Teacher sacked for wearing trainers attacks 'corporate' policy at schools

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Adrian Swain, who has been teaching maths and PE in the East End for the past 35 years, refused to follow a new dress code at St Paul's Way Community School in Tower Hamlets.

The 57-year-old, of Canning Town, said: "Children would much rather have a good teacher who wore trainers than a bad one who was dressed like a businessman. Pupils learn best in an atmosphere where they feel comfortable and not in a corporate, office-like setting, so I really don't like the way that education is going." A stand-in head who took over this year issued a new dress code following complaints that staff were scruffy.

Mr Swain, the school's National Union of Teachers representative, said: "None of this was in consultation with the unions or members of staff."

He refused to abide by the new rules and was given a verbal warning. The school then took disciplinary action and last week a hearing of the Tower Hamlets education authority board found Mr Swain guilty of "refusing reasonable requests to dress sensibly". He was sacked.

Mr Swain, who had taken up a new role teaching science and maths to children with special needs, hopes he will be reinstated following an appeal.