A mother expressed anger after her 8-year-old daughter was sent home from school due to a uniform issue that felt like an ‘Army inspection’. Amaya Davies, a student at St Paul’s CE Primary School in Salford, Greater Manchester, was not allowed to attend class because her footwear did not meet the new uniform policy introduced after the Easter break. The policy required all pupils to wear all black shoes, excluding trainers.
Amaya’s mother, Gemma Sharples, had informed the school about her daughter’s sensory difficulties before the break but felt the school had not adequately addressed her concerns. Despite explaining that Amaya finds wearing shoes distressing due to her sensory issues, the school did not make any accommodations for her needs.
In a complaint letter to the school, Gemma criticized the school’s handling of the situation, stating that it caused significant distress to Amaya, who already faces emotional and mental health challenges. She highlighted the lack of compassion, professional judgment, and reasonable adjustments for a child with identified needs.
Gemma also mentioned that other children, including Year 6 pupils preparing for exams, were turned away in a manner that she described as intimidating and disproportionate. She criticized the school for its lack of understanding and compassion towards families’ needs and called for immediate reassurance that Amaya would not be excluded from education due to her additional needs.
The school had communicated the uniform changes to parents in a newsletter dated April 2, emphasizing the importance of maintaining high standards for a positive learning environment. However, Gemma claimed that the school did not offer any alternative footwear for Amaya and is seeking clarification on the lack of response to her emails and the failure to consider reasonable adjustments.
The Mirror has reached out to Vantage CE Academies for a comment on the matter.