Anger at Millfield Science and Performing Arts College's uniform rule making girls wear tights in heatwave

Parents of girls who attend a school in Thornton have hit out at the uniform policy which states that all females must wear tights even in the blistering heat.

Before the end of the school term in June Millfield Science and Peforming Arts College in Thorton sent an email to parents and carers outlining that black opaque tights - minimum 100 denier must be worn by female students.

One parent who wishes to remain anonymous told the Gazette that if students come to school without tights a teacher then hands them out for them to put on.

"They (the school) released a new policy in summer and emailed it to parents stating that female students had to wear black denier tights. It’s a heatwave at the minute and is only set to get worse as the week goes on. It is not fair to force them to sweat uncomfortably in class.

"They are supposed to be keeping the cost of the school uniform to a minimum. Tights are not cheap. It cost me £14.99 for five pairs which rip on chairs and have a ladder in them before the day is out.”

They added that a poll had been set up by the parents’ Facebook group of which 98 per cent disagreed with the policy calling it unfair.

"A lot of parents challenged the school on this and they said it was due to the lengths of girls skirts not being adhered to which is ridiculous as some students are taller than others. If the girls go to school without tights then they are handed them and told to put them on. My daughter is very distressed about the whole thing. Something needs to be done.”

On the school’s website, part of the uniform policy for Year 7 to 9 (Lower School) states ‘Millfield badged skirt on the knee and black opaque tights - minimum 100 denier’, while the summer uniform policy states students have the option of shorts.

The school has been approached for comment on the matter.