Schoolgirl, 12, put in isolation because her 'hips don't fit into skirt'

A mum has claimed a school is discriminating against her daughter because her 'body shape does not fit the uniform policy'.

Daisy Johnson said she had tried 'everywhere' to get a black pleated skirt for her 12-year-old daughter Shylah, but none would fit her.

Daisy put this down to a growth spurt that meant Shylah's hips were too wide and her waist too small, and instead sent her to class in a plain black skirt.

But Shylah was put into isolation because her skirt did not conform to the school's uniform policy, Leicester Mercury reports.

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Daisy said: "We have spent hundreds of pounds ordering skirts that didn't fit and returning them, we've tried everywhere. But because she has wide hips and a small waist the skirts don't fit properly.

"So we had to get her a regular skirt that does fit, but she was immediately sent to isolation because of it not being pleated.

"She has missed two tests already this week because she can't be in full-time education, all because her skirt doesn't have pleats in it.

"She's being discriminated against, really, because she doesn't have a body shape for their uniform policy. The school even gave us one of their skirts for her to wear and it doesn't fit at all around her waist."

Shylah has struggled settling into the new school year at Brookvale Groby Learning Campus, Leicester, according to her mum, who added: "The school has told us if they let her wear a plain black skirt, others will use it as an excuse to wear one. But it's not the case for her, they should be punished for breaking the uniform policy willingly, Shylah would only be breaking it because she has no other option."

Headteacher for Brookvale Groby Learning Campus, Will Teece, said the school has offered a number of different options to try resolve the situation.

He said the school had provided the family with a skirt and even offered to take them to the shops to have it tailored.

He added: "But simply seems like she doesn't want to wear the skirt.

"We've got 1,500 other students who have not had any issues with their uniform and have settled well into the start of the new academic year."

"We'll do all we can to offer support to students to get them the right uniform, and everyone else on campus is in the right uniform," the head added.

"We'd like nothing more than to get the student back into full-time education, and we feel we have offered more than enough options for the parent and student to do this."

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