would you feel cross?

[Rainbowlou1]

my daughter went back to school today into year 11.
She called me after school to say that her teacher said her shoes weren't suitable For school (black pumps which she has worn loads of times
Before) and so I agreed we would buy some more this week.
She had drama after school so didn't get home until about 9 but When I saw her she was limping and looked as if she had been crying...it turns out the teacher had marched her to the office, told her to take off her shoes and made her wear a pair of boys, clumpy ill fitting shoes all day!
(She has an old ankle injury that flares up occasionally so the shoes made it worse rather than caused it to hurt)
I feel so cross and I get that they didn't like her shoes but if they had just called me I would have assured them I'll change them asap or picked her up at lunchtime!-she was so embarrassed and felt so humiliated going back into class
I don't know if I'm over reacting by feeling cross-She is such a sensitive girl I just know
She would have been mortified today!

[HarrietSchulenberg]

If she's worn the shoes before, she'll have been told they're not suitable before. I very much doubt that this is the first time your dd and her teacher have spoken about unsuitable footwear.

[Rainbowlou1]

She has worn plain black pumps since year 7 and has never before been asked to remove them!
I have spoken plenty of times with this teacher over other issues and she hasn't mentioned it to me-I just think a call or note in the planner would have been better than humiliating her on her first day back!
The lady in the office couldn't understand why she had been asked to take them off either and apologised to dd for having to wear the others.

[HarrietSchulenberg]

In that case I'd complain through the school's complaints procedure that your dd was forced to remove her previously acceptable school uniform shoes and put on a pair that have damaged her feet and caused her unnecessary stress and humiliation.
First step is usually a discussion with the teacher, so maybe email or call in to arrange a meeting or phone conversation. Make sure teacher is aware that this is a complaint, not just a cosy chat, and have a look at the school website for more info on the test of the procedure.
Good luck!

[Rainbowlou1]

Thank you!
I will email school today x

[AuntieStella]

IME, schools don't have that much spare uniform and would only use it for repeat offenders.

Ask the school what happened, but be ready for a rather different version of events than you have been given so far.

Have you got shoes sorted for today?

[littledrummergirl]

I would be furious. Using your authority to Force a person into illfitting shoes which damage their feet is bullying and harassment. You wouldn't accept it in a workplace and I would not accept it in what is probably marketed as a "caring and nurturing environment".
At worst it could be assault depending on the damage caused.

Even if the story isn't quite how you have been told, in my opinion the teacher has handled it badly.
Definitely speak to the school.

[noblegiraffe]

Uniform crackdowns at the start of a new year, even on things that might have previously been overlooked, aren't unusual. It may have been that the school have decided that black pumps are now not acceptable, although this should have been clearly communicated at the end of the summer.

But forcing a child to wear someone else's shoes is just weird. The usual thing would be to phone home or send home (see the Daily Mail sadface articles). It's definitely worth emailing the school to find out what on earth has gone on, and if as described, then absolutely complain.

[merlottime]

In my DS's school they have this policy, to incentivise kids to wear the correct uniform. There was a letter home about it -but I only found it when going through his bag at the end of term. It may well be that this consequence has been made clear to her before, even if you were unaware.

[Rainbowlou1]

Her school have a cupboard full of spare uniform as they collect all the unclaimed lost property and keep it!
We have had no letter about it and I totally get they have rules and these change but a phone call to me would have saved her a lot of humiliation!
I got her different ones last night amd I guess as she was allowed to wear them today they are acceptable!
My friend who has a child at the same school had a call to say her ds's trousers weren't acceptable and could she change them? It hard not to take it personally when this particular teacher threatened me with court action because my daughter's attendance dropped due to severe regular migraines and swelling behind the eyes...
Oh well I have emailed, she has new shoes and life goes on!

[AlpacaBackPack]

I'm confused - does the school not have a list of required uniform? If this type of shoe has always been acceptable before then surely you can quote policy at them? Or has she always flouted school policy and got away with it until now? That's the crucial question for me. If the type of shoe that she was wearing isn't allowed by school policy then fair enough for a teacher to implement the rules - kind of irrelevant if previous teachers have let it slide. On the other hand, if the rules aren't clearly stated in the policy documents / uniform list then I'd raise a hell of a stink.

[gandalf456]

Yes, I would be fuming. Any issue over uniform should be taken up with me directly as I am the one paying for it. At our school, pupils are normally sent home to change. I have never heard of anyone being forced to wear a completely inappropriate, ill-fitting pair of shoes before.