DD sent home to change shoes - missing approx 2 hours of lessons.

[MyballsareSandy]

Does this seem crazy to you? I appreciate they have strict uniform rules, and I also completely understand that DD should know the rules by now, she's 14.

However, she has been wearing these shoes for 3 months, they are black, as the school requests, but not leather, more of a canvas type. Why not just tell her that she must not be seen in them again, rather than sending her home to change them mid-morning.

She is adamant this hasn't been mentioned before - I was wondering if it was a last straw type approach but apparently not. She has missed maths, which she is struggling at, moved down from top set a few months ago and is keen to get back in it.

[TheFairyCaravan]

I would imagine she's been told about them before, tbh. Canvas shoes wouldn't have been allowed at the school my kids went to, they would have been told about them the first morning, and the parents would have had a phone call. When you accept the place you agree to the uniform rules, imo.

[InstitutionCode]

Either the school has a very lax uniform policy, in which case they have been unreasonable, to single her out after all this time, or (more likely) she has been told before.

[Purpleflamingos]

School uniform rules are crazy. Why does a leather or canvas shoe have an effect on a persons ability to learn. The homogenised conformity demanded by secondaries at present is image control gone crazy.

[ivykaty44]

Her foot wear will effect her mind and how she learns. It can not be emphasised enough how teen brains do not function properly if the correct footwear isn't worn.

You just have to look at the rest of Europe and how they are falling behind UK as they do not wear uniforms to school or proper shoes....

[SanityClause]

Perhaps you could speak to the HOY to get the whole picture.

I imagine the school are cracking down on uniform, and that pupils may have been warned at assemblies, if not personally.

If she cares so much about maths, she'll find the time to catch up and she'll make sure she wears the right shoes in future.

Incidentally, I am not pro uniform, but where one exists, I think you just have to get on with it, and follow the school rules.

[SquigglyLine]

I'd be pretty sure the school had told pupils countless times about uniform. Your DD has learned a good lesson about the importance of paying attention! I would make sure she spends an evening going over the missed maths lesson, and would help her with it if she's struggling.

[SewingBox]

There are lots of reasons why no-one should wear canvas shoes everyday.

[nipersvest]

am wondering if this is more down to a health and safety issue rather than just conforming to uniform guidelines. canvas shoes are not going to protect feet as much as more sturdier shoes.

can i ask though, if you know the school has strict uniform rules, why are her school shoes canvas? its highly unlikely they would be allowed.

[schokolade]

Do schools just send pupils home then, without contacting a parent? What if no one is home and there's no key?

[Caitmous]

It depends on the nature of the school of course, but in my experience a school that is strict on uniform is a well run school. It gives teenagers an appropriate boundary to rebel against. For instance, if they are challenging authority by wearing their tie short, there's less imperative to challenge authority by swearing, throwing chairs etc.

This sounds like a whole school approach to behaviour management and less about the specifics of the shoe type to me.

[SewingBox]

Yes, that's how I see the benefit of uniform Catimous. The uniform itself isn't important but it gives something harmless for them to fight against, meaning they don't need to break the bigger rules. I now realise it's why my mum forbade "bum". It meant we didn't have to say arse to shock (which would have been very shocking in those days!)

It also, almost always enhances the view of the school among the local population. The posher looking the uniform, the better people assume the school must be. Obviously no sense in that, but if it means the school is well thought of by parents, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy, as the more interested/supportive families send their DC there.

[Runningtokeepstill]

My son's school allows canvas shoes and they get some of the best GCSE results in the area (not just our town). They are also one of of the 2 schools left that have resisted the move to blazers.

[SewingBox]

LOL Polter. It does take them 3 years to do what you can do in much less time if you apply yourself. I did mine over three years at the same time as having 2 young children and a job! Always have wondered why the norm is for a degree to take 3 years FT.

[DocHollywood]

But as a parent you know the rules. If your child is not wearing the uniform then either you tell them to go and change into proper attire or you make sure that they know that there may be consequences. My middle dd used to swear blind that EVERYONE wore makeup/rings/nail polish etc so she was going to. A few months later it wasn't fair as she was the ONLY one picked out for detention. Yeah right.

[morethanpotatoprints]

A lot of schools in my area don't bother about correct shoes during the last half term, parents can't afford to buy them for a few weeks and their feet will probably have grown come September.
They go in pumps and trainers, schools do prefer black though.
the rest of the year they are expected to have black shoes but they don't have to be school shoes and can be leather or leather substitutes, not canvas though, unless last half term.

[Georgethesecond]

I think you should let it go. She was in the wrong, they were a bit heavy. Handed. A missed lesson isn't the end of the world. She won't do it again will she!

[ByTheNine]

It's not just being petty - canvas shoes are unsafe in science labs where students may drop chemicals which would soak straight through and in tech rooms where there might be shards of wood or metal on the floor. Teachers don't have time to check every student's entire uniform every day, so sometimes it takes a while to notice a particular item of uniform.

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

Canvas shoes aren't suitable for school, I imagine she's been told about them before.

[RedHelenB]

Actually, results and behaviour improves when there are less rules and regulations! nothing for the kids to kick against.

[ThinkIveBeenHacked]

Why did you buy her or allow her to wear shoes that did not fit the uniform rules?

I fail to understand why anyone would complain when they have chosen to disregard the rule.

[Roseformeplease]

Our pupils wear pretty much what they want. Results are excellent, behaviour is very, very good and the pupils are happy. Given the choice, they mostly wear jeans and some sort of t-shirt / hoodie. Certainly, we don't get revealing clothes or similar.

Uniform is about creating a brand image - something to make the school look good. Uniform is about conformity.

I am so glad I don't work in a school where I have to worry about what is on their feet, rather than what is in their heads and their writing.

[IssyStark]

I don't think you should let it go.

If they were thinking about the education of your daughter they should have told her to make sure she wore the correct uniform tomorrow.

I also believe that if they had warned her earlier, they should have sent you a letter home with her (or posted to it to you). Leather shoes are not cheap and they should have set out a reasonable timeframe for you to compile with the uniform code as it isn't always possible to get leather shoes at no notice of a weekday evening.

The school assumes an huge amount about the financial circumstances of the parents.

[WomanScorned]

The H&S theory makes no sense.
My son's friend was made to take off his black skate shoes (ie, rigorous ly tested safety footwear) and put in too big boots provided by the science teacher. The girls feet, however, were considered to be perfectly safe, exposed to acid in flimsy, open dolly shoes :/