Additional reporting by KMTV’s Finn Macdiarmid

A secondary school has revealed proposals for all pupils to wear trousers - following complaints about short skirts.

In a letter to parents, the head teacher of The Whitstable School says he is considering moving to a “gender-neutral uniform”.

Alex Holmes writes that local residents and businesses have complained about “inappropriate skirt lengths”, particularly when pupils are outside the comprehensive’s grounds.

Meanwhile, he says some girls have expressed concerns about feeling pressured to wear the garments shorter than the school policy allows in a bid to fit in, leading to increased anxiety and self-consciousness.

The head teacher insists this is a consultation stage and he will only implement the changes with the support of parents.

If enforced, it is understood The Whitstable School will be the first in Kent to ban skirts.

The letter sent home on Friday says: “As part of our commitment to maintaining high standards and promoting inclusivity, I am considering a transition from skirts to trousers as a gender-neutral uniform for all students.

“However, I will not change the uniform without the support of parents. I will also still focus on ways we can ensure the right skirt length is worn on site.”

The Whitstable School, which has more than 1,100 pupils, was rated “good” across the board by Ofsted in April 2024.

But over recent years, Mr Holmes says it has received a significant number of complaints from parents and members of the community regarding the way some skirts are being worn.

“Despite repeated efforts to enforce the uniform policy, we continue to face challenges that are affecting the school's reputation and student experiences,” he continues.

“A growing number of students are wearing skirts that do not meet the uniform requirements.

“This has resulted in frequent reminders from staff, taking time away from learning and creating unnecessary conflict.”

Mr Holmes says the negative comments from businesses, residents and parents “reflects on the school and by extension on all students”.

He adds: “Some students have come forward to express concerns about feeling pressured to wear their skirts shorter than policy allows.

“This pressure can contribute to discomfort, anxiety, and self-consciousness, particularly among those who do wish to conform to these expectations but feel unable to challenge them.

“By transitioning to trousers for all students, create a more consistent and inclusive dress code, reducing the potential for certain students to be singled out or disciplined disproportionately.”

Mr Holmes says trousers provide warmth in winter and “greater flexibility during movement-intensive activities throughout the school day”, making them a more practical and comfortable choice.

A consultation is now being held for parents to express their opinions on the proposals.

It will run until March 28, at which time responses will be reviewed and a final decision will be made.

People we spoke to in Whitstable yesterday had mixed views.

Chris Meaker, a dad of a pupil at the school, said: “Personally, I can't see that trying to get all the kids to wear trousers is particularly gender-neutral because trousers would be synonymous with boys at a secondary school.

“My daughter comes to this school, she's in Year 10, she wears a skirt, she wears tights. They could enforce that all girls have to wear tights with their skirts.

“I think the school should probably focus on issues that are more important to the education of the pupils. I'm not convinced that uniform is the biggest problem.”

Another man, called Kevin, said: “I think it'd be better girls wearing trousers, personally, because the skirts are a bit near the mark.

“In this day and age, it's dangerous for girls to walk around like that really. I wouldn't let my daughter do it, no way.”

Mr Holmes told KentOnline that at the moment it is “purely consultation on skirts with a range of options for parents including an option to move to trousers only”.

He added: “There is currently no decision on any uniform changes and there is currently no ban on skirts. After the consultation I will look to see what parents have said.”

While a no-skirt uniform policy is not understood to have been enforced at a mixed Kent school before, others in the country have made the move.

In 2018, the Daily Mail reported that at least 40 secondary schools across the UK had banned them.

In 2011, Herne Bay High School also considered prohibiting them, due to the shortness of girl’s skirts creating a “significant safeguarding risk”.

However, today the the uniform policy allows for a black, pleated skirt to be worn.