Parents slam school’s ‘pathetic’ overreaction as they punish pupils signing each other’s shirts on final day
PARENTS have slammed a school's 'pathetic' overreaction after they punished pupils for signing each other's shirts on the last day of term.
More than 50 year 11 pupils were sent home from Wymondham High Academy in Norfolk for celebrating before study leave by writing well-wishes on their uniforms.
But the school's headteacher Chris Smith said they were sent home so that 'negative behaviour' would not 'escalate'.
Letters explaining the reason why pupils were sent home were issued to parents on the same day.
In the letter, Mr Smith said there were a 'small number of year 11 students who arrived at school wanting to celebrate their leavers' day by engaging in shirt signing and disruptive behaviour'.
Mr Smith added that an official leavers' day celebration is planned in June.
Read more News
The news didn't sit well with some furious parents and pupils who have branded the school an 'absolute joke'.
A parent of one of the pupils sent home said: "The school is an absolute joke. It's being run like a boot camp and there are so many frustrated parents.
"The school has a pathetic, archaic system in place."
It isn't the first time the school has been scrutinised by parents regarding uniforms.
Most read in The Sun
In June 2022 parents hit out at the school's new uniform rules which meant that in hot weather boys could wear skirts - but not shorts.
One pupil who was sent home said: "It was my last official day before study leave.
"Most schools allow students to sign shirts on the last day. We thought we'd be allowed and started as soon as school did.
"Later during form time the fire alarm went off and we all had to go out on to the field where teachers pulled people out of the lines who had visible writing on their shirts.
"We were told that our parents were called and that we were being sent home."
Another year 11 who was sent home added: "We got told that 'rules were rules' and that what we were doing was 'disturbing lessons'.
"It's completely unfair what happened - we shouldn't have been sent home."
The Sun has approached Wymondham High Academy and Mr Smith for comment.