School bans hoodies as they 'intimidate' younger pupils

A secondary school has banned all of its pupils from wearing hoodies as they claim that younger students are intimidated by them.

Teachers at Brune Park Community School in Gosport, Hampshire, noticed that older pupils were using the clothes to hide their identities in the playground during break times.

Mike Jones, the deputy headteacher, was worried that the younger, smaller students were daunted by these groups of teenagers who roamed the school premises with hoodies on. 

Pupils wearing hoodies emblazoned with inappropriate images- such as of cannabis plants- were of particular concern as they were thought to be lowering the image of the school.

Mr Jones said that the new policy, launched this term, would help to reduce the “negative impression” the garments left on some members of the local community.

He explained: “When you have large 15 and 16-year-olds wandering around in hoodies it can be quite intimidating, particularly for younger pupils. Some of these hoodies also have inappropriate images such as cannabis plants which creates the wrong impression.

“When hoods are up it can become difficult to identify students which can be an issue if an incident has occurred,” he added.

However, the new rules have been criticised by students who claim that staff have created a “dictatorship” at the school.

Ruben Sekules, a Year 9 pupil, said: “I do not see a problem with pupils wearing hoodies and it wouldn't affect how I work. One teacher said it was because a number of former pupils had come into school wearing hoodies and they make it difficult to identify people on site. However, most coats have hoods which can also hide faces.”

Another student, who wished to remain anonymous, added: “This school is slowly becoming a dictatorship”.

The school continues to defend the policy, saying it will help “prepare young people for later life”.

Mr Jones said: “A student wearing a hoodie in their English lesson is not going to affect their academic performance, but the simple fact is it is a leisure garment, with no weather protection, and most careers will have some form of uniform code. I often speak about this in assembly and stress that in years to come you wouldn't choose to meet clients while dressed in a hoodie.”

Students who choose to defy the ban will have their hoodies confiscated.