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Most ridiculous, nonsensical rules at your DC’s school

137 replies

Forgottenmyphone · 16/04/2026 15:29

Mine is no baseball caps or sunglasses, despite the fact that the school field and playground have no shade.

Whats yours?

OP posts:
purpleme12 · 16/04/2026 15:31

That you can't bloody run around outside in break and dinner times

OneTimeThingToday · 16/04/2026 15:38

DD had Dance, lunch, PE.

They had to change back into uniform to have lunch. Then back into PE kit.

elliejjtiny · 16/04/2026 15:41

Ridiculously expensive blazers. As a result, unless you have multiple children to make it worth having blazers in different sizes most children have one blazer to wear all through school that only fits them for a short period in year 9.

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MinnieMountain · 16/04/2026 15:44

I overheard some girls from a different secondary school talking about how many stripes of their ties must be showing.

StormySam · 16/04/2026 15:44

Not being allowed to take a blazer off in a heatwave. Having to wear "business dress" in sixth form even if you're studying Art, PE and drama A-Levels

AgnesMcDoo · 16/04/2026 15:45

Honestly our schools both primary and secondary are completely sensible and I don’t disagree with any of their rules.

Pinkgin00 · 16/04/2026 15:46

StormySam · 16/04/2026 15:44

Not being allowed to take a blazer off in a heatwave. Having to wear "business dress" in sixth form even if you're studying Art, PE and drama A-Levels

Agree with this, it's a ridiculous rule to not be allowed to remove a blazer during class during the summer

HaveYouHadYourBreak · 16/04/2026 15:47

No ties on non-uniform days because they might be gang symbols. 🤣

The uniform doesn't include a tie and my area is hardly known for gangs.

troppibambini6 · 16/04/2026 15:48

The girls can’t roll down their socks if it’s hot. They must be pulled up to the knee at all times.
Their skirts must touch the lower part of the knee.

user555999000 · 16/04/2026 15:48

Walk with your hands behind your backs at all time in school.

FrenchandSaunders · 16/04/2026 15:48

Mine are in their 20s now but I remember the joy of them leaving school and leaving all this nonsense behind ....

So many but one that stood out was girls could wear trousers, but would have to wear a collared shirt with a tie. If they wore a skirt, they had to have an open necked shirt, no tie. God forbid you mixed that up, they would lose their shit.

I also remember one of my DDs wearing the tiniest secret socks - they were black and she had black tights on, and black shoes. Her tutor got on her hands knees to check when she noticed the tiniest speck of sock showing ... it was about -5 degrees outside and she had walked to school.

Nomorevape · 16/04/2026 15:48

Can’t wear a coat indoors but can’t take your coat off at the door but get told to wear coats on cold days.
I don’t understand why coats can’t be worn in the corridors and then taken off in classroom?

monicagellerbing · 16/04/2026 15:50

No cartwheels at playtime! I loved doing cartwheels as a kid 🤸

justasoul · 16/04/2026 15:51

DD's school is mostly sensible but I don't understand no unnatural hair colours... they're teenagers, it's the perfect time to have pink/purple/blue hair!

StuntNun · 16/04/2026 15:52

You aren’t allowed to eat your crisps until you’ve finished your sandwich.

paulhollywoodshairgel · 16/04/2026 15:53

You can only wear one ring and have two ear piercings and have to have normal coloured hair. until you get to 6th form then it magically doesn’t matter!

millmoo · 16/04/2026 15:54

purpleme12 · 16/04/2026 15:31

That you can't bloody run around outside in break and dinner times

This is ridiculous !! n

HelenaWilson · 16/04/2026 15:55

Walk with your hands behind your backs at all time in school.

Probably had issues with pushing and shoving as pupils were walking along crowded corridors.

LadyDanburysHat · 16/04/2026 15:56

justasoul · 16/04/2026 15:51

DD's school is mostly sensible but I don't understand no unnatural hair colours... they're teenagers, it's the perfect time to have pink/purple/blue hair!

I never understand this, they often use the excuse that it's distracting, but it's really not.

Our school is pretty chill and doesn't have this rule. The one that annoys my DD, you must change out of PE kit to go home at the end of the day.

doghasnoteeth · 16/04/2026 15:57

troppibambini6 · 16/04/2026 15:48

The girls can’t roll down their socks if it’s hot. They must be pulled up to the knee at all times.
Their skirts must touch the lower part of the knee.

Agree with the skirt rule even though every generation of girls break this rule 😅

Jemminy · 16/04/2026 15:59

Blazers having to stay on and coats having to be dark. Because it's far more important that they look uniform than that they avoid heatstroke or getting knocked down by cars.

Own clothes at sixth form has helped so much. I wonder how many school "refusers" might still be in learning if they could just wear t shirts and trackies like 6th formers can.

MiddleAgedDread · 16/04/2026 16:01

we weren't allowed to wear leggings or trackies or anything other than a PE skirt and aertex t-shirt, no matter how cold it was outside. likewise, dance required a leotard and atheletics in the summer was just a pair of big PE knickers. Perfect for girls just hitting puberty!

user555999000 · 16/04/2026 16:01

HelenaWilson · 16/04/2026 15:55

Walk with your hands behind your backs at all time in school.

Probably had issues with pushing and shoving as pupils were walking along crowded corridors.

Apparently not. It is to look smart. Except I think it just resulted in more face planting as no one has their hands out ready when they trip.

JustAnotherWhinger · 16/04/2026 16:02

Thankfully he’s now gone but for a short time while my eldest 3 we’re at the high school they weren’t allowed to seen wearing an outdoor coat over their blazer and weren’t allowed a bag to put a coat in to go to their locker. Same with winter boots or wellies - shoes only. No shoes higher than the ankle were allowed to be seen at any point. Even in the snow they were meant to come in just their blazer and shoes.

They also briefly had a one way system that had strictly no exceptions so for a time DD had to leave her French class, turn left, go down the stairs, turn left, left and left again to come up the stairs to go into the classroom next door to where she had originally started for her Spanish lesson.

Onefortheroad25 · 16/04/2026 16:02

My dd17’s Secondary school here in Ireland..
Only one pair of stud earrings.
No nail polish. Why not?? What difference can it possibly make to anyone?
No hair colour/hi-lights.
No tan. (Fighting a losing battle with this one!)
Skirt to a certain point of the knee. This is checked daily.
No coffee can be brought in.