More from barmy Britain

In a bid to be trendy, modern and appease parents, the Headteacher (or whatever else she calls herself) of Watercliffe Meadow calls her new school a “Place for Learning” because she says the word school has a negative impact on some mums and dads.

The new £4.7million academy in Sheffield, South Yorks, replaced three old schools. Its 481 pupils, from nursery to Year 6, are allowed to wear slippers instead of shoes.

Headteacher Linda Kingdon said: “We decided we didn’t want to use the word ‘school’. “One reason was many parents of children here had very negative connotations of school. “Instead we want this to be a place for family learning." “There are no bells or locked doors. We wanted to de-institutionalise the place and bring the school closer to real life."

Watercliffe Meadow not a school - a 'Place for Learning'

Local mum Kimberley Dunne, 26, said: “A school is a school. Seriously. “The word ‘school’ doesn’t have negative connotations, it’s just where you go. “A school’s always been a school, why change it?”

Marie Clair, of the Campaign for Plain English, said: “It’s laughable. Do they think by changing the name they will change the environment? “We all know what the building is. There is this whole political correctness agenda. “Using unfamiliar words instead of a simple one, like ‘school’, will get in the way of children’s ability to learn.”

Andrew Sangar, Sheffield Council cabinet member for children’s services, said: “It’s a school. “We consider it a school and that’s how we refer to it.”

...... and so will everyone else. When I taught in Liverpool, the Head changed the name from Priory to Anfield which did nothing other than cause confusion. It's the same with cars; you can all a Daewoo a Chevrolet but we all know it is the same vehicle.

Of course some of the parents will have bad memories of their days in school. Calling the building by another name won't change that one bit.

I notice that the new school is part of the academy programme and combines three schools together. So the trend to build smaller, friendly and localised primary schools has been abandoned. Many of the children will have to travel further and the teachers won't get to know the pupils and parents as well.

I'll bet they don't call the children pupils even though they are. Trendy headteachers in the 80s decided that the children were students. I wonder what they are called at Watercliff Meadow.

Actually, it does make sense for pupils to change from outdoor shoes to avoid bringing dirt into the school but as for carpet slippers - what a nonsense.

Give it six months - they'll abandon the slippers, the bells will come back , naughty children will be punished and everyone will call it a school except perhaps the Head.