Mother's fury after her daughter misses mock exams after being sent home from school 'for not wearing tights during heatwave'

Published: 21:03, 24 June 2026 | Updated: 21:22, 24 June 2026 A 15-year-old girl was sent home from school for 'not wearing tights' on the hottest ever June day, meaning she missed her mock exams. Her mother was furious when her daughter was sent home early from Co-op Academy in Blackley. She had turned up at school wearing a skirt and socks, opting against tights for the soaring temperatures. However, teachers sent her home, saying that tights are 'mandatory' for those who wear skirts. The student was forced to miss her French mock exam as a result. Instead of relaxing the policy during the blistering heat, as other Co-op schools have done, senior staff have told girls to wear trousers instead. The mother, who did not want to be identified, said her daughter was wearing a skirt with shorts underneath and ankle socks instead of tights. She said: 'She was in school for no longer than 15 minutes so she missed her French mock exam.  'Other Co-op academies are allowing PE kits, but when I asked why they aren't, they said because it's policy and it's not smart. 'We live on the far side of Oldham so my daughter travels for over an hour and a half just to get to school.' The girl's mother shared a photograph of what her daughter is being made to wear at school during the heatwave Co-op Academy in Blackley sent the teenager home, insisting tights were an essential part of the uniform The mother said she had been in contact with the school and explained that her daughter will now only attend for her exams and will come straight home afterwards. 'She's got her food exam today but she's got my permission to come straight home after it,' said the 34-year-old.  'She's going in her tights and just taking them off after the exam. I don't think it's safe for her to be there longer than an hour. She's had heatstroke in the past so that's what I'm trying to avoid.' In its weather update titled 'temporary changes to uniform', the school told parents: 'Due to the heatwave, we are making changes to the uniform this week. Students do not need to wear their blazers or ties to the academy for the remainder of the week. They should leave them at home until further notice. Students who normally wear skirts and tights are encouraged to wear school trousers, if they have them. Greater Manchester has been issued an Amber weather warning for extreme heat until Thursday at 11.59pm. Temperatures are set to reach 33C tomorrow and Friday, before it cools down at the weekend.  Elsewhere in the country, more than 1,000 schools closed their doors, fearing the negative impact of the heat. Starting in September, girls in all Co-op Academies Trust secondary schools must wear trousers instead of skirts as it introduces a single school uniform for all students. The move will affect Co-op Academy Walkden, Co-op Academy Swinton, Co-op Academy North Manchester, Co-op Academy Manchester, Co-op Academy Failsworth and Co-op Academy Belle Vue. Some parents have welcomed the move, but others aren't happy and say it's taking away the rights of their daughters. A spokesperson for Co-op Academy Manchester said: 'We introduced temporary uniform adjustments this week in response to the high temperatures, including allowing pupils to attend without blazers, jumpers or ties. 'As part of this guidance, pupils who would normally wear a skirt and tights were encouraged to wear school trousers if they had them available, helping students stay comfortable during the exceptionally warm weather. 'Our priority is always to maintain a safe, consistent and purposeful learning environment while supporting pupil wellbeing. Uniform expectations are communicated clearly to families and, where questions or concerns arise, we work directly with parents and carers to provide support and find an appropriate solution.' The comments below have been moderated in advance. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.