Sign up to the GrimsbyLive newsletter for daily updates and breaking news Sign up here! Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A mum has told how her son was placed in isolation on his first day at secondary school – until she took him to the barbers to get it cut even more evenly.

Grimsby parent Danielle Baker, 33, said her 12-year-old, Jack Baker, who is in Year 7, was placed in isolation on his first day at Havelock Academy.

But unlike another parent who was told her son was in isolation for having his hair too short, Jack fell foul of the rules because it was too long on top.

Havelock has defended its strict "non-negotiable" policy saying it has a culture of “high expectations”.

It is believed the rules on hair styles have resulted in a number of students being placed in isolation for breaches of the code in the first days of the new term.

Danielle said she had to intervene to prevent her son being kept in isolation by picking him up and taking him to the barbers.

She said: "I had a phone call to say my son had been put in isolation because his hair didn't meet the accepted standards.

"I was alright with it for a bit but when I had time to think about it I rang back and told them they weren't putting him in isolation and that I would take him to the barbers to have it blended.

"They allowed him back into normal lessons but ironically it's actually shorter now."

She added: "It's only a haircut and it's one all children have nowadays. I believe it's a good school and I like the rules they have in place because they are the sort of rules I like to have but over the hair they are too strict."

Wendy Jackson, principal at Havelock Academy, said: "We have a culture of high expectations and no excuses and have clear uniform and behaviour policies that we expect all our students follow.

"These are non-negotiable and are made clear to all students, as well as their parents. We also make this very clear to students joining our school and their parents.

"We’re proud of our students’ academic performance and this is also reflected in how we expect students to dress and behave at our school.”

Yesterday it emerged one parent chose to take her son out of school altogether until the school softens its strict stance.

Lisa Humphrey, 41, of Stanley Street, Grimsby said she was told son Harry Russell-Humphrey’s hair was "inappropriate."

(Image: Jon Corken)

But Lisa took matters into her own hands and collected Harry, 13, telling the school's staff that he will not return for the next four weeks until his hair has grown back.

Lisa said: Harry, a Year 9 student at Havelock, has never been put in isolation before and was well behaved at school, having recently been awarded a medal for the number of house points he had achieved.

The school's uniform policy states that "inappropriate hairstyles will not be accepted in the academy" and that hairstyles must be no shorter than a grade two.

Lisa and son Harry

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now

However, Lisa said her son's hair was cut to grade two when she took him to the barbers, in the same way he always gets it cut.

She said: "They said he was going to stay in isolation until his hair grew back to an acceptable level but he will be having the same haircut he always has done. He feels humiliated."

Harry said: "I think it's disgraceful. I feel a bit angry with the way they have dealt with it. I think they're getting a bit too strict."