One boy in year nine (eighth grade in the United States), who was also sporting a skirt, said the protest had started with five boys, but he expected “hundreds” to join in.

Asked if he enjoyed the feeling of wearing a skirt, he said: “It’s just a nice breeze.”

Another boy, in year 10, said he was “put in isolation” for wearing shorts to school on the previous day.

A mother with a 14-year-old son at Isca said: “My son wanted to wear shorts but was told he would be put in the isolation room for the rest of the week.”

She added, “The head teacher told them ‘Well you can wear a skirt if you like’ but I think she was being sarcastic. However children tend to take you literally and so five boys turned up in skirts today – and because she told them it was OK there was nothing she could do as long as they are school skirts.”