Ridiculous uniform policy for secondary

I wonder if secondary schools asking children to wear smart casual office wear would be a good middle ground? Obviously with slightly more explicit/ stricter guidelines than an actual office.

It would allow freedom while still keeping kids looking smart and arguably it would prepare them better for adult life ( I know not everyone works in an office but I would say the vast majority of workplaces have either some sort of dress code, a uniform or specific ppe that has to be worn )

Skirts are not better for girls, if they're better for girls then they would be better for boys too because there would be some objective positive factor that makes them better than trousers. If anything, they are worse, because it is harder to play in skirts, they restrict movement more than trousers do and are far worse for climbing in (and primary school children in particular should be climbing a lot! Climbing trees, climbing playground equipment, climbing the walls even - climbing helps them develop their writing skills and other cognitive benefits)

@TizerorFizz lucky you that you never came across many issues. Of course it's only in more recent years that many children (especially girls) have finally got a decent diagnosis of ASD etc and are actually getting the help and support they need. Before they suffered in silence and their education suffered too.
I'm giving up with arguing with you.
You like uniform. I don't. I think it can be a barrier to many children recieving the education they are entitled to.

@Needmorelego To be fair, the vast majority don’t. Uniform is never going to cover all issues these days it appears. Skirts for girls are better in many ways. It seems a lifetime ago now, but honestly I never came across so many issues with uniform when dc were at school and neither was it an issue at any time when I was a school governor. Not one complaint.. It was never discussed by parents - apart from poor quality sweatshirt! No child I ever knew had issues with the uniform. One child I knew had a very very rare skin disorder. Clearly special consideration there. I think the vast majority are ok with uniform and a noisy minority are not. Uniforms should be affordable and reasonably practical. Easy to wash and long lasting. If schools do this, most are ok with it.

@TizerorFizz good for you that your child didn't have any sensory issues or in a wheelchair and trackies is the only trousers they can wear.

We had play areas that were grass but not muddy. My DDs didn’t want mud. Most boys we knew didn’t either. If they did they can find it in the various play areas with mud! Schools don’t want mud in buildings.

I would not have sent them to a school with joggers. Wouldn’t be the ethos I was looking for. However to be truthful, we are in a well off area and most parents just want a sensible uniform. Never heard any grumbles at schools. Mine went to infant and junior with modest uniform requirements. So no one argued!

A colour scheme would be the best solution.
So those that want formal trousers can wear them
Those that want skirts can wear them.
Those that want trackies can wear them.
Shirt, blouse, t-shirt, polo....which ever they prefer.
Hoodie, jumper, cardigan.... whatever !
Getting an education is the important bit. Not what they are wearing.

Don't see skirts at all at the schools in my town, only on special occasions like the last day before independence day when they have dances at school, then the girls might wear skirts or dresses but they aren't mini skirts, more like formal dresses and the boys wear suits, but the rest of the time I only ever see children in trousers or shorts. The shorts can be short though, for a few years it was hard to buy any girls shorts that weren't ridiculously short, but there's no rule against it in the school rules.

They swap and exchange. Parents pass them on, they get offered on the FB page. My DD had some passed on from a friend with a daughter 3 years older and I’ve now passed them on to another friend with a daughter 3 years younger. No doubt they’ll go to someone else after. So 2 skirts at £70 will have down at least 3 girls over nearly 10 years. Not bad

How would you and your girls have felt if their uniform policy was that no skirts were allowed, only joggers? Wouldn't have liked that, I'm sure. Well that's how many children and parents feel about uniform policies in general.

Most children get grubby in primary school, and the more active ones still do in secondary school. I wouldn't like a school where there's no mud available, that means a school without any green spaces and that's not good. My DD's school is next to a forest, they go there often, they have PE orienteering through the forest and naturally get dirty. They are sent outside at every break no matter the weather because fresh air and exercise are vitally important for children, so they will get wet and dirty, as children should, which means they need clean clothes every day.

@Smoothie23 FSM isn’t just for the unemployed. It’s benefits driven. The school gets huge PP funding too as a result of this. A uniform policy should always reflect community.

I don’t think girls are rolling the skirts over at the waist. They are shortening them. Having lived through the original mini skirt era, the skirts now are literally pelmets. Mine was never that short! However I’m assuming non uniform schools see these tiny skirts too or bum showing shorts? What about bra tops? Are they allowed at non uniform schools? I suspect they do have rules too!

I doubt that having one skirt to last five years was the motivation for many. Few girls keep the same waist size between the ages of 11 and 16, and many grow several inches.

It's more an inch below the crease at the top of the thigh these days, not an inch above or below the knee.

The tartan skirts tend to be picked because the girls can't chop the bottom seven inches off and claim that it's just because they're tall/the skirt can't be made longer again. And some parents take the concept of wearing trousers at all as an assault upon their daughters' femininity.

Huge unemployment in the area?

This is not it. Girls are rolling up skirts very high so it hardly covers their bottom. Common practice. Most often it looks inappropriate not to mention that it doesn't strengthen their safety when they walk to and from the school
By defining how long is the skirt they prevent rolłing skirt up.

Every time I read these threads I’m so glad DT’s were at a non uniform school from ages 4-18. Much more practical and so much cheaper as they wore the same things as they would at weekends and holidays. No bullying over clothing as no one paid any attention and no time wasted by the school policing any breach of uniform.

@Danascully2 Some boys seem very messy. My girls didn’t spill food. Nor get muddy. There was no mud available. Didn’t notice this in many schools to be honest. All I’m saying is that loads of uniform isn’t necessary. For most a quick spot wash works.

As for wearing joggers - my DDs would never have wanted this. Neither liked trousers when primary age. We found less arguments over skirts as trousers are difficult for varied shapes. We also found a skirt lasted several years and several shirts doesn’t cost too much. You need a coat anyway so it’s a case of buying wisely.

We live in an area where 50% of kids are on free school meals. This sounds like the uniform of every secondary school in our area.

The skirts don’t tend to be itchy. They’re just a smooth fabric with tartan print

Laughing a lot at the idea of buying one item of uniform for the whole week. My two boys come home every day with mud/food etc on their clothes. One of them was plastered head to toe the other day, including his coat, because he was apparently making an ant home with his friend. Not sure how he even found the mud as they have a tarmac playground!! I would have to wash at least one item of clothes every single day and get it dry for the next morning if they only had one shirt or pair of trousers. They are still at primary but secondary is rapidly approaching for the older one and he's not really any better at keeping his clothes clean...

I seriously think they should just ban school skirts. Trousers or jogging bottoms for everyone. School skirts have unhealthy connotations which is why some schools are so strict on the length.

The skirts are a big initial outlay but they last forever and still look like new. Our school did a survey to see if they should get rid of the kilts for a plain skirt and it was overwhelmingly rejected mainly because one skirt lasts the 5 years just gets shorter and they’re still in perfect condition to hand down or buy secondhand. On the other hand the boys trousers get a couple of terms at most so the overall outlay is higher

I agree. However, I think it is to avoid super short skirts. My DD's skirt is just above the knee now (having grown) and nothing has been said. I note, though the girls at her school do not wear the really short skirts you see at other schools without the skirt on the knee rule.

Different DC have different needs. Mine needs a fresh blouse everyday so I can't get by with just 2. She spills things on her skirt/trousers/jumper sometimes so I can't get by with just 1. She can't wear tights so I need trousers in winter.

My DD is at Secondary so I couldn't do with just 2 blouses. She is autistic and has some motor skills issues so spills things a lot hence needing 2 jumpers!

Yes, they check the skirt length (they're not over the top if it's just above the knee or something) and the girls don't wear super short skirts - I see it at other schools but they don't have the on the knee rule.

My DD can't tolerate tights so likes trousers in the winter.