A schoolboy who says he was removed from lessons for wearing the 'wrong trousers' has been turning up to lessons wearing a skirt to protest the school's rules.
Josh Mayer, who is in year 10 at Swavesey Village College in south Cambridgeshire, says he was taken out of his normal classes and forced to go to the school's 'Achievements Centre' for wearing trousers his mum bought from Tesco.
His mum Lizz Mayer says the only reason her son was sent out of classes was because he didn't have the expensive trousers that can only be bought from the school's official uniform suppliers.
She added that her son had a pair of the pricier kecks, but that he found them uncomfortable so wore his old ones from Tesco.
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She explained:"Before the summer holidays, the school announced they were changing the uniform, meaning all the parents had to throw out the old trousers and buy new ones from a specified brand.
"I bought Josh the new ones, which he wore on the first day of term but they were so uncomfortable, so he wore the ones he had last year on the second day.
"They put him into isolation, sending him to the Achievements Support Centre. It's mostly for children with special needs, there was no one there his age.
"For the last four to five weeks he's just been given presentations to go through. There's no experts there he can ask questions to, and sometimes he doesn't have the materials he needs.
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"He's sitting his Ethics GCSE this year; he's been at school for five weeks so far and he's still not had a lesson for that yet."
She added: "Sadly [it] seems his trousers are more important than his education."
Lizz says her son isn't even allowed to go out and spend time with other students at break and is forced to eat on his own.
The mum said he got so sick of the situation that he checked over the rules and noticed a bit of a loophole.
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"He was just getting so fed up with it," she said. "And then he saw in the school rules that there was nothing against him wearing a skirt to school, so that's what he's done today.
"I actually started a petition when it started, and over 400 parents signed it but the school have not taken any notice of that. He's had lots of support from others. I've also made a formal complaint which is still being considered."
A spokesperson from Swavesey Village College disputed the claims that Josh had been placed into isolation, saying that other children were with him and that he joined his usual class for PE.
The school also denied that other kids had protested and said Josh was now back in his classes after complying with the rules - by wearing a skirt.
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Headteacher Jim Stavrou said the uniform change had received a lot of 'positive feedback'.
He added: "We want nothing more than each student to receive the highest standard of education throughout their time at the college, but sadly a single case of defiant protest against the new policy has occurred.
"Any student who does not comply with the uniform policy continue to receive a high standard of education in the college's achievement support department with other students, but away from their year group. This involves individual tutoring, small group work with tutors and other students, as well as re-joining their year groups for PE.
"We also continue to offer different solutions to allow him to re-join lessons with his year group, including providing the uniform, but these options have been refused.
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"As with all policies, we will conduct a review now that the uniform has been fully implemented. This will start this term and be completed within this academic year. All students will continue to wear our full uniform until this has been completed."
Topics: uk news