MORE than 30 parents have been given less than a week to buy new trousers for their children because of breaches to a strict school uniform policy.

Staff at Castle View School, Canvey, phoned Phillip Griffiths, 46, yesterday morning to complain about the tight fit of his daughter’s new black trousers.

He was told 31 pupils in Year 10 had not turned up for the start of the new school year in appropriate trousers.

It is the latest uniform row to hit south Essex this week, with pupils sent home from Shoeburyness High School, in Caulfield Road, Shoebury, for breaching uniform rules by wearing trousers which were too tight, or fitted.

Mr Griffiths, of Orange Road, Canvey, has been given until Monday to buy a new pair for his daughter Ameilia, 14.

Castle View School’s uniform policy states all trousers should be plain. Cords, denim, flares and narrow legs will not be tolerated.

Mr Griffiths, a single dad, said: “I think it’s crazy.

“I went and bought my daughter a new pair of shoes, five shirts and two new pairs of trousers before the start of term.

I’ve spent a lot of money, and I can’t afford to just go out and buy more.

“There seems to be no consideration for individual circumstances.

“My daughter always looks so smart for school. The teachers seem to be able to wear what they want, I’ve even seen some in flip flops. How is that fair?

“We’ve not gone out to break the rules on purpose. I just went into the school uniform section of Tesco and picked out a pair of black trousers in her size.”

It is not known what will happen to pupils if they do not comply with the uniform rules by Monday.

Kelly McKenzie, deputy headteacher, said: “A group of Year 10 pupils were asked to correct their uniform in line with school policy – the same policy agreed by parents when their children joined the school.

“Pupils have been given the opportunity, by Monday, September 14, to ensure they have the correct and appropriate school uniform as per the school’s policy.

“This gives them a week to make the necessary adjustments.”

UNIFORMS GIVE A SENSE OF BELONGING

Echo:

Jason Carey took over as headteacher of James Hornsby School, in Leinster Road, Laindon, in March 2013. Here he explains why the correct school uniform is so important:

I HAVE made a lot of uniform changes since I joined James Hornsby, it is really important to me.

It's about making sure the pupils are smart and getting them ready for the world of work and job interviews.

Students are ambassadors for our school, and I expect it to be that way from the moment they leave their homes in the morning, until the moment they get home in the evening.

When they are walking to and from school, I don’t expect their shirts to be undone or their ties to be off. I think uniforms give them a sense of belonging.

We have four different colleges within the school, and this year we introduced different ties for each one.

A consultation with parents will be carried out, but from September 2016, we are going to introduce black blazers.

We have a zero-tolerance approach to uniform and students breaking rules. In the first instance we would contact parents to make sure they are aware of our policy.

For something like trousers we would make sure we give them enough time to buy new ones, but with earrings, for example, we would expect those to be changed straight away.

We also have plain black plimsolls available for any students coming into school in the wrong footwear.

It's about helping pupils understand what smart is.