School in Telford 'ordered girl to hand over phone' to borrow tie
A mother has hit out at teachers after her daughter was made to hand over her mobile phone as security for borrowing a spare school tie.
The mother, who asked not to be named, was furious when she heard staff at Telford Park School ordered her daughter to give them her phone in exchange from borrowing a used school tie.
She said her daughter was one of a number of pupils at the school in Grange Avenue, Stirchley, who had been asked to give their teachers valuables as a deposit for borrowing spare items of clothing.
She said: "My daughter forgot her tie, so she went to the school and asked if she could borrow a spare one.
"Several others did the same, and the school are taking stuff off the children – mobile phones, money and jewellery – to borrow a second-hand tie as a form of security.
"If they hand the ties back at the end of the day, they get their phones back."
She said it had been distressing for her daughter.
"I'm sure they shouldn't be allowed to do this at school, it's disgusting," she said.
"It's upsetting for the kids."
The mother added that the ties were items that had been donated to the school from the families of former pupils. so had not cost the school any money.
Head of school Holly Rigby said she could not discuss the particular case, but added: "Occasionally pupils need to borrow an item of uniform and we ask for a modest deposit in return.
"The modest deposit is returned to the pupil at the end of the school day when the item of uniform is returned."
