Can you help me word a letter around this issue?
My daughter (8) attends a school where the policy is shorts/shirts/jumpers for boys (only Yr 6 boys are allowed to wear trousers) and skirts/pinafore/shirts/cardigans for girls.
Last winter she wore one of her brothers handed down jumpers as she felt it was warmer than a cardigan, absolutely nothing was said.
This summer she took part in a show where she needed school shorts, and subsequently asked if she could wear them to school. She tends to spend half if her life upside down/cartwheeling etc. I didn't think there'd be an issue, and I'm pretty loathe to not use perfectly good clothing items.
But there is an issue. She's been told by several members of staff that she's not allowed to wear them. Nobody has approached me directly, but her dress is dirty (her skirt is at her dads house) She's put them on and was worried, so I've asked this morning at the school gate and have been told that she is not allowed to wear them. They agree they are the correct colour and the style would be fine if she were a boy. I've asked for a reason other than being a girl as to why she can't wear them and both the teacher and head teacher could not provide one other than she's a girl and therefore needs to wear a skirt. I can buy shorts to go under the skirt if I like.
I've politely said she will alternate between these her 1 dress and 1 skirt, I've pointed out there's a col crisis (they're aware I'm a single parent) and I'm not willing to spend more money on uniform when these are perfectly usable.
I need to submit a letter/email as to the reasons she's breaking policy? I'm not sure if I should just put what I have here or head down the route of the equality act? Would the act mean its unlawful to discriminate against a student based on their sex?
Or do I just ditch the shorts (despite the fact she is so much happier in them) and find the money to buy another dress/skirt?