Schoolboy put into isolation after £850 charity hair shave

A pupil was put into isolation by his school over his short hair - which he had shaved off for charity.

Taylor Jones, 15, completely sheered his golden locks which helped raise £850 for Cancer Research.

He now proudly sports a number one cut all over.

But upon returning to school after the Bank Holiday, Launceston College in Cornwall ordered Taylor into isolation for his "extreme haircut".

Taylor, who is due to take his GCSEs in less than a month, has been told he cannot return to lessons until his hair grows back to a more suitable length.

But parents have reacted angrily to the decision, while Taylor's dad accused the school of acting like a "dictatorship".

Nick Jones said his son was so upset after his first day in isolation he had to persuade him to go into school the next day.

He said: "He has been growing it for a while and it had got very unruly and most people said his previous hairstyle was more of an extreme haircut than this is.

"We did try to get him to do it in the first week of the holidays, but unfortunately the people who were going to cut his hair weren't available, so he decided he would take the consequences and do it on Saturday."

Taylor has been told he will spend break times, lunchtimes and lessons in isolation until his hair grows back.

But since the school's decision, parents have donated even more money to the fundraising cause.

Mr Jones continued: "I'm very angry about it. Taylor has been made very upset, I've persuaded him to go back in tomorrow.

"He's nearly 16 so trying to dictate what length his hair should be is a bit ridiculous. They're basically saying if you're bald that's not an acceptable look."

He added: "It sounds like a dictatorship to me. It is petty red tape and it's not helping anybody."

One parent posted on Facebook: "We thought our school wouldn't mind what he had done as it was for a good cause, apparently the fact that he'd raised over £850 pounds wasn't good enough and before he had even gotten to his first lesson they put him in isolation labeling it an 'extreme haircut', telling him that he's not able to return to normal lessons until his hair grows back to a more a more suitable length."

A Facebook post on Launceston Notice Board immediately prompted an angry reaction with many people questioning the college.

There were also dozens of offers of support for Taylor's charity fundraising.

Launceston College said they stood by their decision in the interests of maintaining discipline for all students.

“Launceston College has the highest expectations possible for our students," the school said in a statement.

"We will not lower those expectations but will increase the level of support available to help meet them."

It said Taylor would be kept isolation for four days, during which time he would given one-to-one tuition for the period.

"After this period his hair will no longer be considered an extreme hairstyle; he will return to normal lessons," they added.