A STORM of protest has erupted after a school cracked down on pupils wearing skinny trousers, amid claims children could be excluded from lessons for not wearing trousers featuring the school's badge.

Some parents of students at Easingwold School said the introduction of a waist-down uniform policy on top of other compulsory uniform items could leave them struggling to make ends meet as the branded trousers cost up to £18.50 a pair, about four times more than similar ones from supermarkets.

They said the North Yorkshire school, which is set to be inspected by Ofsted this year after being graded as requiring improvement, should be concentrating its efforts on educating the children, particularly as the watchdog's inspectors had found "students are proud of their school and their uniform".

One irate parent of two of the school's pupils, who did not want to be named, said: "They are living in cloud cuckoo land if they think parents can afford all this, it's going to put a lot more pressure on the family budget.

"It's staggering senior staff at the school have said they are willing to sacrifice lessons over wearing the correct trousers."

Kerry Snow, whose children also attend the school, once attended by Sir Clive Woodward, banker Stephen Hester and ex-Sunderland goalkeeper Bobby Mimms, questioned why all parents were paying the price for those who sent their children to school improperly dressed.

She claimed the new trousers would cost parents a total of £21,000 annually.

Mrs Snow said: "Where is this going to end - not everybody is wearing the same shoes."

A school spokesman said by wearing uniform pupils showed respect for the school rules, and despite a drive to advise children, too many students were choosing trousers of an inappropriate fit, style or material.

He said the school had yet to make "a final decision on what we will do with students who fail to wear the badged trousers".

He added: "This is in part due to inconsistencies from retail suppliers who market trousers as 'school trousers’. The huge array of choice from high street retailers has led to unavoidable inconsistencies whilst trying to uphold standards, which is clearly something we wish to avoid.

"Our uniform cost still stands up against other schools in the area.

"We appreciate that cost is a significant consideration when buying school uniform, and although at a cost of between £15 and £18.50 these trousers are more expensive than some versions available they are also cheaper than others."