Girl, 12, given detention for 'not wearing a jumper' under blazer in heatwave
A family have hit out at their daughter's school after claiming she was handed detention for "not wearing a jumper" under her school blazer during the sweltering heatwave.
Ruby Reid, 12, a pupil at Rivers Academy West London, was reportedly reprimanded at the school gates and given a breaktime detention for her choice of clothing, despite the mercury soaring to above 28C. Her parents, Carrie-anne and David Vickers, have criticised the school's handling of the incident - and claim teachers were comfortably dressed in summer outfits. The school, located in Feltham, London, said that rules were relaxed later in the day, and insists that no pupils were told they'd have to wear jumpers and blazers "all day". Rivers Academy's website states it has the "very highest expectations in terms of uniform, behaviour, attendance and punctuality."
David Vickers and Carrie-anne Vickers with Ruby Reid and her younger sister Phoebe Reid (David Vickers / SWNS)Stepdad David, 39, said: "Ruby was really upset - she's only young and doesn't have much of a voice, so she just had to go with it." He added: "It was 28 degrees on Thursday morning and got even higher throughout the day as well. It would have been incredibly easy for someone to pass out in that temperature - or even lose their life if they got too dehydrated."
David recalled his futile attempt to reason with the school, stating: "I couldn't believe it - I phoned up the school when she got home and was told it's the 'head's policy' and they needed to enforce it."
He also claims that the following day, the school threatened full 90-minute detentions instead of breaktime ones, with the head himself enforcing the rule at the gates. "I can't see any logic in it," the stepdad said, adding that other parents have shared similar experiences. He concluded: "It's just completely inappropriate."
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The school, however, denies issuing any such threat of a 90-minute detention. During the incident on Thursday, Ruby was allegedly stopped at the school gate for not wearing her jumper, claiming she was already feeling hot. The school maintains that the uniform rules were relaxed later that day at 10am. However, Ruby and several other students found themselves in detention during breaktime for not having their jumpers on at the gates.
David has now started lodging an official complaint against the school's uniform policy. He expressed his concerns about the safety of the measure, saying: "I don't know what the reason is - I don't know if the rule is intended to cause harm. But in severe cases, it could even have led to lives lost. There are many good things about this school, but the uniform policy isn't one of them."
Carrie-anne said: "I felt angry, shocked and disgusted when I heard about it. The school know these children are young and vulnerable, my daughter was essentially punished just for not wanting to put her jumper on. It's beyond belief, it feels draconian. It's not an isolated incident and it's strange nothing is being done - if we have to be that voice to speak up for change then we will be."
A spokesperson for Rivers Academy said: “At Rivers Academy, we believe that our Academy uniform provides a sense of belonging and self-worth, which are central to our guiding principles. Our students take pride in their appearance and we hope that by instilling these values, we are preparing them for the professional expectations of the world of work.
"We asked students to arrive in full uniform on the day in question but by 10am, in accordance with our protocol, we’d informed them that the Academy had moved to a ‘no jumper day.’ This meant that all pupils could remove jumpers and blazers in the classroom so as to be able to learn comfortably in the unseasonable heat.
"No students were told on either day by the Principal or any other member of staff that they’d have to wear jumpers and blazers all day and there is no 90-minute sanction for uniform infringements. Our guidelines apply to staff who lead by example. Staff members were also invited to remove jackets from 10am. It is possible that visitors to the school after that time would encounter staff without jackets.
"Uniform is a key discipline. Our policy and our expectations are clearly set out for all pupils joining the Academy. In instances where uniform requirements are breached, we are able to lend brand new or freshly laundered items which will allow students to attend lessons.”
* This article was crafted with the help of an AI tool, which speeds up The Mirror's editorial research. An editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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