**Ten Pupils Suspended After Shorts Protest During Heatwave at Sheffield School**
A group of secondary school pupils in Sheffield have been suspended following a protest against their school’s refusal to allow shorts during a spell of soaring temperatures. The incident took place at Outwood Academy City, where temperatures reportedly exceeded 30°C, prompting concerns about pupil wellbeing and comfort.
The protest was spearheaded by 14-year-old Derion Compson, who is living with type 1 diabetes—a condition exacerbated by heat. Alongside around a dozen other pupils, Derion demonstrated outside the school premises, holding a hand-made sign imploring teachers to “Give shorts a chance.” The demonstrators were not permitted into the school because they had defied the strict uniform policy and arrived in shorts.
According to his mother, Sara Compson, the school’s decision has placed unnecessary strain on her son’s health and wellbeing. She described the school’s uniform policy, and its unwillingness to make allowances during exceptional weather, as “pathetic” and “childish.” Mrs Compson also expressed her frustration at what she felt was a lack of parity, commenting, “Teachers can strike for their rights, but pupils can’t even protest something that directly affects their welfare?”
After the demonstration, the school contacted affected parents via email, warning that the protest had undermined the “good name of the academy.” Signed by principal Emily Rosaman, the message stated that alternative channels—such as consulting a trusted teacher or using established complaints procedures—were the preferred means to express concerns within the school community. The punishment handed down was a three-day “off-site direction,” requiring each pupil involved to attend a different school some 14 miles away. This directive, noted the principal, was in accordance with both the school’s behaviour policy and national legislation.
The threat of legal repercussions was also raised in the event of non-compliance, with the email warning parents that prosecution or financial penalties could follow if the suspension terms were not upheld. It is understood that at least two further students, in addition to Derion, have been affected by similar measures.
The protest and subsequent suspensions have raised wider questions surrounding the right to protest, especially within the context of UK schools. Advocacy group Liberty underscored the significance of the issue, with policy and campaigns officer Lyle Barker stating, “The right to protest applies to all of us, regardless of age, and is one of the core ways we can make our voices heard.” Barker stressed the historically transformative role of protest in society, and urged continued safeguarding of this fundamental right.
Government guidance, issued by the Department for Education, recommends that schools take a flexible approach to dress code during hot weather, advocating for lighter, loose-fitting clothing to help students remain cool and comfortable during high temperatures. The document further suggests that schools consider temporarily relaxing uniform rules to meet health and wellbeing needs.
Local parents have voiced additional concerns, describing the trousers-only mandate for boys as sexist, noting that girls are allowed to wear skirts under the current uniform guidelines, whereas boys have no alternative to trousers.
The Outwood Grange Academies Trust, which oversees the Sheffield school, has thus far declined to comment specifically on the suspensions. However, the trust previously asserted that their schools do adhere to the Department for Education’s hot weather guidance, with local headteachers empowered to make policy decisions as conditions require.
The story has ignited debate around uniform policies, climate adaptation in schools, and young people’s rights to express their grievances—a conversation many believe will continue as climate change brings more frequent weather extremes to the UK.