School segregates Shropshire brothers over their haircuts
Two teenage brothers have been segregated from their peers at school – because of their haircuts, their father has claimed.
Keiran Matthews, 16, and his 13-year-old brother Callum have both spent time in the "pastoral" classroom at the Marches School in Oswestry because they are sporting the latest fashionable hairstyle – which is very close cut at the sides.
Their father Tony, of Ardmillan Court, Oswestry, said he understood the school has its policies that include hairstyles. But he said he was angry that his sons seemed to have been singled out.
The school today said it could not comment on issues involving individual students but said it had "clear policies" which had been in place for several years.
The problems began last week when Callum was told he had to spend time in the pastoral room because of the haircut.
Mr Matthews said: "There are so many boys at the Marches that have the same haircut and they do not seem to have been sent to pastoral.
"It's an area where children are segregated from the rest of the school. They are not allowed to go outside for break and Callum had his lunch brought to him – a pizza that he said was cold and he couldn't eat."
It was when Mr Matthews mentioned that other boys, including his older son, had similar haircuts, that Keiran then also was told to work in pastoral, he said.
"When on Monday they contacted me and said that yet again they were going into pastoral, then I went and picked them up for school."
"Keiran is in his last year at school and, with exams coming up, it is vital that he goes into lessons."
"The boys and I have talked about hairstyles and we have agreed that in the future they will not have hairstyles such as this," he said.
Sarah Longville, headteacher at the school, said: "We are unable to discuss individual cases involving students due to their age and vulnerability. We have clear policies at the school, that have been in place for many years, and parents/carers and students are made fully aware of these.
"We set high standards for all students and when our policies are not adhered to, we work supportively with parents and the appropriate action is taken."
