Schools? right to enforce

As reported in the email newsletter on 23 January, the DfES has reassured ASCL members that it supports schools' right to send pupils home to change if they are not wearing the correct uniform. A national newspaper article on 17 January raised questions about the government's position.

A DfES spokesperson said: "It is nonsense to suggest that schools cannot send pupils home to change into the correct uniform.

"We fully support schools in taking tough action to enforce school uniform policy and it is plain common sense for heads to ask pupils to go home for an agreed fixed period to change if they are not wearing the right uniform.

"If school uniform rules are persistently flouted than the headteacher may deem an exclusion appropriate."

The spokesperson said that the DfES letter sent to the school, which was quoted in the article, referred generally to the policy on 'informal' exclusions and didn't apply to uniforms infractions.