Mercia Northridge supplies girl with black shoes then puts her in isolation for wearing them
Students came face to face with Mercia Learning Trust’s strict behaviour policy for the first time this week
More parents have shared how their children were landed in all-day isolation on their first week back at Sheffield’s new strictest school.
The former Chaucer School, in Parson Cross, welcomed pupils back on September 7 following its relaunch as Mercia Northridge - part of the same trust which runs Merica School on Carterknowle Road in Sheffield and which is renowned as one of the best in the country.
But some Mercia Northridge students had a chilly reception at the school gates on Monday, as they came face to face with Mercia Learning Trust’s infamously strict behaviour policy for the first time.
As many as 30 children were kept from class and placed in silent ‘reflection’ for uniform infractions for their entire first day back - a trend that has not slowed.
Mismatched socks, ear studs with tiny gems in them, black shoes considered too ‘trainer like’ or with bows, and haircuts deemed not smart enough are all grounds to sit in silence for an entire school day - or the rest of the week if the issue cannot be resolved, it is claimed.
Autistic girl picks shoes from Mercia’s own approved storeroom - then sent to isolation for wearing them
Mercia’s behavioural policy orders pupils to wear “formal black shoes with plain black socks” as compulsory uniform.
Seemingly expecting complications, the school reportedly has a storeroom of black shoes bought in bulk from retailer Wynsors in Sheffield for pupils to take.
However, even shoes from Mercia’s own supply may not pass the bar.
Mum Chiye Shelton shared how her autistic daughter, Ella-J Mappin, in Year 9, lives with sensory issues to do with her feet.
While growing up, she found the ‘wrong shoes’ caused her daughter to walk on tiptoes to the point of injury. When she finds a pair she can wear, Chiye now buys multiple pairs.
However, on her first day back, Ella’s comfortable black Adidas trainers fell foul of Mercia’s policy and she was sent to reflection, also known as ‘internal exclusion’.
Chiye instead opted to take Ella home.
Before she left, they were taken to the storeroom to pick a new pair of shoes.
Chiye told The Star: “At first I thought ‘fair enough, we can make adjustments and they have a supply of shoes pupils can have, that’s good of them.’
“We finally found a pair she could wear, but they were a size too small.
“I went straight from the school to Wynsors and bought the very last boxes of the exact same pair, in a size that fit her. I thought everything was sorted.
“The next day (September 8), they told her the shoes were unacceptable and looked too much like trainers, so she would be going to isolation.
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"I have tried to cooperate. My daughter has tried to cooperate. We have followed the school's instructions and spent money buying the footwear they supplied, only for the rules to apparently change again.
“She came out in tears. I’m appalled at how she’s been treated.
“As I took her home she said to me ‘mum, why am I autistic, I wish I wasn’t like this.’
“I’m so angry. How they could make her ashamed of who she is like that?
“All she wants is to go to school - when we got home, she stayed in her uniform in case Mercia called to say she could come back in. After 2pm she realised they weren’t going to.
“I think it’s discrimination against SEND children.
“I was mostly happy about Mercia taking over as Chaucer needed stricter rules - but to this extreme, where a child is coming home upset about who they are, it’s outrageous.”
Mum forced to use ‘two sets to pliers’ to remove Y8 girl’s ear stud or else face week of isolation
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The uniform policy sent out to households is an abbreviated version of the full set of rules found on Mercia’s website.
Namely, the copy seen by parents says “one pair of discreet ear studs” are acceptable jewellery - while the full version specifies “discreet ear studs (silver or gold)”.
So, when one Y8 girl arrived on Monday with a pair of safety studs with a tiny gem, she was straight sent to internal exclusion over her ‘green earrings’.
However, they were not the kind that could be taken out on the spot - she would need to go to the shop to have them removed,
The mum told The Star: “I went into the school and attempted to remove the earrings myself which I was unable to do.
“I told the headteacher’s PA we would arrange to get them removed and changed at the weekend due to it needing to be done by a piercing shop.
“But they said she would remain in internal exclusion until they are changed.”
The mum said her family had no choice but to remove them themselves on Wednesday night by brute force.
“Between me and her nannan with two sets of pliers and a lot of determination we managed to get them out,” said the mum.
“But if we hadn't done that, she would have been placed in internal exclusion every day until we got them out
“We were given no leeway considering we offered a solution.
“This has all caused my stepdaughter to lose her confidence. She spent the entire day yesterday crying because she felt very isolated at school due to all this, and having a number of teachers coming to look at her earrings which are smaller than the size of a garden pea.
“The attitude from staff members has been appalling.
“I questioned staff on why children had to follow these rules. Within the short space of time I was in the reception area, I saw one member of staff wearing knee high black biker boots, others with high heels, open toe shoes, false nails, false eyelashes, long dangly earrings, very big colourful earrings, skirts above the knee and different coloured shoes.
“I requested to speak to the headteacher and was told ‘it will not be happening’.”
Grace period
The Star contacted Mercia Learning Trust to ask if a grace period could be extended to help pupils learn the rules.
The school directed The Star to a previous statement saying its “clear school-wide expectations for pupils and families” were communicated over the summer holidays.
Mercia School, on Carterknowle Road and upon which Mercia Northridge and its behaviour policy is modelled, is rated as one of the best performing in the country.
It is the most over-subscribed school in Sheffield, with its results among the best in the country.