Brown haired white kids never in photos

Maybe there's 'fewer' black and Asian kids in the prospectus because there are fewer black and Asian kids at the school? So proportionality wise that's why? Why do people always default to racism . It's weird and condescending.

@Fizzyjuice one of the photographers I work with has a preference for redheads because their bright, lustrous hair contrasts and photographs so damn well. So actually you’ve got me thinking that despite my above post, the op could have a point re hair colour preference.

As a parent of brown haired mixed race kids o can’t say I’ve ever given it a second thought as to whether they are represented in a school prospectus. I would suggest it might be helpful to recognise that you need to get a grip. Enjoy your children and the fact you clearly have very little in life to worry over!

is it a prep school

was a running joke when ds started girls blonde blue eyes boys mixed race and looked like that were in a Boden advert

To be honest they probably pick the ones who are going to behave sensibly for the camera.

I am a graphic designer that has done a lot of school marketing collateral including many a prospectus, and I can categorically say that I have never chosen to nor been directed to use predominantly blond children. Admittedly there has been some direction to use mixed race / black / Asian children to suggest diversity but never ever have blond children been chosen due to their hair colour. I will pick photos based on a number of things: clarity, composition, overall aesthetic (as in background etc), suitability (smart enough etc), facial expression, and yes if the child is photogenic that helps too. But hair colour? Nah.

To be fair, I am blonde and as a child in the 90’s I was always picked for the brochure 😬 I was in it about 5 years in a row! Sorry to brag but it’s one of my greatest achievement's 🤣
I'm sure brown haired children were equally represented though…

This is one of the most bonkers threads I have ever read on MN !

Everyone’s child is beautiful.

Just clicked on second page and a whole range of races and hair colours, some with glasses and a main pic for a sub link of a boy in glasses and braces with a lovely big smile. Either OP is over sensitive or her kids school specifically only likes blonde kids!

@Fizzyjuice i was a ginger and photographed rarely! I think ginger is never much fun at school. And just when you start enjoying your hair it starts going brown. Life is harsh 🙃

I was always the Angel Gabriel in school nativities and never allowed to be Mary because she apparently had brown hair 😂😂😂

I think you have confirmation bias based on a small sample size. Also, often white kids start blonde then get darker hair as they get older. If schools or anyone have to make sure every.single.demographic is included in everything, that's quite tough!

I think they go for what they think ticks the most boxes. White kid? Great, go full blonde, blue eyes, give her a hockey stick. Don't forget the mouthguard. Asian kid? Great, slap some glasses on there and put them in front of a little lectern. Black kid? Give him a Bunsen burner and goggles. Where's the disabled kid? Can we get a red haired one? And we need something for the Chinese market.

Ordinary looking white kid with brown hair isn't a demographic as such.

Just like when I was at school back in the 90s and the photographer from the local paper came into the classroom and picked all the blonde attractive kids for the photo about a new IT suite 🤣

I looked at my nephew's primary school website and the majority on there are asian and black. It just depends on the area/demographic.

Get off mumsnet and go clean your room

actually I only have one child and she is a teenager, so I’m pretty sure you are not my daughter

Just looked at my youngest's school website. No bias at all. Big old mixed bag there - and that includes the kids in the white skin/brown hair category. (which mine is btw. - although technically he's also in the Asian category - you just can't tell by looking at him. )

I've just looked at the prospectuses (prospectii?!) and/or website for 3 localish primaries, 2 comps, 2 grammars and one private. All have a mixture of all (very few redheads though!). I've always been mousy/dark and was definitely in the school brochure for secondary (can't remember primary). I don't really recognise that blonde is more beautiful though, never have, plus was more of a climb trees and play in the mud type than Disney princess. I'm afraid I think this stands out to you in brochures etc due to the chip you mentioned.

Am I correct @StevieChicks in thinking this is a school your dc is already attending? If dc is bothered then I might raise it as something to consider when they produce the next one but I probably wouldn't tbh.

Didn’t you fancy being Snow White?
My family fit what you are describing and I can honestly say I’ve never felt that way in terms of representation.

X-post, are you my Mum

Ah, but on the day one of them was sick. Class got to vote for a replacement and it was I who ended up with the bedsheet and tinsel halo 😇 🤣

Anecdata, but my very pale, dark brown haired dd has ended up prominently featured on the glossy pages of more than one printed school prospectus.

how? They are likely to capture her in stem based activities (look here, a girl with science equipment, isn’t it great) and it doesn’t hurt that she has striking eyes.

what I find hilarious is how the brochure for our nursery did not look anything like the school. It was far more diverse than the actual areas demographics.

My sister is super pale with very dark brown hair and was on the front cover of her school’s prospectus. I think it’s just a case of who your kid’s school happened to photograph on the day.

If we overlook the fact that every parent believes their children to be the most beautiful so your endorsement of your stunning children can't be taken as fact, what on earth is a "nepo baby" in the context of a primary school?! Are you referring to the children of teachers or governors? IF this is in fact the case, it probably has a lot more to do with the fact that a parent is much more likely to be able to get a child to act relaxed and happy in a photo than "just" a teacher or other staff member, but why on earth would this be a problem for you? You do know that your beautiful children wouldn't be adding the pictures taken for a school prospectus to their modelling portfolio or writing on their CV, "Chosen to be photographed for the landing page on my school website, painting a scale model of an Iron Age roundhouse," don't you?