School's skirt-ban plan provokes strong feelings

Female pupils at a school in Barnsley are to be banned from wearing skirts.

In a letter to parents, Kirk Balk Academy in Hoyland explained that the move to "tailored trousers" from September 2026 would promote "equality and inclusivity".

Kirk Balk is one of 17 secondaries run by the Northern Education Trust, which also operates schools in North Yorkshire, North East and Greater Manchester, to bring in the skirt ban next year.

Some parents have criticised the uniform change while others said it would be an end to "too short" rolled-up skirts. The school trust said it had been considering the move for a while.

In a letter to parents outlining the policy, Kirk Balk principal Hayley Craddock said: "The move to trousers for all students promotes equality and inclusivity, ensuring all students feel comfortable and supported.

"Trousers are also more practical for active learning and movement throughout the school day, while simplifying uniform requirements helps reduce costs for families."

"We understand that this is a significant change, which is why we are providing over a year's notice to allow time for any necessary adjustments," she added.

A parent, who didn't want to be named, told the BBC that her daughter was unhappy about the change.

"It's disgusting, they want girls to be girls, they want them to be their own people but they are taking every piece of them away.

"My daughter thinks wearing trousers makes her feel like a boy."

She added: "If it comes down to tailored trousers I'll be looking at somewhere else. I'm not having her feel a certain way that will affect her education for the rest of her life."

Tracey Bailey, who works at The Old House Café across from Kirk Balk, said she understood the need for the change.

"At my school we were only allowed a skirt at a certain length and we used to abide by it. Now the girls do what they want"

She also had a message for some teachers: "They wear low cut tops. They need to be more respectful."

Former pupil Fran Birmingham, who works at The Salvation Army charity shop a short walk from the school, disagrees with the new rule.

"It's not appropriate for girls to wear trousers all the year through.

"They need fresh air," she added.

Other schools around the UK have already implemented similar rules although one school in Essex reversed the decision after the head said he received abuse from parents.

Irrespective of the change in uniform policy, parents living in Barnsley will soon receive financial support from the council towards uniform costs.

The local authority confirmed this week that parents will receive a £100 voucher to help pay for uniform.

In a statement about the changes, the Northern Education Trust said they were "extremely mindful" of the cost of school uniforms for parents and had been considering the impact of changes for a number of months.

They also confirmed they had received "positive feedback" from pupils and the decision to delay implementation until 2026 would give "families plenty of time to prepare so that they could make an informed choice when purchasing items".

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