Just read the bloody uniform policy!!!

Really? you can be all cleavage out, belly button on show and a teeny tiny skirt?
Where do you work exactly?
You can't do what you like - it's a place of work, there are rules to follow.
I bet you can't turn your radio on loud in a shared office doing whatever you please, etc - it's about rules and preparing your children for the real world.

It may not be about dress code alone but there will be rules they need to follow in every establishment

But this poster is right. If the school is not taking account of sensory or any other disability issues then they need to be made aware that the Equality Act requires them to make reasonable adjustment. I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect the school to adjust the uniform for all to make it more disability inclusive, because no two disabilities are the same. As a child I had unsightly scars from surgery on both legs and my school accommodated me wearing trousers in the uniform colours instead of skirts. I wouldn’t have expected them to change the rules so everyone wore trousers.

My girls wore uniforms and my son had a dress code (chinos and plain polo shirt). As a parent I loved it because we didn’t have battles over clothes every morning. However, they all wore trainers of choice on their feet. No restrictions. Also, the uniform skirts lasted for years so it wasn’t expensive overall. Any shoe rules were related to safety (no open toes, flip flops etc).

I can definitely see both sides of this. I think requiring special expensive uniforms can provide undue hardship for many families. On the other hand, a simple dress code can be cheap and helpful for parents and kids.

Here in the US, most public schools don’t have uniforms or strict dress codes.

Exactly. Kids need rules and boundaries.

If you want children to get on in life, they need to know when it's important to conform.

There are so many other ways that schools can inspire creativity and independent thinking. People seem to focus on stupid things like the freedom to wear a particular style of trainers, while being completely unbothered by our schools' and universities' unwillingness to nurture freedom of speech and thought.

Approach your school headteacher and ask if there is a hardship fund to help with the cost of decent shoes. My school had such a fund and applicant's identities were kept completely confidential. Your DD only has one pair of feet and children should be in width-fitted supportive shoes that will keep feet warm and dry for school.

what a contemptuous view of children and their parents.

and yes, lets make the parents of the children with additional needs jump through more hoops and do more just to get access to equity. How about making sure these things are inclusive in the first place.

Does it matter? Most secondary schoolgirls have no intention of playing playground games anyway.

Whilst I’m personally in favour of simple uniforms without ties or blazers, part of a sensible policy is no fancy logos or inappropriate styles.

Some schools have gone too far with specifics. One here locally says lace ups but no Velcro. Imagine being that disabled child - you’d either have to ask for help every time they came undone or feel singled out if it was agreed you’d be allowed to wear Velcro.

I’d pair the whole system back to just school colours, not even school logoed items. No logos on shoes or blanked out with marker pen.

It would be nice for schools to have the benefit of the doubt rather than this continual implication that they are all draconian prisons

It would be even nicer if schools stopped aping the prison system as a lazy, cheap alternative to effective practice. It would be downright lovely if schools were part of the solution to the mental health crisis in our young people, rather than piling more intimidation and punishment onto vulnerable kids and blaming them for their own trauma. But we can't have everything.

Meh. I’d scrap school uniform altogether. Or at least make it less formal. The whole wearing a shirt and tie thing day to day is so outdated, most people don’t dress like that anymore unless they’re working in somewhere like the city for example so why are we still making kids dress like that? It should be something comfortable and practical. Some of the high schools around here are allowing kids to wear their PE kits in the day. Still branded with logos etc but far more practical and comfortable.

Also interesting to note that the schools who are really fixated on strict uniform and insist on pleated skirts and (cheap polyester) blazers are also the shittest and usually have bad inspection results. You can’t polish a turd.

I keep reading things about how horrible mufti days are for poorer or less fashionable kids. Sounds like schools shouldn't do them if they believe in the whole 'uniforms are the great equalizer' thing.

Maybe the other children were slimmer, so the trousers were not so tight.

DT’s went to a non uniform school. Non branded jeans, trainers and hoodies were the norm. Practical affordable clothing suitable for travelling to and from school and for being comfortable during the school day.
No time wasted on policing uniform and no bullying.

I admit some uniform policies are excessive but when you send your child to a school, you agree to follow the rules - including what their uniform policy says.

‘But the best sort of adjustments for equality is one that is inclusive’

talk to your school. The world isn’t going to bend around 1 child.

I am familiar with the school, and frankly, not surprised at some of the idiotic comments from the parents whose dc have been sent home.

I bought mine black Nikes because he would have been made fun of in smart shoes. It does look mismatched with what he’s wearing

And where exactly did I say that?

I bet my DH would have been bullied whether his school was uniformed or not, his school was awful.

I did have some incidents at my school (non-uniform related mind) and the head teacher swiftly intervened and it never happened again.

They do if everyone is wearing the same clothes. DC was "told off" about how horrible her home clothes were by another student during mufti - granted it wasn't only directed at her.

We lived in mainland EU before and didn't wear uniform and never had issues. DCs were much younger though.

‘How does wearing Nike boots affect teaching and learning?’

it affects behaviour in school when kids start to need to have THE Nike boots, when kids feel ashamed to not have THE Nike boots, when kids fall out or fight over or nick THE Nike boots etc

plus - poverty policies. I was the poor kid who dreaded non- uniform days because my clothes were old, 2nd hand, not the ‘right’ label etc Wearing a uniform that everyone else wore meant one less thing to worry about

Unsure if this has already been mentioned but it might make more sense for schools to have a dress code rather than uniform.

Although I'm sure even that wouldn't be adhered to.

At our school they sent out a uniform reminder before the start of new term - black formal trousers and plain black shoes must be worn. That same day there were multiple parents on FB discussing where the best place is to buy black jeans and trainers. Schools will never win the war on uniform when the parents aren't on board.

I think the school is absolutely in the right. What about kids who can't afford shoes with designer labels. The whole idea of a uniform is to avoid this type of nonsense

It does happen the other way its just never reported on. My 7 year old has been threatened with missing PE next week if I don't pay £11 for a PE top rather than the plain t-shirt (same colour as PE top) that I sent her in with this week because I'm a bit short this week and the postage and packaging from the online shop would mean I was spending £20 on a top rather than £4. She also loses her uniform constantly so I need spares for those occasions.

I know some parents do take the mick with uniform policies but some really are ridiculous. I thought it was supposed to be affordable now so why are primary (and secondary for that matter) still allowed to insist on logo uniform that's costs 4x as much as the supermarket versions.

Then he should wear more appropriate footwear. Simple.

But the best sort of adjustments for equality is one that is inclusive. My child also doesn’t want to be singled out as different because of her disability. It’s not hard to have a simple uniform that’s affordable and doesn’t have to include a blazer and clip on tie.

Some students may still need adjustments but the more inclusive you make the general uniform the better. But I’m used to this sort of disability exclusion on MN