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GRRRRRRRRRRRR Really Pissed Off. (Petty uniform related issue)

75 replies

JaneBirkin · 07/12/2011 17:35

sorry, I'm fuming so I need to post. It's probably ridiculous, but anyway.

I went to get ds1 from school today, and he appeared looking sad and worried. He was wearing his plimsolls.

I said where are your shoes? 'I don't have them'. Well where are they love? 'My teacher told me to take them off'.

We went to his classroom as he said they were in his locker, the teacher was still there. By the time we arrived he had told me that she'd asked him to remove his shoes, because they were 'not school shoes', this morning aroud breaktime, during a lesson, and put on his plimsolls instead which he then had to wear all day, meaning he had slipped over several times in the playground and got very dirty and slightly injured legs. (his plims fit, but aren't suitable for fast outdoor running I think).

I approached the teacher and asked if there was a problem with Ds's shoes. She said they were trainers. They're not - they're Geox, very expensive, orthopaedically whatever, posho proper leather shoes which look very smart (when they are polished!) and are absolutely no different in style to many made by Clarks and Startrite for boys to wear to school.

She also said that they are not black, and should be black.

I refuted this as we are still allowed last year's uniform, which states navy or black shoes (they are somewhere in between) and she then changed her line to 'he told me they weren't his school shoes' Hmm bollocks

I left it at that, saying 'well as long as he's still allowed to wear them, because he has been since I bought them 6 months ago, and no one's mentioned it'.

I then saw the HT and said what had happened. she immediately said 'we are not allowing trainers' and I had to explain again that Geox shoes aren't trainers, they're bloody expensive, very good for his feet, and I wouldn't spend £45 on trainers NOR would I make my child wear them all day.

She said there is a crossover in footwear designs these days which makes it difficult for them to discriminate. (irrelevant surely). She also said they're not black. I said that we're still wearing old uniform, it's a phasing in period, and the old uniform was black or navy. she said it was black, had always been black and I was wrong.

Anyway, got home, checked old newsletter, it says clearly black or navy (in bold print). I've sent it to her.

I'm mainly just so bloody furious that my child was approached about this, NOT ME, stigmatised for the rest of the day (ok, not a major deal but it makes him look like he's had an accident and had to change, or something) and they were utterly wrong about the shoes in the first place.

I'm so cross.

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Orchidskeepdying · 07/12/2011 18:30

Geox shoes look like trainers - just googled them.

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JaneBirkin · 07/12/2011 18:31

Which ones are you looking at? they make adults' shoes, children's school shoes and trainers. And boots.

Not all of them look like trainers, only the trainers.

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JaneBirkin · 07/12/2011 18:33

Good selection on John Lewis website if you're interested. And even their trainers are leather, structured and orthopaedically sound, so no matter really.

But ds's shoes don't look anything like trainers. It was ridiculous. They look like any old pair of Clarks or Startrite children's shoes.

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531800000008 · 07/12/2011 18:35

I think you need to post a link to similar type of geox shoe for the MN Hive Response

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531800000008 · 07/12/2011 18:36
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JaneBirkin · 07/12/2011 18:37

I can't find the actual ones, but they look a bit like these.

I'd say they were suitable for school. Certainly nothing like any trainers ds's mates would be seen dead in. Smile

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DurhamDurham · 07/12/2011 18:37

I have Googled Geox and think that they do look like trainers, certainly not smart school shoes. May be there are lots of styles and I'm looking at the wrong ones.

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JaneBirkin · 07/12/2011 18:39

No 531, far less chunky or 'street' looking - much flatter profile on the heels for a start.

Those look like trainers and they're under the school shoes department! Weird! Smile

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DurhamDurham · 07/12/2011 18:39

Just seen your link and they look EXACTLY like trainers.

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redskyatnight · 07/12/2011 18:40

I do think they look more like trainers than school shoes tbh. I personally (and DS's school is very lax) wouldn't try to pass them off as school shoes.

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FFSEnid · 07/12/2011 18:40

They are trainers. I thought you meant something like this

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JaneBirkin · 07/12/2011 18:42

Durham, they are really smart. You'll have to trust me! Maybe along the slightly casual line of smart, but still, very normal, very boring and very smart.

The thing was he's worn them for months, since last school year in fact and they've never complained basically because they do look like school shoes.

It was just weird. I think they are having a crackdown or something. But still.

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WhatIsPi · 07/12/2011 18:42

We wouldnt be allowed those Clarks ones (ours have to be the really boring, one velcro strap type) but why havent they said anything before and why not just tell you at the end of the day.

Still if you've had them 6 months then you'll need to buy new ones soon anyway.

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DurhamDurham · 07/12/2011 18:45

Yes they are smart. Smart trainers. Sorry Smile

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chrimblycompo · 07/12/2011 18:46

Is this the head that you hate who wanted to meet with you about ds2 starting in January?
Sad sounds like she's really got it in for you
Did you ever have that meeting by the way or dud you manage to avoid her!!

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SandStorm · 07/12/2011 18:51

Sorry - they look like trainers to me too.

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tabulahrasa · 07/12/2011 18:51

Those clarks ones are trainers and mine wouldn't be allowed them for school either

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2littlecherubs · 07/12/2011 18:51

I think they lokk like trainers and there is no way my ds would be allowed to wear them for school.
However - I think they should have approached you about this and not your ds

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JaneBirkin · 07/12/2011 18:56

Thanks. Yes they should have approached me, not used some outdated form of punishment against a child for something out of his control, and they should know their own fecking uniform code without having to be told it by a parent.

Sorry, I don't agree that these aren't smart enough for school, hundreds of the other children wear exactly this style of shoe, and suddenly they are being ridiculous about it.

Yes it's the same HT. She's now emailed saying that yes he can wear them. and saying that she has too many things to remember to know what the correct uniform code is/was.

So that's told me hasn't it Smile

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hocuspontas · 07/12/2011 18:56

Is this a private school? Having a uniform rule that states black or navy shoes sounds odd. Are there lots of navy shoes about? Have to say that the shoes in the Clarks' link do look like trainers...

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chrimblycompo · 07/12/2011 18:59

Wow that is bizarre she emailed you! Do you think things will be better now? Has the uniform changed from navy to black? Bizarre!

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NhameCage · 07/12/2011 19:01

The Clark's one does look like a trainer to me but it also looks like a very suitable shoe for a young boy at primary school who will be running around etc. Do primary school kids have to wear formal wear now?

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teacherwith2kids · 07/12/2011 19:02

The Clarks ones are trainers, and wwould not generally be allowed.

I wondered whether you meant something like this:
www.charlesclinkard.co.uk/boys-c15/shoes-c16/geox-crush-boys-school-shoes-p1617?attribute[1]=4

which are sold as school shoes but which are on the trainerish side IMHO.

(DS wears these: www.startriteshoes.com/erupt - he can't wear the normal 1 velcro strap, solid kind of school shoes because he has a strange bone formation on the top of his foot)

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brandysoakedbitch · 07/12/2011 19:04

Our school was black brown or navy and now is black only I notice, shame as dds new shoes are navy (e have a navy uniform) - all I can say is i would like to see them try and put my dd in her plims (they wouldn't anyway because a lot of the children do not wear correct uniform and my dds shoes will not attract attention I am sure)

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JaneBirkin · 07/12/2011 19:04

Really? Would people actually send their child to football, or running, or any sort of sport in those clarks shoes? They're not made for sport at all, they're just tough, plain, boys' shoes in a nice leather finish in the correct colour.

It doesn't state the style of shoe in the uniform regs - only the colour and not trainers, which I assumed was short for training shoes and would be of a far more sporty or fashionable appearance.


Maybe it's all in the definition of a 'trainer'.

I appreciate your comments even so. Seems she has agreed with my saying they aren't trainers and has authorised them on this basis.

I did have the meeting, with the class teacher and it was Ok, thanks for asking - she couldn't be that horrible when another teacher was there. It was a bit weird though as they clearly don't see eye to eye either, well that was the feeling I got.

Anyway - just to answer, it's not a private school. Just common or garden primary.

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