Overview
- Gate checks at St Paul’s CE Primary in Salford on Monday after the Easter break led staff to send 8-year-old Amaya Davies home for wearing boots.
- The enforcement followed an April 2 newsletter that set stricter rules, including all‑black shoes with no trainers and ties for Year 6, and promised spare items for pupils who fell short.
- Amaya’s mother, Gemma Sharples, says she told the school before the holidays that her daughter finds standard shoes distressing due to sensory difficulties and received no meaningful reply.
- Parents described children being turned away in what Sharples called an “Army inspection,” with some pupils in tears and families raising worries about cost and individual needs.
- Sharples has filed a formal complaint seeking assurances on reasonable adjustments, and reporters say the school and Vantage Academy Trust have not yet responded to requests for comment.