GIRLS will be sent home from Ripley St Thomas next term if they fail to wear the correct trousers.
Head Liz Nicholls sent a letter home to parents this week informing them of the rules about school uniform.
Girls were told last September that they must wear specific Trutex trousers, which are available only from a specialist outlet in Garstang.
The announcement caused uproar among parents who said the rule was sexist and meant uniforms were too expensive – with Trutex trousers costing around £15 while boys could pay as little as £4 for Asda trousers.
And the latest news that girls face punishment for wearing the wrong trousers has also angered parents.
The letter states that 'high standards of uniform are a priority for Ripley' and 'pupils arriving in school not dressed in the correct uniform will be sent home to change.'
One mum with a 14-year-old daughter at the school said the uniform stipulations were starting to price children out of attending the school.
"If you have two or more children then I don't know how you would afford it," she said.
"It really does make it effectively selection by income as well as by faith."
But she insisted that despite the latest warning she would not be buying Trutex trousers for her daughter.
"Most of the girls don't wear the correct trousers," she said. "I really don't know what the big deal is; my daughter wears Marks & Spencer trousers which are by no means fashion trousers but are a lot better fitting than Trutex.
"I have no intention of buying her Trutex trousers because they are considerably more expensive."
Her daughter added: "It's ridiculous to have to pay more for trousers when they don't affect your learning.
"It's absolutely ludicrous to send you home, because that would affect your education far more."
Mrs Nicholls said: "Ripley, like all schools, has a clear published uniform policy which pupils are expected to adhere to.
"In the event that they do not, the Department for Children, Schools and Families has advised schools that they may ask a pupil to go home briefly to remedy a breach of the school's rules on uniform or appearance.
"This is not an exclusion but an authorised absence."
