Stan Lock: Teenager 'put in isolation' after shaving head for cancer charity

Churchill Academy in North Somerset excluded him for 'breaking school rules'

A teenager who shaved his head to raise money for a cancer charity has been put in isolation for three days for 'breaking school rules'.

Stan Lock, 14, cut off his hair after seeing the way in which friends and family had been affected by the disease, saying that he wanted to raise money for Macmillan "because cancer affects so many people".

But Churchill Academy in North Somerset have told the schoolboy that he must continue to stay in exclusion until his hair grows back to "at least a number two" - which could take weeks.

Stan, who got the 'number one' cut on Sunday, after playing rugby for Winscombe RFC, has reportedly been "overwhelmed" by messages of support from friends and fellow pupils at the school.

He had already raised more than £200, but this has now risen to more than £2,600.

Stan, who has also started a petition to 'Free Stan Lock', wrote on his JustGiving page: "Unfortunately for me the Head Teacher at my school decided on Monday that may hair cut was too extreme and has placed me in isolation for at least the rest of this week !

"Whilst this felt like a punishment to begin with for doing something for charity the support that I have been given by other students, parents and the media has been fantastic and I dont regret having my head shaved for MacMillan at all."

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Stan's mother, Melanie Rees, 47, said that she was "incredibly proud" of what her son had done.

"We've had a number of friends and family affected by cancer, and though it has been nothing recent, it is something that's been playing on his mind," the Daily Mirror reported.

She said that Stan had been worried that he was in "serious trouble" over the cut, adding: "I'd hoped the school would have shown some element of judgment and would have made an exception."

Churchill Academy's website states that parents are urged to check with the school before pupils have an "extreme hair colour or style", and warns that diversion from the dress code, including "very short hair", will result in isolation.

Head teacher Dr Barry Wratten said the school was reviewing whether Stan should remain in isolation.

"I do not favour speaking publicly about individual students or their families and will not do so now," Dr Wratten said.

"I am happy to speak more generally: we have held a firm line against those who decide to flout our behaviour policies for many years - it is only by doing this can we uphold our standards and make sure we are fair to all. In the past parents have approached us about stunts to raise money for charity and we have been able to advise and work with them to avoid any difficulty.

"At times, some parents do not do this and do not advise their children of potential problems. As such in these circumstances they let their children down and place them in an unnecessarily difficult position and also undermine the authority of the school."

Additional reporting by PA