Merseyside schoolgirls 'humiliated' by staff skirt inspections

Female pupils say they have been left "humiliated" over enforcement of a uniform policy at a Merseyside school.

Girls have been made to enter Rainford High School in St Helens separately to boys and have had their skirt length inspected by male teachers, they claim.

Hundreds of pupils staged a protest against how rules, which have left some pupils in tears, have been imposed.

The school said "the implementation of the uniform policy was carried about by staff, both male and female".

More than 1,000 people have signed a petition against the policy with some calling it "outdated" and "ridiculous".

Tony, a parent who has complained about the treatment of his daughter, said: "When pupils returned after half term, they lined girls up and examined their skirts and told them, 'Yours is suitable, yours is not'.

"It was humiliating. My daughter was so upset about it."

The protests come after a letter was sent to parents in October, in which the school stated it had seen a "majority" of female students wearing skirts "significantly north of knee length".

Tony added his daughter had been given a detention for taking part in the protest on Wednesday.

He said: "I am so proud of my daughter for standing up for her beliefs, It's appalling how it's been handled."

Videos shared on TikTok show what was described as a "protest" at the school, with large groups of pupils gathered in corridors and male pupils wearing skirts on top of their uniforms.

The letter to parents argued skirts need to meet standards so pupils concentrate on work "without worrying that actions such as sitting down become overly precarious due to skirt length".

It added that pupils who fail to meet the uniform guidelines will "face challenges and potential sanctions".

Rainford sixth form student, Summer, who took part in the protest on Wednesday, said: "It's annoying [the teachers] think we're protesting against the rule, [but] we're protesting how its being implemented - to have girls separated from boys. It's humiliating, and girls are leaving lessons crying.

"There is a minority that take it to the extreme and wear skirts too short. But they're branding everyone the same."

Head teacher Ian Young said like many schools "we have a clear uniform policy".

"The implementation of the uniform policy was carried about by staff, both male and female," he said.

"Unfortunately, during the protests, a number of students breached the school's behaviour policy and this resulted in us implementing our discipline policy and taking the appropriate action in accordance with this.

"Daily school life requires a range of policies and implementing these policies enables our school to create a safe and productive environment, ensure the smooth running of the school and makes sure that a consistent approach is applied."

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