A mother has expressed outrage after her 16-year-old daughter was placed in isolation and given detention twice for wearing a skirt deemed too short by teachers at Portslade Aldridge Community Academy (PACA) in Brighton.
Kirsty Owen, 33, claims her daughter Courtney Meredith missed important GCSE lessons due to the punishment. The school's uniform policy requires skirts to be no more than 5cm above the knee, but Ms Owen argues that other girls wear shorter skirts without facing consequences.
The dispute escalated when Ms Owen and Courtney's grandmother protested outside the school with placards. Police attended but confirmed no crimes were committed. Upon returning to school, Courtney received another detention.
Ms Owen stated, 'My daughter should be able to focus on her work at such a vital stage. I feel teachers aren't dealing with her correctly.' She has informed the school that her younger children will not attend PACA.
Principal Katie Scott said, 'It isn't our policy to discuss individual students publicly. PACA supports all students, and sanctions are imposed when necessary. No formal complaint has been made by the adults involved.' The school's recent Ofsted report noted that pupils feel safe and make good progress.
