Schoolgirl, 13, told to change trousers and socks because her ankles ‘could be distracting to teachers’

A SCHOOLGIRL says she was told to change her trousers and socks – because her bare ankles could be “distracting to teachers”.

Olivia Harrison, 13, claims she was ordered to dress in a replacement uniform found in lost property during her first week back at a Leeds school.

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Olivia Harrison, pictured right, and schoolfriend Lily Buchanan say they were excluded from their Leeds school over their uniform[/caption]

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Olivia says she was told her bare ankles would be ‘distracting for teachers’ by a member of staff[/caption]

And the trust running John Smeaton Academy said that, while it wouldn’t be commenting on individual cases, it would make “no apologies”.

Olivia told LeedsLive : “[The staff member] 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.”

The Year 9 pupil said she wouldn’t wear trousers from lost property – and was sent into isolation.

But when she refused to comply with the punishment, she was excluded for two days.

She’ll face a further three days of learning alone when she returns to the classroom.

The teen’s mum Karen Harrison said her daughter isn’t the only one taken to task over uniform since the school was taken over by The Gorse Academies Trust at the start of term.

“It’s got really bad the last two weeks,” she said.

“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.”

‘NO APOLOGIES’

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.”