A 10-year-old schoolboy from Burnley has been banned from lessons with his classmates after teachers deemed his short-back and sides haircut too 'extreme'. Connor McGowan has been ordered to take lessons in isolation after the headteacher of Lowerhouse Junior School, Claire Holgate, objected to his new look.
Connor's mother, Michelle McGowan, is furious about the decision. She claims the haircut, which is a number one around the sides, has been worn by her son before without issue. 'There's nothing extreme about Connor's haircut,' she said. 'If I thought it was against the school rules, I wouldn't have allowed it.'
The school's hair policy states that styles must be 'sensible and appropriate for school' and that 'extreme haircuts are not acceptable'. The headteacher has the discretion to define what constitutes an extreme hairstyle. Mrs McGowan argues that the rules do not specifically ban number one cuts, and that the decision has become a personal disagreement.
Headteacher Claire Holgate defended the school's stance, saying, 'We pride ourselves on setting high standards of behaviour and appearance.' She noted that the school has improved from a special measures Ofsted rating to a good one since she joined in 2012, partly due to high uniform and appearance standards.
Connor is not alone in facing punishment for his hairstyle. Other pupils across the UK have been disciplined for extreme styles, including a Sheffield girl with a leopard print pattern and a Swindon boy with a swept-back look.
