased that the majority of students abide by these standards.

"However where students do not meet them, we have clear policies in place.

"We do not comment on individual cases but can say we have not received a parental complaint on this matter."

For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.

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