challenging ridiculous uniform policy

What do you class as the best school?

DT’s were at an academically high achieving international school (in the uk). Little behaviour issues and no school uniform. Time wasn’t wasted on upholding ridiculous uniform policies.

Most people have little choice over which school to select. Being comfortable during the school day is vital and definitely worth taking up with the school and Governors.
Would you sit in a warm room with 30 other people without taking your jumper and coat off?

No school pupil should ever have to ask to take off their jumper or blazer.

@Fluufer

Michaela achieved a higher proportion of grade 9s at GCSE than many independents, on a much more diverse intake. I believe they expect DC in blazer and jumper all year round and I don’t imagine they allow removal.

By what metric are those the "best schools"?

@LaughingPig yes but different people are affected by how hot it is in different ways.
As I have said I personally can be warm and sweaty even on a "cold day in January" and really would be uncomfortable wearing a jumper.

@JohnofWessex

Have to day in not sure what relevance heatwave guidance has on 99% of days in the U.K. The OP has explained that the headteacher allowed removal of jumpers in exceptionally hot weather.

Heatwave guidance does not give carte blanche for students to not follow uniform rules by removing their blazers/jumpers on a cold day in January, as some seem to be advocating.

The rules where my GD goes are the same. Also, they aren't allowed to wear a winter coat without a blazer as well!

My suggestion might be to start with this

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hot-weather-and-health-supporting-vulnerable-people/looking-after-children-and-those-in-early-years-settings-during-heatwaves-for-teachers-and-professionals#:~:text=Uniform%20rules%20should%20be%20relaxed,shade%20as%20much%20as%20possible.

I would suggest contacting the Health and Safety Executive for advice and support

This is exactly the way to get kids to have no respect for any rules, if some rules are this stupid they’ve already lost any respect for those in authority, it defeats the object.

Ime the best schools are those which have strict and clear discipline, including on uniform.

If parents want to prioritise ensuring their DC are allowed to remove blazers in 5C weather over excellent behaviour and teaching, that is up to them. However, it will be their DC who pay the price.

How on earth did they come to choose 31 degrees as the cut off point? I'm too hot at 25 degrees. If, say, I worked somewhere that insisted I wear a jumper when the temperature is above that, I'd be making a massive fuss about health and safety; if they wouldn't remedy it, I would be instituting a full grievance procedure prior to taking constructive dismissal action.

Have you asked the school what research they did before fixing on 31 degrees? I strongly suspect child health experts would have something to say.

@purpleme12 definitely ask about it.

Should we be asking about this at open evenings?

Why can't schools have some pupils with jumpers off and some on? What harm can it possibly do? What is this obsession with looking smart rather than learning well? I went through education in a good school that allowed us to make our own choices, and guess what, we all did fine in school, in getting qualfications, and in our subsequent careers.

Workspaces manage perfectly successfully with people choosing whether they want a jumper, cardigan or jacket on or not, and indeed whether they wear long or short sleeves, skirts or trousers, shoes or boots, etc. A school won't fall apart if it allows pupils to decide whether they're warm or not.

And this is why people don't send their kids to school and either just have them absent or home school. This is why kids mental health is on the floor.

It is pathetic and all to do with control and to look flashy etc......... it should be banned for schools to dictate like this. My youngest would be sick if she gets too hot (it's happened 3 times before) so they would be clearing up a lot of sick from her as she runs hot anyway and never wears a jumper.

We're talking about children not being able to take blazers and jumpers off on hot days. You can't deny that we have those, given that we have had days that reached record temperatures in recent years. Why should children be hindered in learning when they feel hot?

Why does it matter if children take a blazer off when an adult deems it isn't necessary? It's well known that people have different perceptions of cold; the fact that a teacher doesn't feel too hot doesn't mean that pupils in the class are not uncomfortably hot and prevented from concentrating properly on learning.

Why on earth is the head obsessing about what classes look like rather than what pupils are learning in those classes? Sounds like a total idiot to me.

@Clearinguptheclutter

I think the key point is that a uniform has to be uniform and schools can’t have some DC with jumpers off and some on. I would be surprised if the headteacher backed down but it might be worth asking if the policy could be amended so that jumpers can be removed but not blazers.

I am very surprised that the school have allowed an exemption in the first week of term. I’d have thought they’d want to get the new students used to wearing full uniform at this stage.

That’s insane. I remember hearing about a school down the road like this when I was a child. Having to ask to take a blazer off?! What on earth.

Meanwhile my school didn’t have blazers, we could put our jumpers on and off as we pleased and it got the best results in the county by a mile, on a par with the private schools.

Totally agree.

It really annoys me in primary school to be honest when the adult in the playground tells my child to put her coat on!
She doesn't feel the cold like me and why should someone put a coat on when they're not cold?!?
God it really annoys me that

Sounds like a totally pointless rule to me - surely secondary age kids should be allowed some freedom of decision making. I'd be tempted to challenge but probably only when there's been an issue related to it like a detention. But dont see why parents cant question the rules...

Also don't understand point in blazers (or ties for schools that wear them) either tbh, most people dont wear suit jackets to work these days if its meant to get kids 'work ready'. Useful for carrying pens but thats about it id say...

@LaughingPig surely the priority though is that they are learning and understanding the lesson?
Why does it matter so much to look so formal?
Answer.....it doesn't !

I've just come from my local library.
The type of slightly warm and stuffy place that is similar to how schools feel.
I am wearing a t-shirt.
I was sweltering in there. Luckily being an adult I could drink water which made me feel a bit cooler.
I also felt sleepy. I was reading a book - trying to take in the words and information. I could feel my eyelids going as I was so warm and stuffy.
I am so glad I am not a school student. I would be suffering every day if I had to wear a fricking jumper.

@ClockwiseHoneysuckle I have to say I’m not sure blazers stop DC from learning in the weather we have in the U.K.! I suspect the opposite if anything.

Ime when schools have laxer rules, DC get into the habit of removing blazers in lessons when it’s not necessary due to temperature. The approach at the DC’s school works well as jumpers can be removed if a particular room is exceptionally warm but they all look smart with their blazers on.

I know the head has commented that it looks so much better when he walks around lessons with all DC sitting with their blazers on rather than some being scrawled across chairs or on the floor etc.