London headmaster criticizes Labour’s proposal to limit logos on uniform | Katharine Birbalsingh

Katharine Birbalsingh has been showered with praise and her advice sought by politicians around the world following the academic successes of the state school she founded in a deprived area.

Now the head of Michaela Community School in north-west London is locking horns with the government over a new issue: the height of boys’ trousers.

IN a letter to the education secretaryBridget Phillipson, Birbalsingh challenged proposals in the government’s schools bill that passed through parliament. But her most glaring objection is to the legislation restrictions on school uniform logos.

The aim of the bill, which will apply to schools in England, is to limit them to three items of clothing or kit with a logo, allowing parents to buy cheaper uniform staples such as shirts or trousers from retailers including Aldi and Marks & Spencer.

Birbalsingh sees the initiative as the thin end of a wedge that can ultimately lead to sexual exploitation.

“A rule requiring branded pants may not seem obvious to the non-teacher, but allow me to explain. In the inner city and even outside, boys who are vulnerable to the street start pulling their pants down their backs,” writes Birbalsingh.

“Having trousers that can’t be pulled down but are easily recognizable by a cleverly placed logo so that teachers can keep their standards high with the children means that vulnerable inner-city boys are more likely to feel as though they belong to their school It also ensures that girls are not pressured to shorten their skirts or tighten their pants.

“This limits the opportunities for sexual exploitation and keeps both boys and girls safe from harm. If children in private schools have this protection, so should poor children in the inner city.”

Michaela’s compulsory branded uniform is relatively modest with just four items including a £32 blazer, school bag, jumper and trousers. Each pair of branded trousers costs £19.50 for older boys, while Asda sells two for £14.

The government said 24% of primary schools and 70% of secondary schools still required five or more branded items and that the measure would save families £50 a year a year. But Birbalsingh said: “The schools collect hundreds of used uniform items, clean them and sell them at a fraction of their original price.”

Her letter contains a number of other complaints, including about the Ministry of Education’s decision to cut funding for state schools that teach Latin.

But before Birbalsingh invites Phillipson to visit Michaela, Birbalsingh includes another personal complaint: “I note that you refused to congratulate Michaela, when asked to do so in the House of Commons, on achieving the highest progress 8 (GCSE results ) in the country three years in a row – something never done before. I have no idea why.”

In response, a government source said: “The last 14 years have seen outcomes for disadvantaged children go backwards, with widening attainment gaps and more children persistently absent from school.

“We are acting in the interests of parents and families who have fled school uniforms for far too long, and we are cracking down after years of Tory inaction.”