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 ?

Usually no but in a pandemic with an email from a parent it would be fine.

If you changed the laces I think they'd look more shoe like. Our school is quite lax in my opinion on everything. It's a good school, middle class area, but some military families that move often and poorer families, but even pack lunches can have unhealthy stuff.

I have worked in schools where kids didnt even have shoes. It is madness that any school would reject them.

Yes they would be absolutely fine at our primary and all that I have ever worked in.

Following lockdown, our head said if shoes don't fit, trainers will do - normal uniform rules will be enforced from September.

Yes absolutely.

Happy to report they are fine shoes. BUT THEY RUB

Interesting to see how schools differ though.

@MrsBDarcy that's great to hear shoes were ok phew!

Mine have worn these for the past couple of years year 4 and 6 now.

Ours would be fine with them, but actually this year because of Covid they know that things are trickier, and whilst they've said preferably dark shoes or trainers, anything goes (as long as closed toe, sensible etc)

Yes. Ours is fine with any colour trainers at the moment. Covid means they are doing more outdoor learning so any outdoor trainer type shoes are actively encouraged.

Strange how Finland has the best results in Europe where not only do they not wear uniform they also don't do homework, also French German Italian and Dutch young people seem to manage to get educated without wearing black shoes

I was just thinking that actually I didn't wear school uniform at all at primary. Some lovely pcs thanks mum

@SpringTides5 you still haven't confirmed how long you'd keep your kids off if you couldn't source the right emergency shoes in a pandemic. Or does the Head demand you always have two spares of everything to cover all eventualities?

Personally "our primary school runs like an N Korean school" doesn't sell it quite the way you think it does. 4 year olds need to play

Yes totally fine for our school
Our kids are allowed any shoe as long as black including black trainers.
But as others have said it’s even less strict these days and I’ve seen boys and girls in various colours of converse / trainers etc.
( we were sent a memo about it not being a stress or pressure for parents or kids to have correct uniform this year assuming due to financial strains in families with Covid 19)

@SleepingStandingUp

The thing is that the DCs' school and head makes no apologies for having high standards. All parents know the rules and policies in place when they enrol their DC- there are plenty of other schools with low standards to choose from elsewhere.

That is why the head will simply not accept any excuses or low expectations. All parents at the school know that DC need to be in smart black school shoes to attend- they will simply be told to take their DC elsewhere if they are not willing to abide by the rules.

[quote SpringTides5]@SleepingStandingUp

The thing is that the DCs' school and head makes no apologies for having high standards. All parents know the rules and policies in place when they enrol their DC- there are plenty of other schools with low standards to choose from elsewhere.

That is why the head will simply not accept any excuses or low expectations. All parents at the school know that DC need to be in smart black school shoes to attend- they will simply be told to take their DC elsewhere if they are not willing to abide by the rules.[/quote]
Blah blah blah
Still bonkers

Shops being shut due to lock down or kids staying with grandparents at short notice due to illness or death, or being made redundant is hardly low standards or making excuses.

How unbelievably out if touch with real life

I had to have special insoles for my feet as a kid, advised by my physio therapist but school would not allow a pair of ankle boots that would take them. Even shaved down they wouldn't fit in the kind of shoes "allowed". So at secondary school I couldn't wear them. I had to go without a prescribed orthopedic/medical recommendation. Hope its worth it

[quote SpringTides5]@SleepingStandingUp

The thing is that the DCs' school and head makes no apologies for having high standards. All parents know the rules and policies in place when they enrol their DC- there are plenty of other schools with low standards to choose from elsewhere.

That is why the head will simply not accept any excuses or low expectations. All parents at the school know that DC need to be in smart black school shoes to attend- they will simply be told to take their DC elsewhere if they are not willing to abide by the rules.[/quote]
Doesn't answer my qn.
Op had smart black shoes for her child. An accident happened. They broke. She tried to buy new ones. She couldn't cos,Covid. So would you, in that situation, have kept them off, sent them in and had them sent home or withdrawn your child because you aren't good enough for the school?

Absolutely fine at mine. They are so relaxed about uniform and kids sometimes wear trainers, any colour. Today dd7 wore brown boots with pink legwarmers. Generally she wears school shoes but had grown out of the old pair and the new ones are too big.

“The thing is that the DCs' school and head makes no apologies for having high standards. All parents know the rules and policies in place when they enrol their DC- there are plenty of other schools with low standards to choose from elsewhere. “

Translation - we have found a legal way to ensure we can be exclusive and not take our fair share of children with special needs, with difficult backgrounds or from low income or chaotic families. By scaring off/pricing out the parents of those children we can ensure we only take the children of well off, middle class, highly organised parents who value high academic achievement and the correct footwear. We save lots of money we’d have to spend on those “less desirable” children and get good results from our selected-by-stealth cohort, which makes me look like a superb headteacher. We also ensure other schools with a more inclusive ethos take a disproportionate share of those children and are financially shafted, but we don’t care about that. Who cares about inclusivity, fairness, social tolerance, mental health or child development when you can look out on an assembly hall of perfectly behaved robots in blazers and proper footwear all silently smiling back at you.

It’s appalling it’s allowed.

@SleepingStandingUp

The problem is once you start making exceptions to rules, everyone will be trying it on.

So the OP may well have a good reason for her DC to be in trainers, but if it is allowed this once, before long Ben's shoes will be at his dad's and he has to wear trainers for a day and Maisy's jumper will be in the washing and the rules cease to have any meaning at all.

There is also an issue of fairness to the other DC- why should they have to follow rules of others don't?

That's why many schools find it much better and more effective to take a zero tolerance approach to issues like homework and uniform.

More and more schools are moving to a 'no excuses' model and many of these schools are finding their way to the top of league tables because of it.

Those shoes would be fine at my DC’s primary school.

DC1’s been in school in trainers of a non-regulation colour since they went back last term after refusing to wear the new school shoes I’d bought.
The headteacher said that the important thing was that DC1 was there when I spoke to her about DC1 wearing non-uniform shoes on the first day back.

The good non uniform schools are what then @SpringTides5 ?

They are fine and I’m sure the school will be reasonable. All know there are difficulties in getting hold of uniform, shoes, PE kit etc. It is not worth spending extra time and money on finding something else with the way things are. They will see you have tried.