Shylah Johnson was put in isolation at Brookvale Groby school, Leicester because she was wearing a plain black skirt instead of a pleated one.

The parents of a 12-year-old have complained that their daughter is being discriminated against because of her body shape.

Shylah Johnson, 12, was put in isolation at Brookvale Groby school, Leicester, because she was wearing a plain black skirt instead of a pleated one.

Her mother Daisy Johnson said they had looked at various retailers and spent hundreds on clothing that they returned because it did not fit properly.

She said: ‘We have spent hundreds of pounds ordering skirts that didn’t fit and returning them, we’ve tried everywhere.

‘But because she has wide hips and a small waist the skirts don’t fit properly.

‘We had to get her a regular skirt that does fit, but she was immediately sent to isolation because of it not being pleated.’

Headteacher, Will Teece, said they had offered to adjust a skirt so that it fits her measurements, but the school has not managed to find a resolution with the Johnson family.

Mrs Johnson, who said Shylah had a growth spurt over summer, says the row has caused her daughter to suffer from anxiety.

The mother said: ‘She has missed two tests already this week because she can’t be in full-time education, all because her skirt doesn’t have pleats in it.

‘She’s being discriminated against, really, because she doesn’t have a body shape for their uniform policy.’

Mrs Johnson added her daughter isn’t ‘breaking the uniform policy willingly’ but only because ‘she has no other option’.

Mr Teece said they had offered several options.

He said: ‘The school has had the same uniform policy for many years, we’ve provided the family with a skirt, offered to take them to the shops, and offered to have it tailored – but it simply seems like she doesn’t want to wear the skirt.

We’ve got 1,500 other students who have not had any issues with their uniform and have settled well into the start of the new academic year.

‘We’ll do all we can to offer support to students to get them the right uniform, and everyone else on campus is in the right uniform.

‘We’d like nothing more than to get the student back into full-time education, and we feel we have offered more than enough options for the parent and student to do this.’

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