Senior teachers at Bramhall High School in Stockport sent out letters ordering pupils to leave their ties at home and replace them with clip-on versions.
They argue knotted ties can pose a health and safety risk and told the 1,500 pupils to use the safer clip-on versions or face being sent home.
But a campaign group for real education and some parents slammed the move as `political correctness gone mad'.
And safety chiefs also expressed concern over the decision to ban ties. The school say that activities such as science and woodwork, where heavy machinery and naked flames are commonplace, could lead to pupils sustaining serious injuries because of trailing ties.
Safety
They also stress that the safety versions prevent pupils from wearing them in a casual way - forcing them to stay smart by keeping their top buttons fastened.
Headteacher John Peckham said the new policy was a sensible measure.
He said: "We have been only selling clip-on ties for more than a year in an effort to phase this in but we are now at the stage where older pupils are wearing old and dirty ties because they don't want to replace them.
"Obviously there is a health and safety element. Pupils can take precautions during technical lessons where there is machinery but it is the unexpected factors such as running and having their ties pulled that could be a problem.
"We also feel it is smarter because older children will not wear the ties in a casual way. This is in line with places like Marks and Spencer, the police and the armed forces. They have the same reasons for doing this."
Although the school phased out its traditional tie 18 months ago and now only sells clip-on versions from its in-house shop, a lucrative trade in second hand ties emerged.
Staff found older pupils in particular buying or stealing traditional ties to avoid having to wear a clip-on version.
Now a recent letter to parents says everyone must comply with the dress code and from the new academic year in September, pupils who fail the tie test will be punished.
Parents who could not afford the £2.80 ties would be able to exchange traditional versions on a new-for-old basis.
Politically correct
But some parents said they believed that the new uniform was too politically correct.
The parent of a 15-year-old pupil said: "There has always been a strong uniform policy, which I have supported, but I think this is very silly.
"Where is this health and safety thing going to end? I have never heard of a school going this far before."
Stockport Council said the decision had been taken by the school. Nick Seaton, chair of the Campaign for Real Education, said the decision was inexplicable.
He said: "It seems like another instance of political correctness and health and safety gone mad. Children have worn school ties for decades and I have never heard of an accident in all that time.
"Life is full of risks. The ones that are serious you should obviously take precautions against but students shouldn't be told to live their life afraid of everyday objects."
Even safety chiefs expressed scepticism about the move.
Roger Vincent, a spokesman from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: "It is not something I have heard of before. We don't want health and safety to be used as a reason for things being stopped.
"Obviously it's down to individual schools to carry out their own risk assessments but we are not aware of any major accidents involving ties at schools."
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Do you see Iranian ministers wearing ties? It's considered rude there because it points to the nether regions.
" the nether regions. "
Do you mean Watford ?
I have never heard of anything so preposterous. I left high school 14 years ago, having proudly worn my school's uniform tie for four years (in year 11 we wore plain black ties). I never heard of anyone getting injured in lessons through their ties. Why? Because there was a COMMON SENSE approach at my old school. We simply removed or tucked away our ties in those lessons. In science and CDT we wore aprons over our uniforms, and most of us wore tie clips anyway.
I understand the smartness thing about clip-ons but really, there should be enough pride in the pupils to wear their ties properly anyway. If not, that's the root of the problem, not this namby-pamby health and safety excuse.
I don't know if it's anything to do with PC.
More likely they're afraid of greedy parents suing them if there's ant tie related accidents. But this kind of mealy mouthed nonsense only encourages them.
What is the point of School Uniforms anyway?
nobody else in the world wears them except some commonwealth countries. The kids don't like them and you often see them with their shirts hanging out and ties hanging loose.
If the School had been more honest and admitted that it was to try and smarten the appearance they may have got a better reception. Trying to hide the reason by cooking up some safety excuse only winds people up. Another example of authorities trying to be clever rather than honest.
Great - now we'll end up with children not only illiterate but also unable to do up a tie! That'll serve them well in the world of work!
What next? velcro-fasten shoes in case laces get stuck in escalators?
Why is this a big story?
The school made a decision which didn't really effect anybody else other than the pupils & their parents. While we don't hear many stories of kids getting hurt by having their ties pulled, it happens none the less, it was a normal part of school life when i was growing up, hand in hand with peoples heads getting flushed down toilets, the same kind of bullies will still pull at peoples ties, only if they are clipped on, they'll be able to pull them off & dispose of them how they want. The local uniform provider will no doubt make a killing on replacement ties.
this just makes my job all the harder when you get idiots like this with no real work experaince giving out advice and instruction,teachers end up worrying they will be liable, so they ask for advice from their employer the LA and their competent Health and safety employee wants to make sure they has cover all the bases so he issues this advice for fear of the "extrememly unlikely" happening with catostrophic consequences.
No one will take into consideration has any pupil been injured while wearing a non clip on tie and what were those injuries, then with those facts in mind go back and issue appropriate advice.