A MUM feels her son has been unfairly treated by teachers who told him his new haircut was too extreme.
Kurt Hallam, 15, turned up at Nottingham Academy, the old Greenwood Dale School, in Bakersfield, sporting his new hairdo last week.
It was made up of a short back and sides and blond flicks, similar to the style sported by David Beckham.
But staff objected to the design, especially the colour, saying it contravened the academy's rule book.
Kurt was placed in isolation last Monday after the issue was flagged up and returned home on Tuesday when he was again told off about it.
But Kurt's mum Samantha Hallam – a hairdresser herself – has questioned that decision. She said: "I don't understand how they can claim it is too extreme.
"You see schoolchildren with bright red hair and they seem to be getting away with this.
"We had been on holiday and he decided to have his hair done. It seemed fine to me."
Samantha added that Year 10 student Kurt had been left unsettled by the incident.
She said: "He has just finished his mock exams and he has now been really unsettled by this.
"I've washed his hair and it's not quite as bright as it was. I've had a chat with the teacher who was involved but I still don't feel satisfied with the whole process."
The academy is one of 17 sponsored by the Greenwood Dale Foundation Trust.
It said they follow the trust's basic standards in relation to hair, make-up and jewellery and strict guidelines on school dress.
But Kurt insisted his hair wasn't too bad. He said: "Other people walk around with similar haircuts. I'd been on holiday and was asked if I wanted some flicks in so I thought 'why not?'
"I think I have been singled out."
Being put in isolation meant he had to sit in a classroom on his own doing work.
Academy executive principal Kelvin Hornsby said: "Our pupils are ambassadors for the academy and we expect them to represent us in the correct manner.
"We want our pupils to present themselves smartly as we believe that the self-discipline this requires is an important lesson to learn as pupils will find that there is often a dress code in most places of work.
"We provide very clear guidance to parents in our prospectus and pupil planner and communicate regularly with pupils about our expectations."
