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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think these shoes are within uniform regulations?

77 replies

freddiefrog · 09/09/2013 09:53

Eldest daughter started secondary school last Wednesday.

This morning, helpfully Hmm, she informs me that she was spoken to about her shoes on the way out of school on Friday afternoon as they weren't uniform regulation.

These are the shoes www.clarks.co.uk/p/20355020

The shoe guidelines from their uniform regulations:
Black shoes; no trainers, platform shoes, ?Uggs?, open toe, canvas shoes or sling backs. Heels should be no higher than 2"

She was in a bit of a panic going in this morning as they've had dire warnings about being sent home or taught in isolation if they don't have correct uniform, but there wasn't a lot I could do about it at 8:15am. She should have told me Friday, but even then, as far as I can see, there's nothing actually wrong with them.

Black - check
Not trainers, platform, open toe, canvas, Uggs or slingbacks - check
Heel lower than 2" - check

I'm really not prepared to buy more shoes. If school want to be really particular about shoes, they should be clearer when they send out the uniform regulations.

OP posts:
PareyMortas · 09/09/2013 15:00

My dd's are wearing similar to their school. The uniform policy reads exactly the same - could even bethe same school. Dd1 is in year ten and wore the same style all last year.

StanleyLambchop · 09/09/2013 15:02

Assuming you have listed the shoe guidelines exactly as the school have published them, the they have no grounds to ask for 'plain shoes' since the guidelines only require 'black shoes'. If they wanted plain, black shoes with absolutely no stitching or decoration of any sort, then why didn't they bloody well put that in the guidelines?
I may be pedantic but I get fed up of schools publishing uniform guidelines and then making up more as they go along, at the whim of some teacher. Parents are not mind readers! They need to be specific, or STFU (rant over, can you see I am projecting a bit???)

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 09/09/2013 15:02

Since the guidelines do not state 'plain' shoes, I cannot see why the school would object to these shoes. They are sensible and smart, and I hope that the school see sense.

Original poster
freddiefrog · 09/09/2013 15:39

Thanks!

Well, got a reply to my email and DD's Head of Year says that shoes are fine.

Have printed off a copy and given it to DD to keep in her pocket in case she gets challenged again

Stanley, yep, I cut and paste it from their website

OP posts:
valiumredhead · 09/09/2013 15:52

Good! Result.

addictedtofarmville · 09/09/2013 16:20

Stanley, that is exactly what my DD's school does and I'm sick of it. She is in year 10, and this year they've brought in a new uniform policy, but all teachers seem to have different takes on it. On the uniform policy it says that school skirts must be knee length, black and of a traditional style. I got DD a black, knee length traditional (IMO) school skirt, and she was told off for it on Thursday as apparently the fabric wasn't quite right and needed to be 'stiffer'. She was also told to 'go shopping at the weekend'. Yeah, because we've all got unlimited money to buy more school clothes because of a teacher's bad mood/whim haven't we. DD has very blonde hair and she was also accused (by the school secretary, god knows what it is to do with her) of having green streaks in her hair when she's had nothing of the sort done.

OP, it sounds as though it's a very similar scenario at your DD's school. I think some teachers are on a power trip and literally look for things to pick at on a child's appearance. I only wish my DD's school staff spent as much time teaching as they do fussing over appearances; they might well find their GCSE results and OFSTED ratings improve! DD says that at the start of each lesson there is usually 10 - 20 minutes taken up every lesson by teachers checking pupils uniforms and signing 'uniform reports'.

Lancelottie · 09/09/2013 16:27

Addicted, had your daughter just been swimming? If so, and she's very fair, the pool chemical can cause greening (my brother had green toddlers for weeks after their B&B got its pool chemicals a bit wrong)!

RiotsNotDiets · 09/09/2013 16:34

Tomato ketchup gets that chlorine green out of blonde hair......

lisad123everybodydancenow · 09/09/2013 16:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Lancelottie · 09/09/2013 16:37

Ketchup-coated toddlers -- lovely thought!

EthelredOnAGoodDay · 09/09/2013 16:49

Glad you've got it sorted OP. I too was expecting some crazy shoes; can't think how you could possible find school shoes any more suitable than those!!!

DontCallMeBaby · 09/09/2013 16:57

Some teachers/schools like to ban anything a bit fashionable. My secondary school introduced a maximum skirt length to go with the long established minimum length because long skirts were in at the time. No practical reason (they weren't maxis, so were weren't all falling up the stairs) and they didn't look intrinsically scruffy. They'd have been better off banning the wearing of white ankle socks over dark tights on the grounds of looking stupid!

SusanneLinder · 09/09/2013 16:58

My DD has these

www.schuh.co.uk/womens-black-dr-martens-1461-shoe-patent/1349027040/

Even more boring than yours Grin

I have found that as she is dyspraxic, these are the only shoes that last a full school year! Hmm

shockers · 09/09/2013 17:08

DD had those very shoes last term.

coco27 · 09/09/2013 17:09

My DD had the same shoes last year.When she chose them I thought she would be teased for having such boring granny shoes, but half the class had exactly the same ( which solved one problem but created another!) So they are obviously fashionable round here

madhairday · 09/09/2013 17:23

DD has these shoes (Y8). I was amazed when she chose them as I thought they were super sensible, but apparently 'everyone has them.'

Her school is fairly anal about uniform too.. I'm cross at the moment as I struggle getting clothes that fit dd (tall and slim) and had bought her some adult size 6 trousers (had to take them in a bit more) but she got told off that they were 'hipsters' and 'too long' (they were just still a bit loose, I can't find a 4 anywhere and the age 15 ones (only ones long enough) are soooo huge on her. Then she got told her new skirt is too short (longest I could get, can't find adult size bottle green skirts)

So...I feel your pain, and glad it's sorted!!

Original poster
freddiefrog · 10/09/2013 08:35

I think some teachers are on a power trip and literally look for things to pick at on a child's appearance.

I think you might be right.

She came home from school yesterday and said that her games teacher had told her she was wearing the wrong type of blouse.

Considering it was the uniform girls blouse bought from directly from the school uniform shop, they can bugger off.

I've told her that all her uniform is absolutely fine so if it happens again to just smile and reply that she'll tell her Mum. Problem being DD can be a bit of a panicker and a complete stickler for rules so she gets upset as they've all had repeated warnings about being sent home/taught in isolation if they're not in correct uniform.

Not really conducive to the easy transition from primary to secondary I was hoping for Hmm

OP posts:
MiaowTheCat · 10/09/2013 09:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NoComet · 10/09/2013 10:58

Yes, we have one teacher with a power trip on skirt length.

Everyone else, even the SLT accept that the rules are unworkable because (except on pre growth spurt Y7s) the skirts as sold are too short!

Lancelottie · 10/09/2013 10:58

Oh help, Miaow, are velcro shoes out at your school?? Poor old dyspraxic-and-style-free DS...

MrsEricBana · 10/09/2013 11:08

Madness. My dad and nearly all her friends at strict school have these exact shoes (and think they look very cool!)

MrsEricBana · 10/09/2013 11:09

ds not dad!!

MrsEricBana · 10/09/2013 11:10

dd!!!!

DalmationDots · 10/09/2013 11:12

One year my DD's school decided to re-write the uniform policy and send a letter at the end of the summer holidays.

Skirts had to be no less than an inch above the knee - the skirts were made to be about 2-3 inches above the knee so the waist sizes meant we physically couldn't get a skirt long enough!

Shoes could no longer be ballet style (this was the time when ballet style was so 'in' it was practically the only design available for girls in year 11)

Bags could no longer be shoulder bags, they had to be regulation rucksack- I had to try and send my DD, aged 16, into school with a regulation rucksack. The girls put on a protest and used sainsburys carrier bags or those awful drawstring waterproof cheap bags often used for swimming.

You will not imagine the hassle it caused, especially with a fashion conscious DD. Only for them to return to school with lots of new uniform for the rules to not be enforced beyond week 1 and them all to revert back to the previous uniform a week later!! Grrr!

NoComet · 10/09/2013 11:33

Exactly our problem Dalmation. We have two allowed styles of skirt. The waist banded one cannot be got to fit at regulation length on anyone.

Skinny and still shortish DD2 can buy a waistband less one and hang it precariously off her hips.

On taller DD1 it's impossible.

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