DD14 school rules+uniform changes?

@FeatherBoas there is a big difference in a loud clear firm voice and shouting.
Shouting should only be used in an emergency (like "fire - everyone out").

How do you get the attention of a room full of rowdy teenagers without shouting?

I guess you have to wait and see how the children respond, they may be good as gold or they may take advantage of more relaxed rules and be a nightmare..

Its a bit late notice for a major uniform change really. Will they be allowed to wear their old uniforms for a bit?

A school local to me was very like the school your DDs daughter is changing to.
It had a terrible reputation, results were bad, no teacher retention, fights, Police attending regularly etc etc.
A new Head changed it to the type of school your DDs sounds like now and really turned it around
I would not be happy about those changes at all but I suppose time will tell

Sounds amazing!!!! I would be really happy. Much better than the sweat the small stuff approach our local academy is taking.

The school don't want girls wearing skirts because they roll them up so short or the other kids lift them up. Trousers are much better for girls and smart shorts for all in warm weather.

We chose a school like this - when we move with eldest in Y6 - very good pastoral care. They ran like an internal unit for the disruptive kids with aim to get them back to normal lessons- and had a few very notable positive stories and was rewriting it previous poor reputation.

Then they had an inspection while DD1 was there - exam results were massively up students were happy parents were happy - inspectors weren't they wanted more internal monitoring and complained the bottom students while improving were improving fast enough. Year later the same - so that head left - and then they massively struggled to recruit a head.

It did get out of special measures - mainly I think because it was embarrassing how long it had been in - the report was scathing and mainly it got out due to better internal monitoring - the exam results are still shockingly low.

DD2 struggles - toilet don't really exist in school day - at one point they couldn't eat anywhere though that's got better - slightest thing seems to generate a detention or with DD2 very well behaved demerits for class behavior, internal and external communication is dire and class behaviour even in top sets is appalling and DD2 struggles there and now with DD2 last child coming up to Y11 there talk of changing uniform and making them have blazers.

So I'd having experienced the opposite way - I'd keep an open mind but would I think be pleased.

ohhhhhh, this makes so much more sense!! I thought they were getting rid of the locks on the cubicles and was rather alarmed.

Sounds like my DDs school, it's a good school with good exam results. They give the impression of really caring about the students welfare and it shows because they have very low incidence of bullying and bad behaviour and the kids all seem "nice", obviously there are issues like in all schools and they have had to bring in new toilet rules because of skiving/mess but on the whole I'm much happier that she's in an environment like that instead of a school that feels like a prison camp.
Also be pleased with the uniform changes so much cheaper and easier to wash, and trainers are much healthier for growing feet!

Can someone explain the no toilet locking thing to me in idiot terms please?

Sounds great and how schools in the rest of Europe seem to operate rather than the ultra strict nearly military style popular over here.

DS would love more PE!

I think this sounds really positive. Obviously it will need skilful implementation, but definitely a step in the right direction.
I look forward to seeing the updates.

It's so nice to hear that a school is being progressive and actually thinking about the needs of children and yet it's met with criticism?! You can please everyone.
Personally I think your child is fortunate.

Can I ask, why was Ofsted so scathing?

We would have liked DC to go to one like this, if we could have afforded it.
But surely, it says a lot that there are parents happy to pay (rather a lot of money presumably) for precisely this approach.

I do believe most if not all children can raise up to a challenge, and do not share other PPs' view that it will become feral and it depends on the cohort. Children, and especially those from a more challenging background, need someone to have faith in them.

I’m also in Scotland and the school rules in a lot of English schools amaze me. My teen son goes to a mixed intake large state school, rocks up in PE kit more often than not, I suspect is late for registration frequently (I leave for work before he leaves for school), can definitely be a bit of a chatterbox
and would forgot his head if it wasn’t attached to his neck. Despite all this he is doing very well at school, his teachers seem to like him, and has never had a single detention or phone call home. I genuinely have no idea how he would cope let alone flourish in one of these prison camp schools.

In theory sounds great. Previous rules make it sound like a prison! I don't remember any of this crap when I was at school.

The uniform change sounds like they are trying to get rid of those micro mini skirts that look awful on everyone, and make it all very comfy and relaxed.
If it's been successful up north and the teachers and pupils were happy with it, it's worth a try.
I look forward to the update.

Sounds very positive, interested to see how it works out.
Rather similar to schools where I live (not in the UK) except we have no uniforms at all. We do have detentions but they aren't the first resort, and there's use of other consequences like cleaning up your mess or paying for repairs if you vandalise something and homework club if you don't do your homework, plus meetings with parents and in more serious or repeated cases, with other professionals as well (social workers or school psychologist).

I'm in Scotland and the old school rules are baffling me. Locked toilets?! Why would you think shouting is ok at school but not home? Schools need to build trusting relationships not impose authoritarian rules that no-one would be expected to comply with anywhere outwith a school.

Sounds great to me, as though someone is actually up to date with educational best practice and research. The 1950s super strict approach doesn't work long term. Nothing wrong with a troubled school having a reset but it has to be done with humanity and respect not a cosh.

Our secondary school has not long had a new head and this seems to be the path they are going down.
Seems like a great idea not putting kids in detentions because their pen leaked (true story)

I think this all sounds great. My DD was at a super strict school and we had to move her out. She was a well behaved child , never once in trouble before starting at this school.

The school gave very harsh punishments for things like not having a particular piece of equipment , trousers being deemed to be too tight or too short. Random searches , whole class punishments. Behaviour in class was awful and bullying was rife. It was like the teachers were at war with the pupils and the pupils at war with each other.

Toilets were a problem especially for DD who unbeknown to us at the time had IBD and was having to ask more and more to use the loo during lesson time. They wanted to give her a detention for spending too long on the loo and also wanted to put her on report. Even after we got a diagnosis she was continually told off for using the disabled toilet despite having permission.

DD became a nervous wreck , constantly in fear of unwittingly breaking a rule or being called out to have a pinch test done to check her trousers had the required amount of give. Not great for the girls who were changing shape through puberty.

New school was so much more relaxed and she thrived.

I really really hope the new regime in OP'a school is a success. The new head sounds awesome.

Sounds refreshingly sensible. The trend of schools treating kids as if they are all inherently awful and must be crushed from day 1 has to stop. It's like parenting: authoritative is good, authoritarian is bad.

It sounds like a big improvement. My experience is that behaviour and wellbeing seem to decline with the draconian regimes. I’d be more likely to send my dc to this school than one where they’re treated like prisoners.