School tells girl her shirt is wrong shade of green

Sue Johnson is furious that daughter Emma, seven, was sent home with a stern letter from the headteacher and chairman of governors because she wasn't wearing a jade coloured shirt.

Ms Johnson, 42, said Green Lane Primary School, in Garforth, Leeds, is trying too hard to impress after recently winning permission to become an academy.

The change, due to happen in the coming months, would allow the school's management more autonomy over the way it is run.

"I am absolutely livid at the school," Ms Johnson said. 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 going 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. They are bang out of order and it's just ridiculous."

Green Lane Primary School's website says: "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. In the summer, gingham summer dresses in blue or jade are acceptable.

In the letter sent to Mrs Johnson, the school says: "Today your child was wearing a green (not jade) polo shirt" and requests she attends in a proper school uniform.

A Green Lane Primary School spokeswoman 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."

Green Lane Primary is among 110 schools nationally that have had their applications to become academies approved by the Education Secretary, and are on track to convert over the coming months.