A schoolgirl was left in tears after her school allegedly put her into isolation over an Asda skirt.
Now we’re not one for labels but apparently some schools are, when it comes to uniforms that is, anyway.
Most schools are infamously strict with what pupils have to wear and not wear.
And this school in Hull has its rules right down to the specifics of where the uniform is bought.
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Lilly told Hull Live that a teacher asked her and her classmates to lift up their blouses so they could check their uniform label.
And the 12-year-old pupil was busted for what seems like a very petty crime.
She was found to be wearing a £7 pleated skirt from the supermarket rather than the pretty much identical £17.99 one from Rawcliffes and was sent to isolation.
Lilly’s mum Katie said: “She wore a Sainsbury’s skirt last year and had no problems.”
Her parents had struggled to find a skirt that fit her slimmer physique from the uniform shop so instead bought one from Asda.
Katie added: “We originally did try to get her the right skirt but Lilly is tiny, it kept falling off her. The skirts are between £17.99 and £21.99 each from Rawcliffes, but we managed to find black pleated skirts from Asda, which cost £7 for two.”
Isolation - also known as 'reflection' - is not exactly a nice place to end up for the day, and many parents have raised concerns that sending a pupil there for such a minor issue only disrupts learning.
Lilly’s dad Wayne said: “It's not her fault that she can't fit into the right one and she shouldn't be punished for it - the school need to contact the parents directly to discuss it. The majority of the children being put in isolation are good kids that don't deserve to be there."
But her school, Holderness Academy, and others in the area aren’t planning on budging on these uniform policies.
A spokesperson for the Consortium Trust, which Lilly’s school is a part of, told Hull Live: “The start of the academic year is a key period in which standards and expectations are set… We are working through a small number of concerns that have been raised by parents and will continue to work with them to overcome any barriers. We work respectfully with our students, demonstrating our school values at all times."
However, the Department of Education has advised schools to prioritise cost when it comes to uniforms.
A spokesperson said: "We have been absolutely clear that uniform should be affordable and costs for parents should be kept down by enabling them to choose high street and unbranded options.
"Our statutory guidance is that cost and value for money for parents should be the most important consideration by schools when deciding how to source uniform and we expect schools to follow this."
LADbible has contacted Holderness Academy for further comment.
Jess Battison