to think school can't really dictate when students can wear coats to school?

[freddiefrog]

Was out with a friend today. One of her children go to the high school we've applied for our eldest DD to attend last year.

Chatting about the school and she mentioned that school tell parents when the students can wear coats to and from school.

I wasn't sure if I had the right end of the stick or not so questioned what she meant and she showed me a text she received from school stating 'students are permitted to wear coats to and from school from the 10th December'

Now, we've had some very wet and fairly cold weather, so surely it's not on for school to insist students have to attend in just a shirt and thin crappy blazer, especially when it's pissing down

We have to provide a very expensive school uniform coat, so surely it should be up to the students to decide whether they're cold or not

Is this kind of thing usual in high school now?

YANBU - I have never heard anything quite so ridiculous re uniform, and lots of things about uniform can be ridiculous!

Yanbu

Oh, and they get put in isolation for not wearing correct uniform if they're caught with a coat before permission to wear them has been given

It maybe that the school means non uniform coats.

Is this school an academy by any chance?

YANBU
Though I have a teenager and live near the high school and realise that none of them actually wear coats anyway

That's outrageous! What's it got to do with the school when you decide to put a coat on your DC.

The colour etc I can understand, but you're not on school premises so nothing to do with them.

Do they just have to freeze, or is there a jacket alternative or something?

Is this school an academy by any chance?

Fraid it is at dd1 school, they are told they can wear a hoodie under the blazer but no coats unless the coats will fit in their school bags (usually wet so that not an option) as they are "representing the school" even when walking too and from school, I have complained several times.

Run a mile at ridiculous, non sensical rules like that

My DD went to a school like this, she was thoroughly miserable for 5 years, until she (along with the rest of her year) were able to escape to a place where they were treated like human beings for sixth form

How very stupid, beyond stupid, so stupid why would you want the people who thought it up near your children, let alone involved in your child's education.

If basic logic is to difficult to understand don't go into education.

Mandra dd1 school is an academy is that why?

How bizarre.

I have to tell you though that noone wears a coat at our local secondary. If it snows you might get away with a scarf. So I'm told.

Eh? That is madness! We had pouring rain and freezing temperatures before 10th December! A couple of years ago we had snow before the end of November!

What a stupid rule!

'I have to tell you though that noone wears a coat at our local secondary. If it snows you might get away with a scarf. So I'm told.'

Are you meaning it's because they're all far too cool (so to speak) to wear coats to school Dew?

DD hasn't worn a coat to school yet and wouldn't be seen dead wearing one. Major social faux pas to wear a coat to school.

Sorry, I've just realised I put its the school we applied for last year. I mean next year - September 2013

I don't think it's an academy, according to their blurb its a 'state maintained secondary school' but the name was changed from XXX High School to XXX College

I'm having second thoughts about the school to be honest. I think this is just the tip of an iceberg. It's our local secondary and I've always heard good things about it, good Ofsted, excellent results, but a new head was appointed in September, and while he seemed very nice at the open evenings, since the closing date for application passed, I've heard lots of stuff like this.

I'm not sure what our other options are though to be honest, next nearest high school is miles away, is an academy and has similar nonsense rules, also DD is desperate to go there as all her friends are going there and we really liked the school, and it's too late to change our application - we have to wait now until the places are announced in March

It's definately no coats, uniform or otherwise. They have to wear a shirt and blazer. Even thin waterproofs are not allowed when it's wet

(I bet you live oop north where we're reet 'ard Viva )

(either that or the south of France)

Children don't wear coats anymore so if you provide one it will be screwed up in the bag anyway,it seriously lacks street cred! Hence this is a pointless argument .An umbrella is acceptable apparently.

And do the parents actually go along with this madness OP?

I can't imagine any of the parents round here taking any notice, not that they're not supportive of the school rules, but they'd go on and on until the school changed them for being nonsense.

that is insanity!

Never heard of this, in all my years of teaching. I can't believe this sort of thing takes place. Who runs these schools???

If they really do insist on no coats and had ignored my complaints about such a stupid rule, I'd be tempted to go to the local paper. It is bonkers. DD2 has had a cold for weeks that she can't shift and that is with her actually wearing a coat to school (I know that the weather is horrible when even dd2 wants to wear a coat!).

At my dd's school they can wear coats but nobody does. I was off wprk last week when it was icy (-6 where i live) and nobody was wearing a coat when they walked past our house. Madness.

I would query this with the LA if you are worried as it surely must be overstepping the line of authority.

However, as somebody else has said, trying to get a high school student to actually wear a coat, even in storms and blizzards, is like mission impossible. So it's a moot point anyway.