A mum has claimed that her daughter was forced to wear a skirt shorter than her own because her own knee length skirt contained Lycra.
Cody Feast, 15, was reportedly banned from lessons from Dearne ALC in Barnsley, and put in internal isolation last Tuesday and Wednesday after teachers claimed her skirt was made of Lycra.
The £12 supermarket skirt, which the teen wore the previous school year contains viscose and elastane - materials not banned in the academy's uniform guidelines.
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Furious mum, Heather, said Cody was made to wear a 'degrading' polyester skirt which she believes also breaches the school's uniform policy as it was mid-thigh length with a split up the back.
The teen had to continuously pull the skirt down so that she felt comfortable.
Heather, 32, alleges Cody was subject to a 'pinch' test where the teacher pulled at the skirt and because it stretched the teen was told it was unacceptable.
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Cody was also sent home the Thursday she returned to school after wearing trousers which the school claimed also contained lycra.
Principal of The Dearne ALC Mrs Wilson said that uniform policy had not changed for the academic year.
Cody said: "I felt uncomfortable when they did the uniform check and said I was wearing lycra, I didn't want people thinking my uniform wasn't acceptable when theirs was.
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"I had to keep pulling the skirt down all day and needed constant reassurance from my friends that I wasn't showing anything I shouldn't be.
"People around saw this go on, it was embarrassing, I felt like I couldn't win. It's been pretty upsetting I never wear a skirt that short anywhere, even at home.
"I enjoy school and I'm planning to go to sixth form and study nursing at university."
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Heather said: "The skirt she was wearing was a really thick material, really smart and really presentable.
"The skirt is an elastine and viscose mix - they're totally different materials.
"There's nothing on the label that says lycra but because it's stretchy it was classed as it, they're splitting hairs over the material.
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"They issued a skirt to her that breaks all their policies. It's short, about four inches shorter than the one she went into school in, and because it's mid-thigh it rode up so she constantly had to tug it down.
"It's tight, it's see-through but because it's 100 per cent polyester it's apparently okay.
"It's degrading, undignified and embarrassing wearing it. The school is run like a dictatorship.
"Cody looks smart and presentable, the skirts and trousers haven't been skin tight or see-through
"Unless you went to Gok Wan's fashion school you don't know if it's got lycra in it or not."
The Dearne ALC principal Mrs Wilson said: "We are very proud of our children who work hard every day to achieve ever-improving results for the school.
"We also thank our very supportive parents who have worked with us to make sure we have a fabulous start to the academic year."
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