Dad calls out ‘wrong’ protocols after pupil is sent home over Vivienne Westwood shoes
September can only mean one thing... back to school; leaving all the parents delighted and the kids disappointed.
While returning to school can be a challenging time, as a parent you hope it can go as smoothly as possible.
Students who attend Grace College in Gateshead went back to school last week, along with millions of other children around the UK.
However, many stories have come out of the school since its pupils returned, including Melissa Pope’s 11-year-old daughter Layla, who was wearing Vivienne Westwood slip-on shoes.
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The young girl got sent home from school as a result of the footwear, with the mum claiming her daughter was ‘treated like a dog’.
Layla is not the only student to be punished for her choice of footwear, Karl Bell's daughter, Katie, who also goes to Grace College, has also been reprehended.
To start off the new school year, Katie was donning the popular Vivienne Westwood shoes, something the 13-year-old was apparently wearing last year.
But on her return to school, Katie was told to squeeze into a smaller pair of Brogue-style shoes instead, which were provided by the school.
Dad Karl, 36, said: "The school told her she either needed to wear a pair of shoes that they would provide or else she'd be sent home.
"They decided to give her a pair of shoes but they made her feet sore.
"I made the point to send her into school the next day with the pair of trainers on but she was scared to wear them after how the school reacted.
"The school is very strict but I think it's too much.
"She ended up with blisters. I'm not happy about it because the teachers should be wearing the same type of shoes but I bet they don't."
Karl went on to explain that the school has allowed Katie to wear the borrowed school shoes until they buy her a new pair.
"The school's shoes are hurting her but she's too scared to wear anything else in case she gets into more trouble," he added.
"I do have sympathy for the teachers because they'll just be following protocol but I think the whole thing is wrong."
A spokesperson from Grace College previously said: “Grace College is proud of its uniform for the professional image it portrays, and we expect students to wear it with pride.
“Our uniform policy is designed to be fair, equal and affordable to all students, which is especially important during a cost of living crisis.”
LADbible has reached out to Grace College for further comment.
Callum Jones