PARENTS have raised concerns after a high school tightened up on a uniform policy that states schoolgirls must wear knee-length skirts.

Rainford High School says it has taken steps to enforce its uniform policy following concerns a significant number of students were failing to meet the correct “standards and expectations”.

School leaders have felt skirts worn by some students have been too short.

However, a number of parents have been infuriated by the policy and an online petition has been set up, which has amassed hundreds of names.

Parents claim girls whose uniform was deemed not to meet the knee-length uniform policy were made to queue up and asked to adjust their skirts by teachers.

They claim that if this was not done, teachers contacted parents.

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The school said it has previously attempted to work with the student leadership teams to find a compromise, which was implemented between November and February half term, but adds that “this was also ignored by a significant minority of students”.

However, there has been debate among the students and parents as to what is appropriate and whether the school has addressed the issue correctly.

Some parents argue that while there are cases where skirts are clearly too short, some are being told they are breaking the rules when the skirt is just an inch above the knee. They add that parents are being left to foot the bill of buying new skirts to replace perfectly good ones.

One parent, who asked not to be named, said: “My daughter stated that they are asked to adjust their skirt and if they say no or cannot then parents are contacted and told their child must come in the following day in a longer skirt or they will be given a detention.”

The parent added that some students had been left “crying and embarrassed” by the rules.

She added: “I do understand some students may wear particularly short skirts, but that cannot be the case for this amount of girls. They shouldn’t get detention or suspension over skirt length.

“The male students are now using this as an excuse to laugh at the girls, what message is this sending to them? “

Ian Young, the principal of Rainford High School, addressed the issue.

Speaking to the Star, he said: “As a school, we have been concerned about the failure of a significant number of students to wear the skirt to the standards and expectations laid down in the uniform policy.

“We have attempted to work with our young people by consulting and working with the student leadership teams to propose a compromise position that was acceptable to both the staff and the students.

“This compromise was implemented between November and February half term unfortunately this was also ignored by a significant minority of students. “As a school that believes Everyone Matters, Everyone Helps and Everyone Succeeds we have strived to support and work with the school community to achieve an acceptable position on uniforms for all members of our school community.

“This approach has not delivered the standards as a school we expect which has therefore meant we have with regret had to revert to our previous uniform policy of knee-length skirts.

“As a school, our focus is for our young people to exemplify and learn the importance of high standards and expectations so they can be ready to contribute to our community the and wider community as successfully as possible.

“The discourse with our young people has been positive and proactive and I am delighted they have spoken with passion on this topic and we have and are listening but as a school, we have consistent standards and expectations which cannot be compromised.”

Mr Young stressed that the school is a place of learning and development and “not the outside world or an adult work place”.

He said that rules, standards and expectations are in place to “support young people to develop, learn and grow in a safe environment.”

He added that the school employ teachers of both gender “who are highly effective and professional and able to offer support, help, care and guidance to our students.” Mr Young added: “Concerns raised by parents around how we have dealt with challenging students regarding this issue will be investigated fully.

“At this point I have no evidence that any member of the school staff has done anything other than behave in a professional manner.”

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