Mum sees green as daughter sent home for wearing wrong shade of school shirt

Emma Johnson was sent home from Green Lane Primary School in Garforth on the first day of term with a letter from the headteacher and chairman of governors.

In it, her mother is given a week to ensure her daughter is in the "proper" school uniform – including a jade green polo shirt – even though the school does not have a compulsory uniform policy.

Emma's mother Sue said the school was "trying too hard to impress" after recently winning permission to become an academy. The change, due to happen in the coming months, would allow it more autonomy over the way it is run.

Ms Johnson, 42, said: "I am absolutely livid at the school. They are making an example of a seven-year-old. She is worried and upset now. It's just so petty.

"My children have been to that school for six years. They have changed supplier before and the shades have changed.

"The shirt is as close to jade green as you can get. In fact the school's letterhead matches the colour of the shirt.

"I cannot tell the difference myself. It's almost nothing."

The school states on its website: "There is a school uniform. Whilst this is preferred dress it is not compulsory and children may attend school in suitable clothing of parental choice."

The school's girls' uniform includes a navy skirt, trousers, tailored shorts or pinafore, a white or jade green polo shirt and a navy blue sweater or cardigan.

Ms Johnson said she bought five new shirts for Emma from Asda for the start of the new school year, and will not be buying new ones.

"The school's own shirts cost at least three times as much," she said.

She added that because the school was about to become an academy, "it wants to make a fantastic impression, but this is not the way to do it".

In a letter sent to Ms Johnson, the school's headteacher and chairman of governors say: "We believe that school uniform is important in giving a child a sense of identification and pride in their school community.

"Today your child was wearing a green (not jade) polo shirt.

"We request that your child be in proper school uniform by Monday, September 6."

A spokeswoman for Green Lane primary school said: "A letter was sent out at the end of the last school year, detailing the expectation that the appropriate uniform should be worn to school from the beginning of the new school year.

"We understand that the website had not been updated with this information, and we will update this immediately."