Head had 'personal attacks' after banning skirts

A head teacher said parents made "personal attacks" against him after he banned pupils from wearing skirts.

The new policy at Honywood School in Coggeshall, Essex, was made due to "ongoing issues" with uniform, but was later reversed after feedback from parents.

Some accused the school of being influenced by "transgender activists", head teacher James Saunders said in a 14-page report.

He said the uniform debate had spiralled into arguments about "the interpretation of wokeness".

Mr Saunders also highlighted concerns from some that the parents of Muslim children had influenced his decision to initially ban skirts.

However, the school said the policy idea came from uniform issues, understood to be related to skirt length.

Mr Saunders compiled a lengthy report outlining some of the parental feedback he had received.

"Some parents express strong ideological backlash against the term 'gender neutral,' viewing it as 'forced upon our children' or linked to 'trans-gender activists' and 'LGBT+ being pushed down [their] throat'," Mr Saunders wrote.

Others said it was "exhausting" having to fight for girls "to be seen as human and not sexual objects".

One suggestion made by a parent was to introduce a "strike" system against pupils wearing inappropriate skirts.

The head teacher said the debate "exposed underlying tensions" within society.

"The uniform debate has become a battleground for broader societal discussions around gender roles, victim-blaming, and the interpretation of 'wokeness'," he added.

Department for Education guidance stated that schools had the power to set uniform policies, and it encouraged them to have dress codes that promoted "good behaviour and discipline".

Mr Saunders said any future uniform changes would be implemented with clear guidelines via a phased introduction from September 2026.

Writing to parents about his report, Mr Saunders criticised "disrespectful" emails that had been addressed to him.

"Whilst I am the head teacher of Honywood School, I am also a parent and a fellow human being, and personal attacks achieve nothing," he said.

"I have been asked what my personal values are, as if this drives how I lead the school."

The school was contacted for further comment.

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