to ask school how strictly they'll enforce the new uniform policy...

[shesparkles]

DD is 15 and at our local secondary. Predominantly "middle class" area, in what's seen as a "better off" area of town, to give the background.

The uniform is standard black, with school shirt and tie.
DD, like the majority of her friends, and indeed most of the girls at school, wears the obligatory bum skimming black stretchy skirt.
I would FAR rather the skirt was at least 6" longer, however, the context in which it's worn, ie with opaque black tights and flat black lacing shoes, as opposed to sheer seamed stockings and stilettoes, means I put up and shut up!

The most recent newsletter from the new head mentions a new approach to uniform, to promote pride in the school aka "here's the supplier, it's the only place you can buy it" and mentions skirts of "an acceptable length". DD informs me that this is a 20" long pencil skirt.

Now I'm all in favour of uniform, and would back school ALL the way IF I know they're going to back the parents whose girls do comply, in the enforcement of this 20" skirt rule ie sending girls home with the instruction that they wear the 20" skirt, or they wear trousers.

However, if I'm going to be mean mum and make her wear the 20" skirt, whilst very few others do, there are obviously going to be battles ahead.

AIBU to decide that this is one battle I'm not prepared to have with dd if the school don't enforce the 20" skirt rigidly, and allow her to keep wearing her belt current skirt?

It's ok tiggyhat, blue's not her colour

It's refreshing to see that there are schools out there which are strict on enforcing the skirt length (and I think the 2" above/below is far more sensible than stipulating the length of the skirt itself) and it gives me something to work from when I speak to the school.

I'd stress that when I speak to the school, it'll be in a "how can we help each other with this" kind of a way, definitely NOT guns blazing!

How is her general behaviour and school work and that of her peers?

If okay, I'd remind her of the rules and that she might get told disciplined and then pick my battles. A sensible headteacher would do the same.

I'd be more concerned if he or she obsessed about uniform over more important things such as serious disciplinary matters and the optimum academic performance of individual pupils.

My school skirt was so tight I could barely walk. My mum took it in for me because I was lethal with a sewing machine. She must have reasoned that there were worse things I could rebel against.

We weren't allowed trousers but out of school I used to lie on the floor to do up my flies with a coat hanger. I can't be the only one here. Girls roll their skirts up; boys have fat tie knots.

My teachers turned a blind eye. I did more than all right in my A levels.

girls at my kids high school are sent home if not wearing the school skirt or trousers.

I don't have teenagers, but I realise that you have to pick your battles as I do remember being a teenager...

That said, I hate seeing teenage girls going to school in cheap looking micro skirts. Round here I've even seen black hotpants (complete with bobbly reinforced tights where the reinforced bits are longer than the shorts). Oh and whilst I woukdn't want teens to obsess about weight, it does seem locally that the bigger the girl, the skimpier the get-up.

I think it's a shame when schools feel they have to instigate policies like this because I do think relatively short tailored skirts, subtle make-up etc is perfectly appropriate for a teen.

Having said that, I'd be more concerned about the pencil skirt as they're really impractical ( I split one dashing from work a few weeks back and I am in my 30s )

(My rebellion was wearing a trouser suit, which was Not Done at my school in the 90s. Micro-skirts were bizarrely fine, though certain teachers would take the piss out of the worst offenders).

Buy her the skirt, make her wear it. She will only roll it up anyway and it will encourage her creativity in ways to break school uniform rules.