A CITY secondary school has been accused of putting pupil safety at risk after some were sent home for breaking uniform rules without their parents being told.

It is understood at least three children at Cheney School in Headington were told to go home and change on Tuesday after staff said their uniform was inappropriate.

But parents are now set to write to headteacher Jolie Kirby to raise concerns about safeguarding, claiming their children were left to travel home alone.

Rina Melendez from Littlemore said her daughter was sent home because her trousers were too short but that she wasn't contacted about it.

She said: "I would have thought if my child was leaving the school has an obligation to tell me."

Ms Melendez said her daughter was wearing school trousers but had grown out of them since they were bought in September.

She said: "She has not grown out of them a lot, just a few inches and I do not think I should have to go and buy her a new pair."

Oxford city councillor Craig Simmons said he had spoken to a number of parents who were concerned.

His daughter is a pupil at Cheney but is not among those who was sent home.

He said: "It is even more concerning because of the safeguarding issues.

"The school has a safeguarding policy and turning pupils away is totally against that."

It is believed the youngest pupil sent home on Tuesday was 12.

Cheney School did not answer the Oxford Mail's questions about how many pupils had been sent home or why parents were not informed.

School spokeswoman Marie-Laure Foisneau-Bates said: "At the end of every term we communicate with all parents and reiterate our school policy and expectations.

"Pastoral and senior staff welcome students in the morning between 8am and 8.30am and students with inappropriate wear are directed to go home and change into the correct uniform or parents are asked to drop in the right uniform into school.

"We are proud to confirm that the majority of students are in the correct uniform and that only a handful of students were sent home.

"This is in line with what schools do across the country."

In 2014 parents hit out at the school after 20 pupils were taken out of class for wearing 'inappropriate' trousers.

On that occasion pupils were wearing 'Miss Sexy' branded trousers.