Amy Moule, 37, criticised St Peter’s School in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, and headmaster Christopher Bennet for his strict policy on uniform
A furious mother has started a petition against her daughter’s school after the 15-year-old was put in detention for wearing tight trousers.
Amy Moule, 37, criticised St Peter’s School in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, after its headmaster clamped down on girls turning up for class in tight-fitting leggings that were not part of the official uniform.
But fuming parents vented their anger on social media, claiming their children were being given detention.
Miss Moule, whose daughter Bethany, 15, attends St Peter’s, said: ‘I’d far rather my daughter got an education than worry about trousers.
‘At a point in their lives when they are studying for exams in Year 11 and at a critical time in their lives when body is an issue they are being put under undue pressure.’
She has now set up an online petition slamming the crackdown signed by more than 200 people.
Miss Moule insisted pupils should be allowed to wear trousers which were smart and black.
She said sanctions were applied inconsistently while the same trousers could look different on different kids because of their shapes.
‘I don’t think this is enough of an issue to give them detention,’ said Miss Moule, of Huntingdon.
She said some parents could not afford to buy new trousers and she would have preferred to see the new dress code phased in.
On Facebook one mum said her teenage daughter had been wearing the same style since Year 7 without problems.
Another said the issue had taken over her life and the regulation trousers were ‘not fit for purpose’.
Mr Bennet said some girls were turning up for class in tight-fitting leggings which were not part of the approved uniform
Other parents said their daughters’ trousers had been approved by one teacher but they’d been threatened with detention by another.
But Mr Bennet retorted: ‘It is all about expectation. Some girls are coming in in leggings.’
He said families were warned before the start of term about the type of clothing considered to meet uniform requirements.
‘We even sent pictures out showing what was appropriate and what was not appropriate.
‘We have made our stance and, unfortunately, a small number of people don’t like it,’ said Mr Bennet, whose pupils are aged from 11-18.
Miss Moule has set up an online petition slamming the crackdown signed by more than 200 people
‘We have 1,002 children and this only affects 25, which is 2.5% of the students.’
He said parents could buy the proper loose-fitting trousers through the school or at high street stores.
‘It’s not about where they come from, it is about what they are,’ said Mr Bennet. ‘We expect professional attire.’