Family fuming after Portchester schoolgirl sent home following school skirt row

Kada Jones started Year 10 at Portchester Community School last week, but due to her size had to wear a different skirt to the one suggested by the school.

Instead of the grey pleated knee-length skirts the school requires, Kada wore a grey size 24-26 skirt from Aldi, which she says she wore last year without complaint.

But this year, the 14-year-old found herself being removed from class and told that if she didn’t wear the regulation skirt, she would be forced to either study in isolation, or stay at home.

The school’s headteacher insists that the skirt does not match school regulations.

Kada, who is studying geography, health and social care, history and art alongside the core GCSE subjects, is heartbroken by how she has been treated by the school.

She said: ‘I’ve been crying for the past five days – I don’t understand, I’ve done nothing wrong.

‘People get put in isolation because they have done something wrong; they’ve been treating me like I’m not even a human being.

‘All I want to do is go to school.’

Kada’s mother, 54-year-old Carleen Jones, says her daughter is medically healthy, and is ‘fuming’ that the school has changed its mind on her skirts.

She said: ‘Kada was in the headmaster’s maths class last year, and he never raised an issue with her skirt.

‘If she was dressed like a punk rocker or something I would understand, but this skirt is similar to the school ones and is absolutely fine.’

In an act of defiance, Kada went into school yesterday and even attended two of her morning lessons, before the school removed her from the classroom.

Richard Carlyle, headteacher at Portchester Community School, says all schoolchildren must abide by the same rules.

‘It’s about the skirt being the appropriate length and appropriate material,’ he said.

‘Miss Jones’ skirt wasn’t quite up to school regulations in terms of length, but the school is working to find a uniform that is compliant.

‘Pupils have a duty to wear the uniform respectfully and with dignity.’