Sheffield school changes uniform rules after community pressure over abayas
Recent guidance from Fir Valley Academy led parents to understand that pupils could no longer wear abayas over their uniform
A Sheffield school has changed its rules regarding uniforms following weeks of pressure from parents and members of the local Muslim community over pupils wearing abayas.
Fir Vale Academy has introduced three new clothing options for students — loose-fitting plain black trousers, a modesty skirt worn over trousers, or an ankle-length skirt.
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The school said the changes had been “responded to really positively” and that some parents had come in to support their children following the new amendment.
The move follows a recent dispute over the school’s treatment of Muslim girls who continued to wear abayas over their school uniform.
The dispute began after Fir Vale introduced a new uniform policy for the 2026-27 academic year. In a letter sent to parents in July, the school said pupils were expected to wear plain black trousers, a white collared shirt, an academy tie and the school’s logo jumper. The policy said plain black hijabs were permitted for religious dress, but that “all other uniform items” had to comply with the standard policy.
While the letter did not specifically mention abayas, parents understood the new uniform requirements to mean that pupils could no longer wear them over the school uniform.
Mustafa Ahmed, a Green Party councillor for Burngreave who has been supporting parents, told Hyphen that pupils continued to wear the school uniform under their abayas.
“They still wear the same trousers, and the abaya goes over, and the T-shirt above the abaya. So they wear the trousers, then the abaya, and the T-shirt over the abaya. You cannot tell — they look like the proper uniform,” he said.
Ahmed said parents questioned why the abaya, which he said pupils at the school had worn for decades, was no longer permitted.
He said the dispute had led to pupils being placed in internal exclusion after continuing to attend school in abayas and claimed some had missed lessons as a result.
The school has not confirmed these claims to Hyphen.
The school said its uniform policy was intended to create a “clear and consistent standard for all”, and that wearing the same uniform would “reduce visible differences between students, promote equality and allow young people to be recognised for who they are rather than what they wear”.
The dispute has occurred in an area with a large Muslim population. Almost half (49.5%) of residents in Burngreave identified as Muslim in the 2021 census, compared to 10.3% across Sheffield as a whole.
Ahmed said parents had gathered at a community meeting organised by a local mosque during the dispute, where they discussed the possibility of pupils wearing skirts over trousers. He said parents rejected the proposal and wanted their daughters to continue wearing abayas.
Ahmed said the dispute had affected pupils and their families.
“They just want to feel safe,” he said. “They want to attend school feeling comfortable. They don’t want people to be staring at them. They want to go and learn and be educated.”
He also said parents had raised concerns about their children’s mental health.
The latest changes mean pupils can now wear a modesty skirt over their trousers or an ankle-length skirt instead. The school’s message does not explicitly state that abayas are now permitted.
Ahmed said the development showed the impact of community action.
“It shows that our community has the power and the voice to make a change,” he said.
Fir Vale Academy has not responded to a request for comment.
