School insists skirt is too short

A pencil skirt isn’t right for primary school, too grown up. Did it have a slit at the back? You say it is baggy - maybe it just doesn’t fit? A 10 yo in a Short, baggy pencil skirt does sound a bit odd.

However I agree with the ordering and returning stuff, costs a fortune in postage costs too. In the end I got some from eBay that thankfully fitted.

‘As a parent if you do not want your child to wear the school's preferred uniform, your child cannot be disciplined for not wearing it.’

Therefore, I understood it to be policy across the whole of Scotland.

I have taught in three different Local Authorities, have nieces and nephews in two others and friends teaching in a further two LAs - the rules have been the same in all schools.

Apologies for upsetting you with my generalisation, but my experiences led me to believe it was the standard rule across the whole country.

I shall keep my sweeping statements to myself in future....

I much prefer dresses & skirts to trousers. And if the choice is there, why are PP questioning it?

Year 6 is still primary school, isn't it? I think that it's pretty outrageous that your DD's school is sexualising and objectifying her like that.

Yes, you're right, it's seism, and you're right to call them out on it.

I went to school in the late 60s & 70s - the age of the mini-skirt.

Some girl's tunics were so short you could see their pants as they walked. And some teachers also wore mini-skirts (although not so short ) It was just fashion.

I don't care for school uniforms at all, or for the policing of what people wear, but I also think the school has made the policy and you need to abide by it and it doesn't sound like a hill worth dying on. Returning a parcel is a faff but a lot of things are a faff these days. I don't understand why tights must be a certain colour or the jumper or PE kit must include the school logo, either, but that's the policy and it's the school's right not to say "Oh you ordered puce instead of black tights by mistake, that's fine."

An A-line or pleated skirt would be more comfortable for running if it's allowed.

I'm not sure that short-skirt rules are unreasonable. Ours says length must match where your fingers end if you put your arm down at your side. They uphold it as a lot of girls are shuffling in in really tiny skirts. Going upstairs it shows underwear so my kids also have to wear tights. I had no problem with it just as if a young person of either sex was flashing lots of flesh or underwear.

I’m not missing the OP’s problem because it isn’t a problem. If you order online you try the skirt on at home and if it doesn’t meet the requirements, you send it back. What’s the issue?

It's an issue because it's a tremendous faff. You order the skirt, it's too short, you order another one and it's the right length but probably too big around the waist. Who can be bothered with all of that? Schools are run by authoritarian busybodies who devise petty rules as a way of making parents' lives difficult.

Give me one good reason for devising a rule that says skirts mustn't be above the knee.

The uniform code is clear and your daughter’s skirt breaks the code. As a HoY7 - do you really want your relationship with a new school to be all about a uniform disagreement?

I think people are missing what the OP's problem is here, which is that you can no longer go into shops and try skirts on, so you have to order them over the internet, which means you can't be guaranteed they'll be absolutely the right size.

I’m not missing the OP’s problem because it isn’t a problem. If you order online you try the skirt on at home and if it doesn’t meet the requirements, you send it back. What’s the issue? Sainsbury’s, M&S, John Lewis all offer this service (and plenty more others I’m sure) Even if you buy the skirt in the shop, you can still return it or exchange it.

I’m really torn with these sort of things.

On the one hand, it looks much smarter if everyone wears uniform of a similar shape and style, so I don’t think it is unreasonable for schools to want those wearing skirts to wear ones of similar lengths.

However, practically this does put girls at a unique disadvantage from boys due to the availability of suitable clothing. Boys’ bodies tend to have just 2 points of variation; height and waist size. This makes it quite easy to find suitable clothing. Girls’ bodies by this age tend to vary in height, waist size AND hip/bum size. This effectively rules out comfortable trousers for many, unless you can afford to have them tailored. Skirts still tend to be sold by age with only 1 or 2 options for waist/hip size. I am resigned to the fact I’ll have to make it tailor 10 yo DD‘s skirts or trousers when she moves to secondary next year as she’s very tall, very high waisted with an unbelievably tiny waist but quite developed hips. She lives in leggings and is lucky that her primary school let her get away with fleece-lined leggings with a very short a-line skirt over the top, because nothing else off-the-shelf fits.

My DD’s school has the same policy. I don’t see an issue with it. Your DD’s skirt is obviously too short. And don’t try to make this about feminism.
And how can you address it?
Buy her a skirt that finishes on or just under the knee. Sorted.

We don’t enforce uniform in Scottish state schools

Don't "we"? I see so many people posting on behalf of the whole of Scotland ie in Scotland we do this and in Scotland we do that. No. In your part of Scotland, your specific school/health board/council etc it's done a certain way. That doesn't mean the whole of Scotland do it that way.

The skirt is too short as it is above the length that they specify in the school policy. Could you perhaps let a hem down? Were you aware of the school policy when you bought these skirts?

My ds’ school does enforce school uniform in Scotland and they must wear a rank polyester blazer (super uncomfortable and sweaty) and a tie. They all wear their tie hanging down though and the girls almost universally wear tiny skirts and sheer black tights.

We don’t enforce uniform in Scottish state schools (We just have a recommended dress code) and we have none of these problems

Goodness, how sensible. The amount of teaching time some English schools waste on enforcing the minutiae of uniform rules is utterly ridiculous. In some schools they seem to use this as a substitute for anything more challenging like good teaching.

Why didn’t you get her an a line skirt or one with kick pleats from a local uniform shop?

How can girls run or walk if their skirt is actually over their knee?

I do actually agree with you that the school is being ridiculous OP, but this comment made me a bit WTF. You do realise that women wore skirts that went over their knees for centuries without being prevented from walking? As for coping with running, have a look at the attached.

I would follow the dress code and buy a skirt that finishes below the knee.

We don’t enforce uniform in Scottish state schools (We just have a recommended dress code) and we have none of these problems.

I teach p7 (yr6) and the majority of the girls choose to wear dark leggings, black trainers and the school hoodie. Comfortable and practical. Some wear school trousers or skirts. Many younger girls wear skirts/pinafores with leggings underneath (looks bizarre to me, but seems warm and practical). The boys usually wear dark joggers or dark jeans, black trainers and the hoodie. Some children are dressed more formally in school colours and that’s fine too.

We collect and resell outgrown school sweatshirts for a ‘donation’ so everyone has access to them.

As a teacher, I give very little headspace to what the kids are wearing so long as they look warm and clean.

Meh, this is just uniform policy, sure if the boys were allowed to wear shorts above the knee on a daily basis Ie as standard uniform, and girls nothing above the knee fair enough, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.

Well the uniform is clear, agree its probably more that its the start of year, there is much more tolerance of shorter skirts later in the year when they've grown.

I would work on getting trousers DD likes, if you had a son would you have genuinely ever offered the skirt option to try? Trousers are a more practical item.

As it is y7, it is unlikely to me that the boys will wear/be allowed to shorts (unless there is a drip feed that the school is in Nigeria.)

Trousers only fit some body types. I have the small waist, muscular thighs, 'powerful' arse shape which makes formal trousers a nightmare to fit, generally involving alterations.

Chunky thighs also shred the inside legs of trousers so they don't last - jeans generally get a year before destruction and being more expensive doesn't actually increase durability.

I can see having real problems with skirt length for my DD in future. She needs 2 sizes below her age for her waist and would need to size up again to get length below her knees!

The policy sounds ridiculous, particularly if boys are allowed to wear shorts that show their knees. However, it IS the policy so annoying though it is, you need to comply. Feel free to start a campaign to have the policy changed, but that is an entirely different matter.

Above the knee pencil skirt for school? That's office wear for adults, not school uniform.

Girls at the local school wear A-line skirts somewhere around knee level, often longer.