A secondary school in Letchworth "has refused to allow boys to wear shorts in the hot weather, and has advised them to wear skirts instead," a baffled parent has told the Comet.

"A boy politely asked to wear shorts and was told 'no', but you can wear a skirt," she said.

"It's bizarre! It's not very healthy, having boys wrapped up in trousers in this weather, and I can't imagine many will want to wear a skirt."

The Highfield School has told the Comet it has "a non-gendered uniform" and "shorts are not part of that uniform for any student".

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A spokesperson for the school continued: "We have communicated, through our newsletter to parents, that we are investigating options for the uniform in the future that will be accessible and affordable for all.

"During periods of extreme heat, as per last summer, we follow advice and guidance issued to schools and make reasonable adjustments based on that guidance."

In last week's newsletter, the school told parents: "We are aware there have been questions around the wearing of shorts. The school uniform does not include shorts.

"Unfortunately, the current offer on the market does not allow for all appropriate sizes for our age groups, or creates prohibitive costs, and we are therefore unable to consult on any changes to this at present. We will continue to research and review.

"Of course, if the weather does hit the high temperatures of last year, we will be following all advice and will inform parents at the time of measures such as wearing PE kits.

"In the meantime, students must continue to follow our uniform policy."