Boy, 15, wears a skirt to school because rules said he wasn’t allowed to wear shorts – forcing a U-turn by teachers as his proud mother hails him a ‘legend’

A 15-year-old boy who wore a skirt to school because the rules said he wasn’t allowed to wear shorts has forced teachers to make a U-turn, with his proud parents hailing him as a ‘legend’.

Joe Stratton’s protest at Stafford School in Caterham, Surrey led to the uniform policy being changed temporarily so that skirts are now allowed in hot weather outside of the summer term. 

Joe returned to school on Tuesday in the shorts from his summer uniform but was told they were only for the summer term, according to his mum.

Instead, the teenager was informed that the uniform policy at the school meant he had the choice of either trousers or a skirt.

The Year 11 pupil opted for the latter and wore a skirt to school on Wednesday and Thursday to beat the summer heatwave.

Joe Stratton returned to school on Tuesday in the shorts from his summer uniform but was told they were only for the summer term, according to his mum. Instead, the teenager was told the uniform policy at the school meant he had the choice of either trousers or a skirt

He also planned to do so, if needed, ‘every day that he felt too hot to wear trousers’, his mum, Jo Suleyman, said.

‘He said most of his teachers either didn’t notice and didn’t say anything at all. Well, they must have noticed – or they were supportive of him,’ the 38-year-old claimed.

‘I don’t think they expected him to actually do it.’

Joe’s dad, Ronnie Stratton, described his son as a ‘legend’ and said he is ‘extremely proud’ of the youngster.

He added: ‘At first, he thought he was going to get ridiculed and have the mickey taken out of him.

‘But, like I told him, at the end of the day, you stand up for what you believe in. Why should he go to school hot and uncomfortable and then try to function in school? To function and be uncomfortable and hot, I don’t think is right.’

Joe’s protest at Stafford School in Caterham, Surrey is thought to have seen an alteration to uniform policy that will allow shorts to be worn in hot weather outside of the summer term

Jo said that she had only heard her son’s account but that ‘most of the teachers in his lessons were quite proud of him for finding a peaceful way to prove his point that didn’t hurt anybody and made a good point’.

Stafford School’s uniform policy details two options for student in Years 7 to 10, uniform A or uniform B, as well as a uniform for Year 11 pupils.

Jo informed SurreyLive that on the second day of her son wearing a skirt she was told that children would be able to wear shorts on Friday. 

The school in Burntwood Lane confirmed it had sent a letter to parents on Thursday to say pupils could wear summer uniform.

Head of school Jeff Place said in the letter: ‘The current intention is to revert to full normal uniform from Tuesday 12 September with temperatures dropping back. 

‘We will carry out a more formal review of uniforms in due course, particularly regarding shorts as part of Uniform A for all times of year.’