An online petition railing against school uniform changes at a Hillingdon school has gathered almost 500 signatures.

Parents of children who attend Stockley Academy, in Yiewsley, are upset uniformed bags are now obligatory at the school.

The school bags are black with the red academy logo and come in four different styles, ranging from £9 to £17.50 in price.

The petition states: “Students should have the right to wear the bag of their choice. I believe making them wearing all the same bag they are not only looking like one another but also loosing there [sic] identity.”

The outcry comes after the school vowed to turn a corner after their latest 'inadequate' OFSTED report.

'Not cheap'

One parent, whose Year 9 daughter attends the school, said she was worried the school was prioritising uniform over her child's education.

She said: “I know a lot of the people whose children go there.

“Everyone is voicing their concerns and thinking of pulling their children out because [the principal] is more worried about what the kids look like than their actual education.

“We got a text saying we have to buy the bags and we don’t have a choice, but some parents can’t afford it.

“I can, but other parents who are on benefits can’t - they’re not cheap.”

Kelly Stevens, parent of a Year 10 pupil, said she concerned bags would get stolen or go missing.

She said: “If each child has the same bag, they're going to be picking up each others bags.

“They've got their bus passes in there, their door keys and phones in there and I just think everything is going to go missing.

“You could put the name in the bag but what child is going to look through the bag to see what name it is, they'd just want to pick the bag up, leave the classroom and go.”

'Boycott'

Josephine Sisodia, mother of a Year 10 pupil, said she was “not happy at all” about the changes that have been made.

She said: “They've changed everything, as well as shirt and shoes, going to the school.

“Some of us didn't know that we had to have these bags. [The school] have given them the bags and they're insisting on us paying for them as well.

“They're standing outside the gates when the children are going in in the morning checking their uniforms. I think it's absolutely ridiculous.”

Ms Sisodia signed the online petition,adding she would be “boycotting” the new bags.

She added: “I think it's disgusting that they're concentrating on bags and shoes when clearly they should be concentrating on the children's education.”

'Good value'

Principal Leo Gilbert, however, who was appointed in May, said he was “very pleased” with the new bags.

He said: “The way you wear uniform says how you value education and how proud you are to be a member of Stockley Academy.

"Within the first week or two we managed to improve the smartness and consistency of student's uniform.”

Mr Gilbert said girls previously came to the school wearing “expensive designer handbags” and boys would carry “little pouches” which were “too small and not appropriate for carrying equipment".

He added: “The vast majority of students came to school wearing the bag and we've had lots of positive comments from parents about how nice the bags were that they're good value and crucially, that they overcame this issue of students pressuring their parents into buying an expensive bag for them, so I think it wins all ways round.”

The principal also said he's seen the petition and takes the concerns of bags going missing “very seriously".

“We've addressed that by allowing students to subtly personalise their bags and there being a range of designs to choose from," he added.

"The messenger bag is probably the best seller. To me, £9 is for a good quality school bag is good value.”