Mum fuming because girl’s ‘hot pants’ weren’t deemed appropriate for PE lesson

A mum has accused her daughter’s school of sexualising her over her choice of shorts for a PE lesson.

The 11-year-old was told her clothes looked like hot pants when she went to Magnus Church of England Academy in Newark, Nottinghamshire, on Tuesday.

Children had been allowed to wear their sports kit for the day because of the record-breaking heatwave, but some were found to have pushed the boundaries too far. In total 50 were sent home.

A mother who didn’t want to be named said: ‘It’s just creepy to be sexualising 11-year-old girls like this.

‘My daughter wore the shorts which she does for all PE lessons to be comfortable, not to look good.

‘I checked all the school uniform policy and all it states is black shorts.

‘Magnus said students could come into school in PE kits, and my daughter has worn the shorts as part of her PE kit all term.

‘She was there 20 minutes and then they called me to send her home.

‘They said it wasn’t appropriate and she needed to change into different PE shorts.

‘They are proper sports shorts, bought from a sports shop not hot pants. I am not buying her new shorts just before the end of term.

‘They sent her home, but put it down as unauthorised, and it will be unauthorised. It is bizarre, as if they haven’t missed out on enough learning.’

Executive principal Anna Martin said: ‘We just asked students to return home to change into appropriate PE shorts.

‘While we know some girls like to wear hot pants-style shorts for PE, they are not appropriate for a day at school.

‘We sent this in a message to parents on Friday. Some girls still came in the shorts and were sent home to change and the majority of them complied.’