Woodbridge schoolboy wears skirt in hot weather protest

Toby said the "world is changing" as he protested about his school's uniform policy

A boy has worn a skirt to his Suffolk school after it would not let him wear shorts in hot weather.

Male pupils at Farlingaye High School in Woodbridge are told they must wear trousers all year round.

Sandy Page said her son Toby, 13, put on a skirt to show it was "time the uniform was looked at again".

The school said it had a "standard uniform policy" and would "welcome any concerns from parents via the usual channels".

A petition was set up by pupils of the school, which has about 2,000 students aged 11-18, asking it to change its uniform rule, after some Year 8 boys got into trouble for wearing shorts during last week's hot weather.

It said not allowing students to wear shorts "impacted focus in lessons" because they "could not concentrate due to the sweltering temperatures". It has received hundreds of signatures.

Ms Page said some parents had emailed the school to say they agreed with their children.

The school said it had a "standard uniform policy"

She said her son had told her the "world is changing" with people become more fluid about gender, adding: "Why is there one rule for girls and another for boys?".

On Monday, he asked a friend to bring him a skirt and he changed on the bus, she said.

In a message to his mother later, the boy said he had been asked what he was wearing and told a teacher it was "my choice to wear girls' uniform today".

He explained he was not identifying as a girl but was too hot in long trousers, Ms Page said, and as he had got into trouble for wearing shorts, he was wearing an item from the uniform list.