Suspended pupils will be allowed back to school to sit exams

Police were called to clear the road outside Rhyl High School on Thursday.

Denbighshire County Council said year 10 pupils aged 14 and 15 had staged a protest because they were told not to wear shorts.

A spokeswoman said: "Shorts are not part of the approved school uniform and to change the school policy requires a governors' decision."

Four teenagers have been excluded on a short-term basis and the remainder have long-term suspensions until September.

School response

The council spokeswoman added: "They will be allowed to come back into school to sit exams and take part in work experience.

"During the exclusion period education will be provided by the school."

Headteacher of Rhyl High School, Mike Williams said the pupils who were suspended had been punished because of their "extreme behaviour".

"What happened was the pupils held a demonstration and handed us a petition, we agreed to look at that and meet with their leaders," he said.

"However, the protest didn't disband and things had escalated to such an extreme by lunchtime that we had to call the police as the pupils were refusing to listen.

"They have been punished for the escalation of the protest, not because of the protest itself," he added.