
A mum has hit out at her son’s school after teachers allegedly put him in isolation for wearing trainers.
Hayley Birtley said her 12-year-old son Matteo was given the punishment after he refused to try on a spare pair of school shoes at Nottingham Academy in Sneinton on Tuesday.
Matteo has undiagnosed ADHD and autism, and Hayley claims the school is ‘absolutely’ aware of his condition.
She said her son’s suspected autism means he was uncomfortable trying on shoes provided by the school.
The academy said it has ‘high expectations’ for pupils, which its uniform policy supports and could not comment on individual cases.
Hayley, who has four other children at the school, said she was ‘disgusted’ by the decision.
The 38-year-old said: ‘He’s not the easiest child to look after but he’s always gone in full school uniform.
‘The sole was coming off on one of his school shoes so he had to come in trainers. I said he would be back in appropriate footwear the next school day.’
Hayley had to go and pick Matteo up from school when she received a phone call from them confirming he had refused to wear the pair of school shoes.
‘He said they were proper pressuring him to try them on,’ she said.
‘His anxiety is already through the roof. It’s totally unfair, he has always gone in full school uniform.
‘I feel let down, it’s absolutely disgusting the way they have treated him. The trainers are black with a bit of white on them.
‘I don’t get it. I think it’s wrong. To me it should be absolutely fine for one day.’
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