ACADEMY'S REGULATION BLACK COAT 'NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE'

A NEWCASTLE mum is calling on her son's school to change its coat policy due to safety concerns.

- By DANIEL HALL

Currently, pupils at Jesmond Park Academy must wear a black fleece and/or a black coat with the school logo on it.

Mairi Stanton's petition calls for the Gosforth Group, which manages the academy, to allow children to wear their own coats to school.

The 40-year-old says she has been "baffled" by the school uniform policy since her son James, 13, started there in 2024, a year and a half after a pupil had his coat confiscated when it did not align with the strict policy.

More than 600 people have signed the petition, with parents speaking of their concerns after a 16-year-old pupil was seriously injured on Newton Road after being hit by a car in November.

Though the incident occurred during the day, Mairi says that parents are worried for their kids walking home in the dark.

She told the Chronicle: "The school has issued reflective snap bands, but it doesn't address the visibility problem. The coat is black, and so are the trousers and shoes."