A TEENAGER was left distraught after his school took him out of classes for having an “extreme” haircut.

Year 10 pupil Tiyree Philipson, 14, was taken out of his morning tutor group session at Cirencester Kingshill School because his hair was deemed ‘too short’ and to be an ‘extreme’ style.

Tiyree, who previously sported a bleached afro, had his hair cut to a ‘short back and sides’ style on Saturday, November 19, with a shaved line on the side (pictured below).

Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard:

Science enthusiast Tiyree was disappointed to miss a chemistry lesson on the day, which was a revision session for an upcoming test.

“I’ve got work to catch up on and I’m likely to get a bad grade,” he said. “I always work really hard in class. It feels like they’re trying to put me down.

“Before, I had bright ginger hair and it was messy but they didn’t say a single word. When mum asked them if something was wrong with my current hair, they couldn’t really say much.”

As punishment, Tiyree would have been put in exclusion for the day and sent work by teachers, but his mum, Sam Philipson, was so angry she took him home.

She said: “Because he has afro hair, it has to be a bit shorter. His hair has been cut to how it needs to be cut.”

Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard:

(Tiyree Philipson before his 'extreme' haircut)

Kingshill School defended its response to Tiyree’s hair in a statement to the Standard.

“As a school we encourage high standards of uniform,” it said. “Our uniform is both practical and smart as well as offering a clear sense of identity.

“In our school rules it states: ‘Haircuts of extreme fashion or unnatural hair colour are not permitted. Haircuts below grade two are discouraged. Failure to conform to these rules will result in the pupil being placed on internal exclusion’.

“These rules are in the pupil planner, on every classroom wall and sent home annually to all parents. If a pupil does not follow these rules ‘internal exclusion’ means they will work in our Student Support Room area.

“Here pupils are able to continue with the work set in their lessons and assistance is given when needed.

“The support given in the Student Support Room is frequently one-to-one, thus there is no detrimental impact to learning. Pupils are still permitted a morning and lunch break.”