Teen excluded from school over hairstyle

Melanie Edwards, with her son , Elliott Greenwood, who has ben excluded from high school, because of his hair cut.

Elliott Greenwood, 14, is a pupil at Park Lane Learning Trust, Exley, Halifax, and was put into isolation last week after sporting a ‘man bun’ style cut.

His mum Melanie Edwards, 38, admitted her son, a year 10 pupil, was “defiant” when teachers asked her son to take his hair band out.

The teen has his head shaved around the sides, with his hair secured in a topknot. Ms Edwards, of Ovenden, said she was told by the school that her son’s hair cut was unacceptable to school standards.

She said: “One of the teachers asked him to take the bobble out.

“He got defiant and refused to do it. He was being silly.”

Elliott was then excluded from school for four days over the wrangle.

Ms Edwards added: “I think it’s ridiculous. I know, and he knows, that his behaviour was unacceptable, but it all started with the hair.

“How does you hair cut affect your ability to learn?

“I think they have been very heavy handed - it’s not an outrageous style or colour.

“All they want him to do is take his bobble out, but it keeps his hair tidy.”

A spokesperson from the school said: “We expect all our students to demonstrate respect for the school, our teachers and other pupils and this is part of their contract with the school.

“Whilst we are unable to comment on individual cases, the school has a clear policy, which we always follow, setting out the standards of behaviour we expect.

“Where a pupil’s behaviour falls short of this standard, we are forced to take action, which can mean that they are excluded from the school for a time.

“When this happens we are always happy to discuss the situation with the parents so that it can be resolved quickly.”