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AIBU?

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To tell the school my child will NOT go to detention..

629 replies

Nataliaa · 30/06/2025 17:22

DD year 7 has been given a 30 minute detention tomorrow afternoon, after school. Since starting secondary, she has received 2 detentions- 1 for forgetting her PE shorts and 1 for not completing homework.
I fully supported the school and the consequences DD had to face on these 2 occasions. She did learn from each time and since then, she has always been organised with PE kit and completing homework.
DD is well behaved, works hard and all school reports have been brilliant so we have no concerns.

Back to today… it is 31 degrees and the school allowed blazers to be left at home, but still expected the children to be in their shirt, ties and trousers (the school recently banned skirts, and does not allow shorts so all children are in trousers. All year round)

During lunch break, DD loosened her tie and untucked her shirt as she was so hot and sweaty… and then forgot to tuck in her shirt and redo tie before going back in.
She walked into English and straight away the teacher told her to tuck the shirt in and do tie, which she did.
Then whilst sat down she untucked the shirt again… she then got up for something and the teacher noticed the shirt untucked and as she had already been told once, she was given the detention.
DD tried to explain she was just so hot and sweaty, she felt she couldn’t concentrate and loosening the shirt helped.. she was then told off for answering back.

I do not agree with this detention at all. Other local schools have let kids go in wearing PE kits in this heat. The teacher was not wearing shirt and tie- she was wearing a floaty and cool summer dress.
I can’t think for the life of me how an untucked shirt would affect DD’s education, and why it’s more important to stick to a strict dress code rather than doing whatever is comfortable in this heat!!

I have never been in the position to disagree with the school, and not sure what would happen if I refuse to let DD go to this detention… also not sure if that’s setting the wrong message to DD, as I always encourage following school rules!!

Any advice? Is this a hill worth dying on? What would you do?

OP posts:
Dominoeffecter · 30/06/2025 17:29

Ours are allowed to wear their pe kits today and tomorrow, YANBU.

waitingforthehallmarkedman · 30/06/2025 17:27

Sounds ridiculous, I'd be phoning the school about that. What a waste of time.

Seriouslywhatnow · 30/06/2025 17:27

I would absolutely not send her to a detention for this. It's insane. In fact I think I'd be complaining that their uniform policy is potentially dangerous to health in this heat

GonnaeNoDaeThatJustGonnaeNo · 30/06/2025 17:24

The way English schools behave over uniform is nuts.

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