To agree with the Headmistress to send home pupils who do not conform to regulation school uniform.

[annemary12]

I am totally fed up with school pupils who look a mess and are not dressed in correct or regulation school uniform. I never understand why many schools allow 6th form pupils free will in their choice of clothes.

I think that if pupils are unable to abide by school uniform regulations what hope of they got when they leave school and are going to interviews.

I believe that all school pupils including 6th form pupils should wear a regulation school blazer and school tie so they can show which school they go to.

Headmistress like Leslie ellis are standing up for standards that have been in decline since the 1970"s and need to be fully supported in their desire to hold standards to at least the very shoddy standards that pupils display today. I for one am delighted that a head was prepared to take ridicule and derision in standing up for standards.

After reading the constant criticism of leslie ellis i thought it was time that someone stood up for a upstanding member of the teaching profession.

Just checked the ofsted report for the school my friend's son attends where they don't wear uniform and call teachers by their first name.
Although there are some concerns over teaching, behaviour and safety of pupils is good and they are praised for pupil morale and parent involvement.
The lack of uniform isn't even mentioned because it's such a non-issue.

YABVU, I completely for the general principal of having a uniform.

However I think punishing a child for the uniform suppliers failure is cruel, idiotic and detrimental to that child's confidence and ultimately their education.

School uniform should not be prohbitively expensive. One of the positives of uniform used to be that it made it harder for the children from poorer homes to be singled out and bullied. I think compulsory logos should be limited to jumpers and ties. The rest should be something like x coloured skirt/trousers y coloured blouse/shirt with perhaps additional rules such as length of skirt, no denim, no open toed shoes etc. Parents should be allowed to shop around for the most economical option for them.

Very expensive uniform only available from one shop is just asking for supply problems, its setting children from poorer households for extra punishment because their parents can't afford it so try and get away with buying eg a plain black skirt. It's setting children up to look scruffy because they could only afford one so they don't have a change to wear while it's washed (only washed once a week at the weekend no matter what), or scruffy because it's bought ridiculously too big to last as long as possible and worn until it falls apart. State education is supposed to be equal access for all and pricing a section of the community out of school flies in the face of this. Before anyone says it their may not be an alternative school to go to.

The OP made a comment about work parallels. I feel it's not the same at all. The majority of uniformed work places I've had contact with supply the uniform for their staff. Therefore cost and supply problems don't punish the staff member. Dress codes elsewhere have been general enough to allow for shopping about for the most affordable way to comply. Any way you're working there and being paid to do so.

Does that school spend the extra money they receive for FSM children to buy their uniform for them? This would make the system a bit fairer.

Or are they too busy creaming off the commission somebody said they got from the uniform suppliers?

I think uniforms are a good idea. I wish that I had a logoed polo shirt and skirt for work as I hate choosing what to wear every day.

My local secondary is our only choice for Dd3, the HT there is bonkers about uniform. Blazer buttons have to be fastened and blazerd are kept on at all times. Clip on ties prevent the children I repeat children from being able to loosen them in hot weather or hot classrooms.

If the uniform code is broken the children are either put into isolation or excluded if they are repeat offenders.

I want my child to go to school to learn in a happy environment where she can be comfortable and relaxed.

My child has autism and sensory issues!! Sending her into this awful dictatorship fills me with dread

She currently wears a uniform of pull on school trousers and an oversized sweatshirt. She looks smart ish and fits in with the other children.

OP yabu!

School uniform seems to be a very Anglophone thing, it's used in a lot of fee-paying schools around the world (many of which are modelled on British Public Schools), but only appears in state schools in the UK and some former British colonies.

When UK uniform-wearing schools have a non-uniform day for charity, as most seem to, the angst about what to wear is dreadful, it's such a one-shot deal. And the outfits can be incredibly inappropriate! But the French children at the Lycee that we exchange with each year don't have any of these problems. They work in jeans and trainers, with longer or shorter sleeves depending on the time of year, and save 'dressing up' for parties.

grumpyoldbat makes a fair point about workplace uniforms. The only places where the staff have to pay for their clothing that I can think of are some clothes shops, where the assistants are expected to wear something from the current range. A discount is normally given though.

Most secondaries I have taught in expect smart formal workwear from sixth form students, some insist on a suit and others expect jacket and tie for boys, tailored skirt/dress/ trousers etc for girls.

I think this is better than uniform because it is preparing them for the world of work.

where is the proof that a school child will get better results if they abide by the school uniform rules than a child who doesn't.

I sat on friday and watched my dds school empty and some of the girls have trousers that are narrow and others have trousers that are straight - how does this impact on their results?

chrome100 [http://www.logoworkwear.co.uk/logoworkwear/index.asp here you go]]

www.logoworkwear.co.uk/logoworkwear/index.asp here you go

The thing is, though (to those who feel that blazers are a foretaste of smart office wear), a lot of school life is very unlike being in an office.

DS's typical day last term would consist of chemistry experiments, art-room chaos involving acrylic paint and hot plastic moulding, a spot of soldering, and maybe a lunchtime spent in the drama studio or digging an eco-pond.

Would you honestly choose to do any of that in a suit under normal circumstances, let alone playing footie at lunchtime?

Not RTFT, but I've got the link for the news story. Having read that I think its ridiculous: sending a year 11 boy who was too tall for the uniform shop home because his smart black trousers weren't logoed, not giving a period of grace on the old uniform etc.

If you must do something, lines at break time but don't exclude children from education because they don't have the correct overpriced smart clothing (when they have come dressed appropriately: smart trousers/shirt).

Its even funnier because of the poloshirt/sweatshirt top. Hardly business dress.

I hate uniforms,theyshould jsut get rid of them,it doesnt matter what people wear or what colour their hair is!let them get on with it and just educate them ffs.the school system in this country is so old fashioned and not in a good way.

I have no idea who Leslie Ellis is and google did not enlighten me.

School uniform for VI form is ridiculous, how much does a blazer to fit a 6ft man cost? And what a waste as it can't be worn for work or uni. In fact I don't think VI forms should have a dress code.

I work in FE so no uniform and I've never seen a pelmet/belt like tight skirt, in fact I rarely see a skirt. Mostly it is jeans or denim shorts with opaque tights underneath.

I've only seen the underwear of one student, and she was a mature student who hadn't realised anything was on show.

but only appears in state schools in the UK and some former British colonies.

Not sure Japan has ever been a colony, or China. Brazil has uniform, but I think it is a top worn with jeans.

Uniforms used to only be worn at fee paying schools. Then grammar schools (many of which used to be independent) it was only when comprehensives came in that school uniforms became universal, and then only for secondary.

Personally I think if the school want strict uniform rules then they should supply the uniform as would be done in industry/the work place.

There would be no problems of people not being able to afford the logo or only being able to afford one shirt for a week. And why has no school made culottes compulsory instead of skirts, there is no way they can have the waistband turned up.

school life is nothing like real life,unless you go on to teach.

Every child who attends school must abide by the rules. It's not a fashion parade nor is it a place to dress like a slob. It's quite simple really.

queenofdrama Uniform is not always within the child's control though, it is the parent who buys it.

Some uniforms are incredibly difficult for children with some SENs, as Ineedmorepatience, mentioned above. An ill thought out uniform policy can single these children out unnecessarily.

I don't think anyone is arguing that they should be allowed to dress like slobs queen, I'm certainly not.

But why punish a student for not having the right uniform at all? My DCs are not responsible for buying their uniform, I am. Punishing a student in place of the parent is cowardly.

Why do students need to labour for years in ill fitting uniform to prepare them for the world of work? They seem to be able to learn far harder things in a far shorter period of time.

School uniform is a sham. Cheap fabric, badly made garments. What does that teach our children except to dress cheaply and badly?

Yabu. If one size fits all then why the hell do people struggle do much to find uniform that fits their child. To only have one choice of trouser with a logo is ridiculous. What hope of half the kids have of fitting it. What in earth is wrong with what most primary schools allow. Logo jumper/cardigan and the rest can be bought from any supermarket or uniform shop or department store. Do those on tight budgets can still get hold of shirts and skirts etc.

And what does sending them home achieve? Aside from disrupting everyone. The uniform wasn't even available ffs.

I don't object to uniform but as other posters have pointed out, it doesn't fit some kids, parents can't afford it, kids can be sensitive to the material. Seriously, if anyone ever tells my dd she can't take her blazer off I will go nuts. Getting to hot causes her eczema to flare up and it's important she can regulate it as best she can by adding or removing jumpers etc.

As long as skirts aren't too short, trousers aren't to tight etc and the kids look smart what difference does the logo make.

Lanceottie, my DS1 came home with white acrylic paint on his £60 blazer once. Frothing does not even begin to describe what I spent the evening doing.

Christ's Hospital dress the kids in all purpose Tudor uniforms given out for free. Now that I approve of.

Every child who attends school must abide by the rules. It's not a fashion parade nor is it a place to dress like a slob. It's quite simple really.

But surely ill fitting badly made uniform just looks scruffy. ?

DS's school did this last year. Took the supply contract away from the local outfitter and insisted on logos on trousers and skirts.

The quality was shit, the trousers fell to bits after 2 weeks. I mended them 5 times in one term. Not only that, you can ONLY buy from the school shop 1pm to 3pm on Tuesday and Thursday.

Kids were sent home repeatedly, there was no phasing in and it created one hell of a lot of bad feeling.

I like uniform because it avoids the reinforcement of rich and poor for the kids, but there is no sense in this logo shite. It's overly controlling ime, which is how OP comes across too.

Oh, and the sizing is weird too. The trousers seem to have been designed for eight foot tall bean canes with no arse.