Mum's fury after son sent home from Fulwood's Corpus Christi High School in freezing conditions for wearing green coat

A Fulwood mum has spoken of her horror after her son was sent home from school in the snow on his bike with no coat because it was the wrong colour.
Leo's legs after cycling home in the snow with no coatLeo's legs after cycling home in the snow with no coat
Leo's legs after cycling home in the snow with no coat

Leo, 13, who is a student at Corpus Christi Catholic High School, was about to put on his green coat to cycle home at the end of the day on Tuesday when a teacher confiscated it, according to mum Samantha Pooley, 31.

But the school’s headteacher David Hubbard says parents have rushed to judge the situation without knowing the full details and school rules mean pupils are normally allowed to go home with their coats, even if they don’t adhere to uniform standards.

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Hairdresser Samantha, of Sulby Grove in Ribbleton, told the Post: “Leo rode to school on his bike on Tuesday morning with a green coat.

Leo's legs after cycling home in the snow with no coatLeo's legs after cycling home in the snow with no coat
Leo's legs after cycling home in the snow with no coat

“When he got to school he put his green coat in his bag because they’re only allowed to wear blue or black coats.

“Then after school he was holding his coat. The bell had gone but the teacher took his coat off him.”

Samantha says Leo had then been forced to cycle home in the snow wearing just his jumper, a shirt and trousers and turned up at home, about a 20 minute bike ride away, freezing.

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“He walked through the door soaking wet and freezing,” she said.

Leo in his school uniformLeo in his school uniform
Leo in his school uniform

“He was ice cold when he got home. How can you send a lad out into the snow like that without his coat?”

According to school rules pupils at Corpus Christi High School in St Vincents Road, Fulwood, must wear coats which are either navy blue, black or dark grey.

Speaking to the Post, headmaster Mr Hubbard said that the uniform policy has been in place for six years and he had sent newsletters out to parents as a reminder of the school’s uniform policy twice in the months running up to winter. “If the weather is poor children just go home with their coats even if it’s the wrong colour,” he said.

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“The situation is that we do allow children to go home with incorrect clothing particularly in bad weather.

Leo's legs after cycling home in the snow with no coatLeo's legs after cycling home in the snow with no coat
Leo's legs after cycling home in the snow with no coat

“We didn’t in this instance because of the circumstances.

“I’m not able to share the full details of what actually happened except to say it puts a wholly different perspective on the situation.

“The vast majority of pupils comply with our uniforms. There are a different variety of jackets that are permissable so long as they are black, navy or dark grey.

“If students are wearing the wrong colour of coat they leave their coat with their head of year for the day and they are allowed to collect them at the end of the day.”

Leo and his mum Samantha PooleyLeo and his mum Samantha Pooley
Leo and his mum Samantha Pooley
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Mr Hubbard added: “Everyone is treated the same. When we say something we mean it and parents value that. The overwhelming majority respect that.

“There wasn’t one coat that was wrong this morning. We are a strict school.”