Horrified mother pulls her daughter out of school after teachers ban girls as young as 11 years old from wearing socks that are higher than their ankles

A shocked mother has pulled her daughter out of school and slammed a uniform policy that she said 'pressures 12-year-old girls to shave their legs' and leaves them 'exposed from above the knee to their ankles early in the morning'.

Girls at Irlam and Cadishead Academy in Salford were previously required to wear knee-length black socks but the school recently switched to ankle socks, a decision they say was made in response to requests from a high number of female students.

But some pupils and parents are not happy with the change and are suspicious of how the decision was made.

Wendy Allsop pulled her daughter Olivia, 13, out of the school amid the controversy over the new uniform policy.

She said she was worried about how schoolgirls' safety will be affected by the new rules.

Lucy Marsh, from the Family Education Trust, told MailOnline: 'School uniform should always be age appropriate and not sexualise children.

'Parents must be consulted regarding any change to the uniform policy rather than letting pupils dictate what length socks or skirts they want to wear.

'It's important that parents are aware of any changes which affect their child so that they can discuss what they feel is acceptable according to their own beliefs rather than having inappropriate clothing forced on them without any consultation.'

Meanwhile, Ms Allsop told the Daily Star : 'It's the fact they haven't considered that you've got young girls aged 11 to 16 walking to and from school literally exposed from above the knee to their ankles early in the morning.

'These girls need to be protected. You're also going to have new starters in Year 7 feeling pressured into shaving their legs and probably cutting themselves. Parents need to be properly consulted.'

Irlam and Cadishead Academy said parents were notified through letters and the parent handbook.

The academy scored a 'Good' from Ofsted earlier this year with inspector left impressed by the 'high expectations', 'calm atmosphere', and significant improvements seen at the school.

Staff and pupils feel that behaviour has vastly improved, creating fewer disruptions during classes, According to reports by the Manchester Evening News.

United Learning Trust, which the academy is part of, has confirmed that it has seen the departure of 10 full-time educators along with eight others who were either part-time instructors or held administrative roles, since September 2023.

A spokesperson for Irlam and Cadishead Academy said: 'The minor change around uniform was made at the request of a large number of female students and trialled during the previous academic year.

'The updated policy was communicated to parents before the summer holiday through both letters and the Parent Handbook along with a reminder that students are also able to wear tights or trousers.

'Almost all students wore the correct uniform on the first day of term with over a week's grace period given and uniform provided to any students who did not have the right item. No students have complained to the academy about this change.'