THE head of a school that refused entry to some students on their first day back in class has issued an apology after admitting it made mistakes.

As exclusively reported on Thurrock Nub News yesterday, students arriving at the Stanford-le-Hope secondary school - including youngsters on their first day in Year Seven - were turned away because their skirts were deemed to be too short.

It was a policy that saw several youngsters in tears and distress and parents angry because they believed they had followed the school guidelines.

And now, it transpires, they had...

The head of the school, Sally Feeney has conceded claims that information on the school's website was not definitive about length were right. Initially the school said it had updated a website information page to reflect updated rules imposed by the school's new ruling trust, the Mossbourne Federation.

However, some parents were able to produce screenshots showing the previous information had remained active, forcing the school into apology mode!

In a statement released this afternoon (Friday, 6 September) Mrs Feeney, who yesterday said: "Some students were sent home to rectify their uniform where they did not follow the uniform guidelines given", had to concede that the website guidance was at fault - not students or parents.

She says: "As is standard practice for schools, Ortu Hassenbrook Academy wrote to parents and carers before the start of the new school term, to share information about uniform expectations.

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"It has come to our attention that unfortunately some wording within this communication and our website gave incorrect information about skirt length. The correct uniform guidance is contained in the full policy in a separate area of the website. When the error on the website came to light it was amended.

"We realise that this error has caused concern for a small number of students and their families who have found themselves inadvertently in breach of our high standards of attire.

"We are contacting those parents and carers to apologise for the communication error, to clarify correct guidance and to offer assistance where needed.

"We are confident that we can move forward positively from this matter, and appreciate parental commitment to ensuring that all children come to school correctly dressed and ready to learn."

Children at neighbouring Gable Hall School were also reportedly sent home for being in contravention of guidelines. Those sent home included a boy who had been allowed to wear ankle supporting shoes in previous years to aid a medical condition, but who was told they were no longer acceptable.

Gable Hall, which like Hassenbrook has been run by the Ortu Trust but is to be take over by Mossbourne on 1 October, has not released any public statements about events there.

Its school guidance does indicate that students who were not in strict adherence of rules could be sent home.

The school says: "Any student who breaks a condition of the Gable Hall Uniform and Appearance Expectations will receive a sanction in line with the behaviour policy and may be sent home, removed from normal circulation or placed in the Behaviour / Reflection Room."

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It seems they too went straight to the almost Draconian rules laid down by Mossbourne, which has a strict disciplinary code, rather than cutting students any leeway.

In terms of Hassenbrook, that unyielding policy has left all concerned with red faces!