School ‘excludes’ teenage boy, 15, for having ‘same shaved and plaited hair style he’s had for last five years’ under strict new uniform policy
- Tyrelle Richards, 15, was reportedly suspended because his hair was too short
- Mother Charlotte Carruthers claims year 11 son was put into isolation
- Ellis Guildford School, in Nottingham, said ‘no extreme hairstyles are allowed’
- But school principal Chris Keen says Tyrelle was not excluded because of his haircut
- Charlotte said Tyrelle is now ‘too anxious’ to return to school after the incident
A mother claims her teenage son has been ‘suspended’ from attending school because his hairstyle does not conform to the strict new uniform policy.
Charlotte Carruthers, 35, said her 15-year-old son Tyrelle Richards was excluded from Ellis Guildford School, in Nottingham, on September 6 after being told the shaved and plaited hair she says he has had for the last five years was too short.
Charlotte said Tyrelle, who is in year 11, was told he cannot return to the school until his hair has grown and the plaits have been taken out.
Charlotte Carruthers, 35, from Aspley, Nottingham has claimed her son, Tyrelle Richards, 15, was excluded from Ellis Guildford School in Basford, Nottingham, on September 6 as his hair was too short. The teen has his hair plaited and shaved at the sides, which the school have said is not acceptable within a new set of rules. His mum said she had been told that Tyrelle could not return to school until his hair grew or he took the plaits out.
In its uniform policy, Ellis Guildford School said ‘no extreme hairstyles are allowed’, which includes ‘shaved hair patterns’.
The policy says students who do not keep to the uniform policy may be ‘asked to be isolated from classes until the situation is resolved’
In a phone call to Charlotte on Wednesday morning, she says the school denied it had excluded Tyrelle because of his haircut, but she claims her son had to spend a day ‘completely alone, to reflect in isolation about what he did’.
Charlotte said: ‘When I asked the teacher on the phone what was the reason for his exclusion, he just tried to fob me like nothing has ever happened.
‘I just wish I would have recorded the first conversation because that conversation was just nonsense.
‘I was told that after an exclusion the student has to spend a day in school, in a separate room, completely alone, to reflect in isolation about what he did.
‘After all the stress that he has been through they are asking him to do that.
‘They told me on the phone that he will have to spend a day in school from 9am to 3pm which is absolutely ridiculous.
‘When I asked them why they could not give me an answer.’
Ellis Guildford School, in Nottingham, said ‘no extreme hairstyles are allowed’ in its strict new uniform policy. The school said students who do not keep to the policy may be ‘asked to be isolated from classes until the situation is resolved’
However, Chris Keen, the principal of Ellis Guildford School told the MailOnline ‘no exclusion takes place or has taken place for any child due to a haircut’.
He said Tyrelle ‘was not excluded because of a haircut’ and ‘was not told he couldn’t return to school until his hair grows’.
In a statement provided to the MailOnline, Mr Keen added: ‘The school’s rules on haircuts is similar to many schools: no “extreme hairstyle” or “unnatural colour dyes” are permitted. All behavioural expectations are shared with parents and carers prior to the beginning of a new term.
‘If a child arrives in school with an extreme cut or colour, children are taught separately until we contact parents and agree a way forward. They remain in school and follow a normal curriculum timetable. This is usually resolved within the day, so there is minimum disruption to learning.
‘We are a rich, multi-cultural school – many pupils have hair plaits and they are welcomed.’
Charlotte said the episode has caused Tyrelle ‘stress and anxiety’ and she is now looking to transfer him to a new school.
She added: ‘We have applied for him to go to another school and fingers crossed that he will get in.
‘He does not want to return to this school after everything he had to go through.
‘He is too anxious to return to a school that caused him so much stress.’
The Mail Online approached Ellis Guildford School for comment.