What's the worst a school can do if you don't wear official uniform?

[waltzingparrot]

I know uniform is not a legal requirement per se, but how far can a school go?

HT is insisting Y11 wear the newly introduced, all singing & dancing PE kit, which now includes logoed track suits and sweatshirts. (State school, previously allowed to wear plain dark colour). It seems the most unimportant 'priority' in light of what is going on at the moment but they've sent out two emails and a video to remind everyone - no exceptions.

They also want kids to wear pe kits to school and wear all day on their pe days because of Covid (unhelpfully timetabled pe on consecutive days) so official kit has to be washed overnight.

It's just such a waste and annoying to be buying kit at this stage. I emailed HT asking them to reconsider, but no go.

What's the worst the school can do to my shy/nervous rule following DS if I send him in old kit?

I guess they could get sent home, or put in isolation if they have the wrong uniform. I guess they could eventually be suspended and then expelled. I thought it was just primary schools that can’t insist on a school uniform, but secondary’s can?

I’ve just googled it. According to the department of education ‘every school in the U.K. has the power to decide its uniform, and ensure their pupils strictly stick to it. Your child can face suspension or even expulsion if they repeatedly ignore the uniform rules’.

They could send him home. They could give detention. Isolation. Suspension. They could suggest that the school 'isn't for him' and 'perhaps he would be better elsewhere' and encourage you off rolling him.
Or they could see sense and not have an issue with it.
Who knows.
If they start denying an education over a frigging PE kit I would contact your local MP.
Schools need to stop this shit.
Apologies for my swearing.

No idea but feel for you.

I’d have hated to sit around in my PE kit all day - especially of if gotten sweaty. Perhaps after a week of having to sit around with kids in muddy and sweaty kit they’ll rethink!

Thanks all for answering.
I'd obviously never let it go as far as suspension and I don't really want to make life anymore stressful for him than Covid already makes it - it's my principal after all, but sort of feel someone has to challenge it - I think it's unreasonable and unnecessary.

What really irks me is the hypocrisy of shoving 'sustainability' down their throats at every opportunity and here they are making me chuck out perfectly good kit that fits him, just to buy their logoed stuff, which he'll use for 6 months.

Have you approached them about it op?

What would be better is if they just changed the uniform to the tracksuit and trainers. Then you could buy a couple of sets and the kids would be comfortable all day every day.

Official school uniform of dress trousers/button up starchy shirts/blazers etc is just not comfortable.

it's my principal after all.
That's it in a nutshell. Fight for your own principles, don't make your child fight them for you.
Year 11 isn't the time to be fannying round with isolation / suspensions fighting for anyone's "principles", let alone your Mum's.

Is remind head firmly and gently that in the midst of a pandemic it's unreasonable to ask people to fork out for 2 PE kits that'll be worn for max 2 terms - because schools may have blended learning over the winter. Remind him many have had financial hardship and he is risking pupils health and welfare over a logo.

I would point out that it's necessary for 2 kits because they have timetables their PE on consecutive days.

Kindly remind him that ofsted are starting their inspections soon and it not going to look good when they get negative feedback over something that he could simply say is unnecessary for the year 11's and parents who would be better off spending money on revision books with all the missed education than PE kit.

Yes they can punish all they like. But sometimes they really do need it pointing out that somethings just don't matter. And in the midst of a pandemic this is one of them.