Parents have criticised Co-op Academies Trust, which runs 14 secondary schools across the Midlands and north of England, after it introduced a uniform policy requiring all pupils to wear plain black tailored trousers instead of skirts. The change, framed by the trust as promoting equality and inclusivity, took effect at the start of the new school year, and some mothers say their daughters were left crying and distressed when told they could not attend lessons in skirts. The row reflects a wider trend of secondary schools moving towards gender-neutral uniform policies, often citing concerns about girls' modesty.

Among those affected was 11-year-old Millie Jones, who was reportedly told by staff to change into trousers on her first day at secondary school; her mother, a social worker, branded the policy "sexist" and "ridiculous" and has formally complained to the trust. Parents at Co-op Academy Failsworth, including Samantha Scholes and Samantha Gallier, said their daughters had been left "in tears" and upset, with one girl reportedly saying she "looked like a boy" in trousers. The trust, which educates around 22,000 pupils, maintains the policy is overwhelmingly popular with girls and denies any pupil has been barred from lessons over the issue, though only a small number of girls at one Oldham school have continued trying to wear skirts.