SIXTH FORM students at a school in Timperley were up in arms when their dress-code was radically changed just months after they started a new term.

Students at New Wellington sent several letters to SAM expressing their dismay at what they called "false promises" being made by the school in order to recruit them into sixth form.

The letters, which were sent anonymously, stated that when term began in September, the pupils signed a contract which made no mention of a strict dress-code - in fact they believed that they were permitted to wear anything apart from blue denim.

Yet as the months went on, new rules were added until eventually the restrictions on clothes virtually amounted to wearing a uniform.

A Code of Conduct form, also sent in to SAM, which had been ammended on March 2nd 1999 outlined what the college now expected the students wear, this included:

A ban on any tops with logos or 'large messages' on

A rule that shirts must be tucked in,

Facial hair for boys would be discouraged and very short forbidden,

Also only girls could wear earrings (lower lobes only).

Other rules included only black shoes being permitted and that girls skirts must be 'tailored'.

Such sudden changes caused one student to comment "We cannot afford to keep purchasing new goods every time the dress code changes."

And another summed up the general feeling about the enforced code: "...we do not want to leave because the teaching and facilities are great - but the treatment by the management team is making us feel extrememly uncomfortable".

Headteacher Mr John Watson would not answer questions, saying: "On the subject of sixth-form dress code I have no comment."

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