One mother said: “The children all have to wear their uniforms and they look smart when they come to school, so there’s no reason why the parents shouldn’t either.

“Some of the states you see here is unbelievable. I wouldn’t go and pick up a pint of milk from the doorstep dressed like that, let alone walk half a mile through the streets.”

Charlotte Haylock, the executive headteacher of Ayresome Primary School, said: “We’ve recently seen an increase in the number of parents wearing dressing gowns when dropping off and collecting their children from school.

“This prompted me to issue a polite reminder to parents for them to wear appropriate clothing when accompanying their children to and from school.

“As a school we encourage our children to be appropriately dressed at all times, and we feel it is important for parents to do likewise. If parents are concerned about any issue impacting on their child’s schooling, my door is always open if they need to seek advice and support.”

Ayresome Primary School has 678 children on its roll, with ages ranging from age two to 11. It is one of seven primary schools within the Ad Astra Academy Trust in the Teesside area.

Andy Brown OBE, the trust’s chief executive officer, said: “A number of parents and teachers have also expressed concern about some parents wearing nightwear at the school, and I wholeheartedly support the stance taken by the headteacher.”