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School ‘gave 240 kids detention’ on first week again after Christmas break in strict crackdown on uniform

A Cornish secondary school has been accused of sending hundreds of pupils to detention over issues with their uniform and behaviour. 

Penair Secondary School in Truro allegedly issued detentions to 240 pupils when they returned to school on Tuesday for their first school week of 2025. 

A letter to parents on Monday warned the school would be ‘reinforcing’ and ‘reminding’ pupils of its expectations around behaviour and uniform. 

It added that the school expects uniform to be ‘worn correctly’ from the moment children arrive at school until their departure.

The letter also said teachers would not be issuing any reminders and children would be issued with a ten-minute detention the following day if ‘high expectations’ are not met. 

One parent, who asked to remain anonymous, claimed that 240 children were sent into detention on Tuesday as a result. 

She told CornwallLive: ‘240 kids in detention in one day for little things like a top button undone or a shirt not quite tucked in seems completely bonkers.

‘Sounds like Penair has gone uniform-crazy like other schools. 240 pupils in one day sounds totally ridiculous and over the top.’ 

Penair School in Truro has been accused of sending hundreds of pupils to detention over issues with their uniform and behaviour

Penair School in Truro has been accused of sending hundreds of pupils to detention over issues with their uniform and behaviour

The school allegedly issued detentions to 240 pupils when they returned from the Christmas break on Tuesday for their first week back of 2025. Pictured: James Davidson, the headteacher at Penair

The school allegedly issued detentions to 240 pupils when they returned from the Christmas break on Tuesday for their first week back of 2025. Pictured: James Davidson, the headteacher at Penair

A pupil said: ‘Some teachers look like they live on the streets, but you get detention if a bit of your shirt is untucked. It’s so stupid. 

‘Now the sports hall has become the overflow car park for detentions. That’s how ridiculous it’s got.’

The full letter sent to parents and guardians by the school said: ‘As we start a new year, we are reinforcing and reminding pupils of our expectations around behaviour and uniform.

‘We expect our uniform to be worn correctly in all areas of the school, and this applies from when children arrive until departure.

‘Up until this point, staff have politely requested that students adjust their uniform if it is being worn incorrectly. Unfortunately, far too many of our pupils either ignore these requests or simply readjust their uniform when out of sight of the teacher.

‘As of the start of this term we will not be issuing pupils with reminders any longer. 

‘Pupils are in control of how they wear their uniform, and our high expectations will be reinforced through our behaviour procedures.’ 

The letter said any pupil not wearing uniform correctly would be handed a 10-minute lunchtime detention the following day, which was supposedly explained to them in December.

It added that a ‘large majority’ of students are following this request and staff are spending less time calling out uniform infringements and ‘more time focusing on lessons’.