Would your school (primary ) accept these shoes?

[MrsBDarcy]

I had to buy these yesterday along with several other parents due to lack of options (3 shops tried) and huge queues at Clarks and unable to get to any other shops. Son's inside insole wore through rendering his current shoes super uncomfortable despite still looking ok. I'm hoping school don't say they're too trainer-ish as I can't afford to buy more and son was asked to make sure he got new shoes at weekend after he wore trainers on Friday. Help me have a polite response ready to say these are what he'll be wearing for a while ?

Those would be considered normal and appropriate school shoes here. Our primary merely requests shoes to be black, although it’s not strictly enforced. In fact they encourage black trainers as practical. The only absolute requirements and the only things I’ve ever known them to pull people up on are that shoes are closed toe, no “heelies” and no high heels. Half the kids at the moment are wearing random coloured trainers, because that’s what parents can get. No one ever says a word about it. But school has always been fairly sensible and pragmatic about uniform, it’s one of the reasons I liked it.

I think it really varies by school, so there’s no point asking about other schools.

What does the uniform list say?

Our primary school is most concerned that shoes are robust and weatherproof. Particularly now they’re doing so much outside learning. Those black shoes would definitely be ok.

Fine at ours. My 11 year old wears similar ones from Schuh. They were in the school shoes section so can’t see an issue at all.

Also worth noting that uniform can’t legally be enforced at primary anyway. They can’t send children home for having the wrong shoes or force you to buy different ones.

Naturally this is so dependent on your school as to what is expected and normally worn by the rest of the class. At my child's school the in person schooling uniform policy relaxation has ended and these black trainers would be fine for PE but not for regular summer nor winter uniform. We are located in central London and there is plentiful supply of all shoe styles and sizes in shops to try and buy. I normally stock up in advance on all uniform items as when we find a particular style that works well, fits nicely and looks smart we just buy the larger sizes too especially it's on reduction! This has worked well with bricks and mortar shops closed and only essential grocers open during recent pandemic lockdowns. Luckily we have colour options for uniform shoes including regular black but we prefer to be a little different to add a finishing touch.

Good luck original poster. Some good tips above posted by thoughtful forum members. I would not be overtly worried as I am positive your school should afford you some flexibility as you have tried to fulfil the uniform requirements subject to your predicament and best efforts in compliance. Looking at the wider landscape we are slowly reopen and out of lockdown but continental Europe and African and Indian Covid variants may be a challenge to our amazing Covid vaccination programme and final containment of less local cases circulating. So who knows if normal in person schooling may mostly close again and any trivial uniform policing.

My dc primary don't make issues about uniform or shoes. I've had dc wear trainers and wear shoes like the ones you've posted and had no comments.

It would be an extremely rigid and uncaring primary school that would complain about the wrong school shoes atm anyway and I personally would be willing to make it the hill I died on if they did!!

So glad I don’t have to worry about this - my boys went off to school today in new Hey Duggee trainers... but uniform is totally optional.

This seems absolutely crazy to me - I don’t understand why black shoes would be a problem even if they do look a bit like trainers.

Definitely not. They are trainers. They would be sent home to change.

Yes, fine. My DS wears very similar. We have also been told that they understand if children come into school in trainers at the moment as many will have outgrown their school shoes over lockdown and people may not have been able to get to the shops lately to replace.

If they send home to change it would be to another trainer or wellies but thanks all. Interesting the difference between schools I will have to look online again but this still means a gap of several days while they arrive. I'm not slapdash but nor can I afford to buy loads of uniform and shoes for them to grow into having already "lost" a load of stuff they didn't wear due to school being closed

Yes
My DC wears black trainers

Wouldn't be acceptable at all at any of the DCs' schools. Quite rightly imo- they are trainers. Trainers are not smart enough for school.

The DC concerned would be sent home to chance and then placed into detention for a few days.

Be fine here but they've quite chilled, they'd rather have kids IN than in specific footwear

I also think it's really sending the wrong message to your DC to send them in trainers like this. The school rules need to be followed- you shouldn't be encouraging your DC to wear them.

Equally, I think sending them in trainers really puts them in the wrong mindset for school. School is a place for working hard and that needs to be separated from play time. Trainers are for playing. School shoes are for working.

They'd be fine.

Surprised by the number of schools where this wouldn't be acceptable. It's so difficult for so many families at the moment, with job losses/ difficult financial circumstances as well as issues with shop closures/ availability etc- you'd hope that schools could be a bit more flexible.

@SpringTides5

I also think it's really sending the wrong message to your DC to send them in trainers like this. The school rules need to be followed- you shouldn't be encouraging your DC to wear them.

Equally, I think sending them in trainers really puts them in the wrong mindset for school. School is a place for working hard and that needs to be separated from play time. Trainers are for playing. School shoes are for working.

So would you prefer op to keep them off school for a few days? What if the issue was pure economics so she had to wait til pay day in two weeks? Permissable to miss school?

@SpringTides5

Wouldn't be acceptable at all at any of the DCs' schools. Quite rightly imo- they are trainers. Trainers are not smart enough for school.

The DC concerned would be sent home to chance and then placed into detention for a few days.

That's just ridiculous! Does the wearing of trainers impair a child's ability to learn? Do they need to dress like office workers at primary school?

Normally. no but mine have been pretty relaxed since covid so would let it go at the moment.

half the boys in my son’s year, him included, wear black air forces ones so these would be perfectly fine at his school.

Ds(14) is away in with shorts, t-shirt and trainers on today as its a PE day. I think it's bonkers that schools are so strict with footwear

@dementedpixie

Yes- it does impair their ability to learn. All the research shows that strict school uniform policies leas to better outcomes in school.

Dressing smartly associates school with work. Certain clothes are appropriate for work and others are not. Trainers would it be acceptable in an office so should not be acceptable in a school.

The DCs' schools all have very strict policies on uniform. Parents and DC know this when they attend the school. Anyone wearing those trainers would be sent straight to the head. They'd be sent home to change and would receive 3 days' of after school detention for a first offence.

@SpringTides5 He'd have worn actual trainers or not gone in. I am not deliberately flouting uniform rules!

@SpringTides5 I'm glad neither of my kids attend your bonkers school then.

A primary school child does not need to dress for work, they should be dressing for play.

Detention for essentially having me running round trying to buy some at short notice rather than him wearing a collapsed shoe??