Just read the bloody uniform policy!!!

I wear an orthotic in one shoe and I struggle to get shoes that fasten over it.

Whaddayaknow, not everyone with orthotics has the same shaped feet.

People's offspring will learn to cope with authority fine by means of enforcing sensible rules around being in the right lessons at the right time, behaving during lessons, being polite, etc etc. There is no need to force them to keep to pointless rules.

Uniform clearly doesn't correlate with good results. St Paul's Girls' School manages to get absolutely outstanding results despite having no uniform.

@Sueveneers

Thankfully much of civilised society doesn't have the low standards Canada and particularly America has. To me it's just more proof how tacky, trashy and low standards America is. It's nothing to boast about. It's something to be ashamed about.

Let me get this straight - there are no teens in the UK who are currently sporting any piercings, tattoos, or coloured hair?

And no doubt you disapprove of all the members of the royal family who sport tattoos and various piercings?

why though? for whose benefit? not the childrens'

Seriously, solicitor's letter pointing out the appalling sexist double standard there and requesting that the policy be revised by a certain date or you will be taking further legal action. Even though it wasn't your DD sent home, the worry that she might be next causes her stress and distracts her from her learning.

Next year get the Nike courts from Deichmans. Other than the little silver plate they look identical and they’re under half the price.

Half my son’s school seem to have them

The DC’s school has a very strict uniform policy and it is enforced. Smart black school shoes, blazer on at all times unless a classroom is exceptionally warm, top button done up, shirt tucked in.

Because that prepares them for ... what, exactly?

Life in the Navy, circa 1805?

Which IMO, is all ridiculous. Sorry.

The DC’s school has a very strict uniform policy and it is enforced. Smart black school shoes, blazer on at all times unless a classroom is exceptionally warm, top button done up, shirt tucked in.

DC who don’t comply are rightly sent home.

The labelled and designer ' school' shoes , the hybrid trainer shoes, are all chavvy in my honest opinion.

My favourite part of that story was DM saying she wouldn’t buy a new pair of shoes and would be sending her DD to a different school.

Because buying an entire new uniform instead makes economic sense 🤣

I really hope that is a typo for something completely innocuous

There are also countless ones on EBay and Vinted that are gently used that you can get for under £15. I’ve gotten some pairs for my children for £5-£7 pounds and sometimes two pairs for that much.

It's a reliving of their rebellious years that they're craving. Their school days are long gone and this is the parents way of "fighting the man".

I completely agree

@Rosscameasdoody SEND parents aeons most of their tie fighting for their children. My daughter has been unable to attend school for 6 months. The LA have a legal duty to provide alternative education after 15 days. We’ve had nothing. Except a rejection from the medical needs service as “autism” isn’t a reason to miss school. I’ve complained, I’ve spoken to everyone I can in the council it is going to to the ombudsman.

Her EHCP is late, which means she still has no school named. All the local one are full. The longer it is delayed the less likely we are to appeal (the appeal deadline doesn’t change even if the plan is late. Also put in a complaint to the ombudsman.

I spent two hours this morning trying to sort through various of these battles. And I’m trying to work full time and care for another child.

The year she was able to attend 100% and do well? The year the SENco was her class teacher and made the whole class inclusive, rather than lots of individual adjustments. And asks the case with many adjustments, they rarely make life worse for other children, usually they benefit everyone.

so don’t say I should fight it.

Nike trainers are very reasonable. I often get a 25% off code, there are black leather ones that are perfectly acceptable for schools that I know of for 35/40 and they would be a lot more comfortable to wear than something from Asda I would imagine.

Because a lot of ‘school shoes’ are clunky or have edges that scrape the skin off your feet. I had a lot of trouble at school until I started wearing ankle boots, which were far more comfortable. I still have the same issue as an adult. I either wear boots or trainers. Never dress shoes.

Unless you’re wearing sandals, i’m not really sure there’s a huge difference in wearing proper school shoes and ankle boots in this weather really, apart from a few centimetres of ankle.

If rules are reasonable, then fine. If the rules are stupid, then I’ll challenge them if needed.

Plus in general, I think schools have much bigger problems than fussing over whether you can make out a black swish on a black nike shoe.

I think it's a bit OTT to suggest kids dress as for a court appearance, they are smart enough for school and they would learn they would not be suitable for example at a job interview. They are already dressed up in blazers and most of them have a fair walk to school and back, a solicitor would not be doing that in their suit and court shoes

Or, it could instead become about valuing actions and competencies over appearance…

Edited for spelling :-)

Nike air force ones are allowed in loads of schools because they are leather and all black. They are barely more than Clark's and I do keep to the rules but the one thing I do totally agree on with the teacher that posted I can really see why kids prefer to have more of a trainer than a shoe. I barely wear shoes myself.

Surely it’s about the reality that I’m life different clothing is appropriate for different occasions. So many arguing Nike black trainers are smart! Quite simply, you wouldn’t see a solicitor turn up to court in them. In my circles they wouldn’t be worn to a wedding. They are not smart and in the adult world you will be judged by others. It’s about learning those nuances.

The issue of control is systemic, tied in with the government’s (insane) focus on measurable outcomes linked that are in turn linked to pay etc etc. The ‘control’ you talk about is an entirely different and unpoisonous type - education is built around the necessary teacher - child power imbalance that facilitates mass education. But there is no reason at all that the power needs to be twisted for political ends in a way that degrades pupils.

@MariaVT65 I mean, it’s was 28 degrees here today so boots is mad but add in changing fit pe and storage space plus the fact there is a uniform and they want everyone to look the same - just like in many jobs. You don’t have to agree with the rule but why fight it? Only a certain type of parent does this and they tend to have a certain type of dc.

I'm enjoying this thread. I was head of year for 8 years at a large mixed comprehensive in London. I spent endless hours discussing shoes with all comers! Kids, senior staff, teaching staff, admin staff, parents. Probably social workers and youth offending team, Ed pyschs, the police. (Not the band), and visitors from abroad. Its a thing everyone has an opinion one.
I once had a phone call from a parent who cleaned the windows on skyscrapers from a harness thing, he was at work and his son had been sent home for having coloured stitching on his kickers. His dad had a point it wasn't easy for him to just leave work!
I told some of my year group once if I'd known how important footware was going to be in my life I would have studied it at University instead of silly old history.
For what it is worth I didn't really find a pattern nice hardworking kids wanted to wear the wrong shoes as well as the ones who had behaviour issues in other areas.
Really everyone wants to wear comfortable trainers or trainer cross overs. I know I do. Some kids and some parents just focus on it. But mostly in schools we find parents on the whole love school uniform.
And the comments about schools wanting to control children make me laugh. Of course we are controlling them. Do you think they spontaneously put themselves into groups and enter GCSEs for the sheer love of academic achievement.