Pupils wear PE kits one year after boy wears skirt

Pupils at Farlingaye High School have been allowed to wear their PE kit during the recent hot weather

A school has allowed students to wear PE kits in hot weather a year after a boy wore a skirt in protest against a trousers-only policy.

Male pupils at Farlingaye High School in Woodbridge, Suffolk were previously told they must wear trousers all year round.

Pupil Toby, 14, decided to wear a skirt to protest the policy.

Peter Smith, who took over as head teacher last summer, said the school was looking to review its uniform and added pupils could now wear PE kits when temperatures were high.

Toby wore a skirt to school last year as shorts were not part of the specified uniform

"As I explained to the students who raised it, it’s about making sure that it’s affordable for all and meets the needs of our community," he explained.

"Therefore whilst we do that, we have said students can wear school PE kit when it is forecast to be warm.

"We’re really proud of our students who have a positive approach to making our school community better and we’re always happy to listen to their views.

"Toby is a fabulous young man and I’ve appreciated the mature way he has aired his opinions about the matter."

'Standing up'

Toby told BBC Radio Suffolk during recent warm weather this month the PE kits were "much more comfortable".

"We agreed wearing the PE kit in the hot weather was the best option because everybody already has PE kits and there's no additional costs," he added.

"They don't do shorts in teenage boys sizes in a lot of the cheaper [shops]."

Toby's mum, Sandy Page, said she was proud of him for "standing up for his beliefs".

"It all was a little bit of fun," she explained.

"The new head has been absolutely fantastic - they've had meetings and talked it through and I think [Toby] has been really lucky.

"Farlingaye is a great school."