Mother left furious after claiming her daughter was told by teachers to remove her coat during outdoor school PE lesson as temperatures hit freezing

• Mother slams school in Leicestershire for making pupils do PE outside with no coat
• The parent claims that during last week’s cold snap, her daughter was made to do the session in a t-shirt 

A ‘fuming’ mother has blasted secondary school after they ‘made’ children do PE outside with no coat on as temperatures dropped to near freezing.

The parent claims that during last week’s cold snap, her daughter was made to do the session in a t-shirt.

Students at Martin High School in Anstey, Leicestershire, were reportedly not allowed to wear coats or jackets during class and were reprimanded if they refused to remove outerwear.

However, a spokesperson for the school, which is part of the Lionheart Educational Trust, said teachers assess weather conditions in advance and would have taken the lesson inside if they deemed it unsafe, reports Leicestershire Live. 

The mother took to a Spotted Anstey Facebook page where she said: ‘Martin High School. How is it acceptable to make children do PE outdoors in today’s weather with no coats/jackets on??

The furious mother recently took to a Facebook page where she expressed concerns over the policy of Martin High School, in Anstey that restricts children wearing outerwear in PE during freezing weather conditions

‘But the teacher can wear a coat? C2 if you refuse to take your coat off! Anyone else think I’m out of order for not accepting this kind of treatment? My daughter was made to do PE in a t-shirt today! Fuming!’

Laura Sanchez, executive principal at Martin High School said the uniform policy states pupils are reminded to bring extra layers to wear under their PE kit during winter.

The post attracted a host of replies, however opinions were split, with many siding with the school.

One parent wrote: ‘The PE kit includes a jumper as well as a t-shirt to wear underneath.

Laura Sanchez, executive principal at Martin High School said the uniform policy states pupils are reminded to bring extra layers to wear under their PE kit during winter

‘If you’re running around and being active, you don’t need a coat on and the teacher would be “coaching” not running around to increase their body temperature.’

Another wrote: ‘If your daughter is disabled, sick or malnourished then this is totally unacceptable.

‘However if she is fit and healthy then I don’t see a problem – in fact getting cold has proven health benefits’.

Other parents shared equal concerns with the schools policy, writing: ‘I’m sorry just because everyone else used to do it as kids, doesn’t mean it’s acceptable.

‘At a minimum, they should be allowed a jumper, especially until after they warm up; cold muscles can actually increase the risk of injuries.

‘To some extent, they will need less clothing when exercising, yes, but also in extremely cold weather, running against the wind can increase the chill factor and completely counteract the benefit of warming up through exercise.

‘This is not going to support any young person to have a healthy and enjoyable relationship with health and fitness—it just puts them off exercises even more’.

Addressing these concerns, Ms Sanchez said: ‘PE lessons at Martin High School will take place both inside and outside throughout the year, however, qualified teachers will always assess the weather conditions in advance and move outdoor lessons inside if they deem conditions to be unsafe.

‘Our PE uniform policy is shared with parents and students regularly, is available to view on the school website, and in addition, students are encouraged – and regularly reminded – to bring extra layers to wear underneath their PE kit during the colder months.’

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