Parents set for school gate protest against gender neutral uniforms

Objections to the cost of a new uniform have been raised

Skirts will no longer be acceptable uniform at the school from the new academic year (istock)

Parents at a secondary school in Sussex will protest at school gates on Friday after a head teacher warned that pupils would be sent home for failing to wear a new gender neutral uniform.

Priory School in Lewes updated its uniform policy in 2017 to include a rule which dictated that all new students must wear trousers.

The reason for the updated guideline was over “concerns” regarding the length of skirts worn at the academic institution, and in order to cater for pupils who identify as transgender.

Shortly before the school holidays, however, the school announced that all students, regardless of whether they are new or not, must wear trousers in compliance with its gender-neutral uniform regulations.

“From September 2019, all Priory students will be required to wear our updated uniform,” it states on the school's website.

Pupils failing to conform to the new dress code have been informed that they will be sent home from the first day of school this Friday.

Parents have described the situation as “pointless and silly” and 20 year 11 pupils are expected to arrive at the school tomorrow in their old uniforms.

One parent of a year 11 pupil, who did not wish to be named, said: “This is not about the uniforms being gender neutral.

”This is about children and parents complaining about having to buy completely new uniforms for only a few terms.

“It is not a good situation especially as it is my daughter's final year of school and it's really disruptive.”

One parent said they were offered money towards the cost of the new uniform, however, while others were reported to be in discussions with the school about the possibility of a compromise.

A spokesman for the Priory School said: “Our uniform is designed to be a practical uniform which encourages students to be ready to focus on their school work and activities.

”Our uniform also helps us to dilute the status placed on expensive clothes or labels and challenge the belief that we are defined by what we wear.

“There are at least 40 other schools which have a similar uniform requirement.

”Our core purpose remains the quality of teaching and learning and we aim to achieve this by maximising the time spent on planning, delivering and evaluating the quality of provision.“