“Barbaric” school rules put students in isolation room for clapping, uncrossing arms or wearing wrong clothes

Parents have slammed new rules at two UK schools after students were placed in isolation for clapping, not crossing their arms, and wearing the wrong clothes.

Families say children at Sandwich Technology School and Towers School in Kent have returned home crying after both introduced stricter behavior and uniform policies at the beginning of the academic year.

According to The Mirror, many Year 7 pupils at Sandwich Technology School were sent to isolation on their first day.

Students put in isolation for two hours over minor infractions

Reported infractions included clapping, uncrossing their arms, not abiding by the lunchroom seating arrangement and failing to meet the school’s uniform requirements. One parent branded the system “barbaric,” while others compared the isolation room to a “detention camp.”

Students were also instructed to clap three times in unison instead of a standard applause in order to accommodate those with sensory needs.

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Parents also claimed students could be punished for wearing coats inside the building or having clothing that did not match the school’s rules.

One parent noted that while in the isolation room, students were not allowed out, even to use the bathroom.

The mom explained that her daughter was put in the room for two hours for having the wrong shoes and about 80 kids were sent to isolation on the same day.

Headteachers defend stricter school rules

Leaders at both schools defended the changes, arguing that clear expectations help create a calm environment where students can learn.

The controversy comes after Sandwich Technology School was placed in special measures following a 2024 inspection.

A more recent Ofsted inspection from May 2026 found that the school was still failing to provide an acceptable standard of education and that its leadership had not demonstrated the ability to secure the improvements needed.

However, inspectors also noted that lessons were mostly calm and orderly, while students said behavior had improved. The report found that pupils generally felt safe and described relationships with staff as warm and caring.

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Attendance remained a major concern. Ofsted recorded an overall absence rate of 13.6% during the 2024/25 school year, compared to the national average of 8.4%. Persistent absence reached 43.2%, almost double the national figure.

Schools around the world have taken dramatically different approaches to getting students into classrooms. Detroit high schoolers can earn $100 per week for perfect attendance.

School policies have also sparked controversy beyond student discipline. An Ohio principal was recently forced to resign after allowing a homeless student to live with his family, though he later became the teenager’s legal guardian.