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Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Primary education

Girls not allowed to wear trousers

80 replies

threelittlerapscallions · 01/09/2016 07:13

DD (5) is going in to year 1 next week and girls not allowed to wear trousers at her state primary above foundation stage (so just reception and Nursery allowed). is this normal? I assumed all primaries now allow trousers option for girls.

I will speak to the head but just wondered what other primaries do.

OP posts:

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RhinestoneCowgirl · 01/09/2016 07:16

Weird that they allow in Reception but not above?

I'd say not standard, our state primary allows trousers for girls.

bumpetybumpbumpbump · 01/09/2016 07:16

I haven't heard of this but I don't like that! Is it an academy?

megletthesecond · 01/09/2016 07:17

AFAIK all the primary schools around here allow girls to wear trousers.

mrz · 01/09/2016 07:19

Definitely not standard

threelittlerapscallions · 01/09/2016 07:23

It is a church of england primary, not an academy. The former head was v old fashioned and not very good. The new one is lovely and has been there a year so I will speak to him, maybe he has not got around to changing the rules yet!

OP posts:

threelittlerapscallions · 01/09/2016 07:24

All the other primaries around here allow trousers too!!

OP posts:

Idliketobeabutterfly · 01/09/2016 07:25

trousers allowed for girls at DS' school

threelittlerapscallions · 01/09/2016 07:26

None of the other girls in DDs class are bothered and they seem to want to wear skirts but she has a 'thing' against all things girly at the moment.

OP posts:

0hCrepe · 01/09/2016 07:26

Ridiculous and not usual!

0hCrepe · 01/09/2016 07:27

Although uniform at private girls' schools is often skirts.

bittapitta · 01/09/2016 07:28

I'd send her in trousers regardless.

OhTheRoses · 01/09/2016 07:36

I just don't think it's an issue. Ours were sent to the best schools we could find. If that had meant wearing a green tutu they'd have worn a green tutu.

If you don't like the school's rules send your DD to a school with different rules.

We had a parent at state secondary cofe want a campaign to atop compulsory RS GCSE beause she and her dd were atheists and had high principles. Not so high to stop them taking a place at a church school rather than the rough as a badgers arse secular alternative.

threelittlerapscallions · 01/09/2016 07:37

Thanks Crepe it is not a private school

I am planning to send her in trousers on Monday will let you know what happens!

OP posts:

mrz · 01/09/2016 07:43

As a rule it's unenforceable. I assume no one has challenged it before.

confuugled1 · 01/09/2016 09:30

Is it worth seeing if any of the other mums will be sending their dds in wearing trousers too so that your dd isn't the only one?

It's tricky - for most people it is obvious girls should be able to choose whether or not to wear skirts or trousers - particularly as for younger kids trousers can be much more practical when they are playing. And these days most women see trousers as a completely normal part of their wardrobe - most companies that have a uniform seem to have both a skirt and a trouser option for women which wasn't necessarily the case 30 years ago.

It seems strange to stop girls wearing trousers when they move up into y1, not least as it means that they will have uniform items they can no longer wear which is really wasteful (if your dc are anything like mine and have growth spurts that don't tie in to the summer holidays so wouldn't necessarily be wearing new uniform in September).

Hope it is a case of the new head just not getting around to changing the rules and that all the girls can wear either trousers or skirts as they feel comfortable in!

threelittlerapscallions · 01/09/2016 09:41

Local school uniform shop lists trousers as part of the uniform for DDs school - I think must be ok but maybe new head not got around to telling people it has changed - it was school secretary who told another Mum of child in Dds class that only skirts allowed so maybe was a confused message! I never asked head directly as was planning to send DD in trousers and say oh I just assumed in this day and age they are allowed!

OP posts:

Maursh · 01/09/2016 10:08

The Equal Opportunities Commission has been urging schools to change their "no trousers for girls" policies since 2002. If this school were legally challenged they wouldn't stand a chance. They cannot discriminate on gender.

Maursh · 01/09/2016 10:09

www.humanities.manchester.ac.uk/about/news/display/?id=16084

BombadierFritz · 01/09/2016 10:13

just say she identifies as a boy or non binary

seriously cant believe this uniform nonsense is still going on. I remember my sister fighting this 30 years ago.

LineyReborn · 01/09/2016 10:18

Maybe that she identifies as a trouser-wearing child?

BombadierFritz · 01/09/2016 10:19

chamenager · 01/09/2016 10:28

We seem to live in the wrong area. Of our nearest 6 primary schools, ALL require girls to wear skirts/dresses. One school explains that in exceptionally cold weather, if and only if the HT sends out an e-mail to this purpose, the girls may wear trousers.

It's not as simple as choosing a school that has a uniform policy you agree with. Most people don't have a choice of school anyway. And even if you do (we happen to have had a real choice) - all schools in your area may have the same or similar policies anyway.

The girls at DS' school have taken to wearing shorts underneath their skirts.

It's two years yet until DD starts school. I haven't given up hope yet that things may yet change.

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chamenager · 01/09/2016 10:33

x-posted

That's just the thing isn't it. Everyone shouting 'I don't give a hoot what anyone wears or calls themselves but ...'
and
'A girl who wants to wear trousers is just that, a girl who wants to wear trousers, it doesn't make her a boy. A boy who wants to wear skirts is just that, a boy who wants to wear skirts, it doesn't make him a girl.'

And at the same time many schools insist that boys wear trousers and girls don't. And if you say something about it, you're told to choose a different school. It doesn't add up.

toastymarshmallow · 01/09/2016 10:44

I know this is in the primary topic, and my post is about to go off topic but what happens when they get to secondary? All the secondary and grammar schools around here (NI) all state girls MUST wear skirts. Maybe we are still in the dark ages on this too.

FWIW DDs school does allow trousers now, but they didn't when she started 4 years ago. There was no announcement or anything, the uniform list now says trousers where it definitely didn't when she was starting, I have no idea when it changed either.

It is all rather irrelevant in this house at the minute though because DD1 refuses to wear trousers. She "doesn't suit school uniform trousers" apparently. How she knows that I have no idea because she has never tried them on. :o

chamenager · 01/09/2016 10:52

Our secondaries allow trousers, just not the primaries.

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