Children have been left freezing during breaktimes and had their coats confiscated after a strict new policy tells furious parents to shell out up to £100 for an official school jacket.
Pupils at Bishop Heber in Malpas, Cheshire are only permitted to wear the costly branded item on school grounds, which parents claim 'is not up to the job'.
The school's Covid measures mean windows and doors are kept open to circulate air throughout the day - but students are left 'frozen' because the £100 garment is 'incredibly thin' and doesn't keep children warm.
Photos taken by furious parents show staff milling around in warm overcoats while some pupils are just in jumpers - many have spoken out about their children getting ill in the winter temperatures.
Despite the 'archaic' measure, English schools to be banned from requiring unnecessary branded items from September 2022 and will have to ensure second-hand uniforms are available.
Pupils at Bishop Heber in Malpas, Cheshire are only permitted to wear the costly branded item on school grounds, which parents claim 'is not up to the job'
The school's Covid measures mean windows and doors are kept open to circulate air throughout the day - but students are left 'frozen' because the £100 garment is 'incredibly thin' and doesn't keep children warm. Pictured: Headteacher David Curry (left) with Bishop Heber students
Photos taken by furious parents show staff milling around in warm overcoats while some pupils are just in jumpers - many have spoken out about their children getting ill in the winter temperatures
One mum said that her asthmatic son was put into isolation for retrieving his confiscated coat as he was cold.
The school says it believes if kids were allowed to wear their own coats, it would 'erode the great relationships we have with the students' because they might end up wearing hoodies.
The school's policies have been slammed by Cheshire MP Mike Amesbury, who is currently pushing a Bill to make sure parents are not being saddled with hefty bills for branded uniforms.
Parents have also complained about the cost and quality of the branded windcheater, which can be purchased for £25.
One parent whose children are currently complying with the policy said that the school anorak was not sufficient to keep her children warm.
She said: They would literally have to have a branded polo, branded sweater, branded fleece and branded anorak in order to be warm and dry outside. Given Mike Amesbury's law, that is extremely excessive branding - and I've never heard of another school having a branded outside coat before now.'
Those four items will set parents back £94.50, ignoring the need for multiple purchases sensible for some items.
Another parent added: 'They confiscated his [my son's] coat yesterday - outside - which I thought was absolutely ludicrous. He has asthma, which he is on constant medication for, so getting cold does him no good whatsoever.
'Because he went and got his coat back because he was cold, he has been put into isolation, that was his punishment.
'Why would you take a coat off a child when you know they've got asthma?'
She continued: 'Kids should not be worried about getting into trouble for keeping warm.
'It's just nonsensical. When they're going into a warm classroom it's totally different, but when you're going into a classroom with the doors and windows open, you soon get cold when you're sitting down.
'At some point, common sense has to prevail. These kids should not have to be cold.'
Another mum said: 'It was bitterly cold, freezing all day, and his hands were so cold that he couldn't hold his pen in English. When he came out of school he was absolutely frozen.
'These children are freezing outside, then they're going into a classroom with the windows all open - they need to be warm.
'If we've got to have this rule, if that's what the headteacher wants, then please can he ditch his padded coat and can the teachers lead by example by all standing outside without their coats on? Because I think that would set a good example for the children.'
She added: 'These children have a right to be warm.'
In an email to the parents of Year 9 students, head teacher David Curry explained the rationale behind the coat ban:
Mr Curry said that he was 'aware that there's been some discourse on social media about coats and why students cannot wear their own in school'
The email reads: 'I'd like to take this opportunity to state that students are allowed to wear coats to and from school as some have long journeys and have to wait for parents and/or buses in the morning/afternoon.
Schools will be encouraged to switch to generic uniforms in a bid to bring down sky-high uniform costs which have reached £337 a year per child for secondary students according to The Children's Society
'However, once they arrive at school after registration period, we expect that an undergarment (e.g. vest/t-shirt/base layer) along with a school polo shirt, jumper, fleece and optional jacket (windcheater) would be sufficient to keep them warm and conversely allow them to take layers off when in warmer classrooms.
'In essence, the four/five layers of clothing we suggest should be more than ample to ask them to go out at break to get a
