College uniform rebels cave in

And staff say the difference was remarkable from the start with all pupils behaving in a calm and positive manner.

At the end of March, the governors agreed to scrap the old-style dress code to symbolise a significant change for Seaford Head as it is now a specialist science and sports college.

However, when the announcement was made a 40-strong group of parents started a campaign against the proposal and said they would send their children back to school in September in the old uniform.

Leaflets were handed out at the school gates opposing the change, parents challenged the principal, Lynton Golds, and the governors' chairman Robert Brandley and also canvassed signatures for a petition opposing the change.

They were angry about the cost involved, approximately 85 per child, and could not see anything wrong with the old uniform.

The new one includes a navy blue blazer with college logo and a jumper with the logo which can be bought only at Seaford outfitters Wards.

Basic items such as blouses, trousers and skirts can be obtained from other outlets including supermarkets.

Vice-principal Elizabeth Kind told the Express on the first day of the new school year: 'It has been an enormous success this morning. The students and their parents have made a tremendous effort and we would like to thank them for supporting the college with such a visible improvement to our standards and ethos.

'The students look mature and seem to have a positive attitude and are ready to get on with learning and achieving their best. They are enjoying a sense of college identity and their is a positive atmosphere of excitement.'

Mum Paula Cripps, who was vehemently against the new uniform, said one of her sons wanted to wear it and one did not.

She said: 'When it came to the crunch, no one wants their kids in isolation. When they started making threats like that what can you do?

'I said from the start, if my kids actually wanted to wear the new uniform then I wasn't going to stop them.'

Principal Lynton Golds said: 'The students were outstanding in terms of both their appearance and their behaviour.'