To be angry my DDs coat has been confiscated at school

[Foxeym]

I don't know if I am? My 2DDs go to a state secondary school but it's an ex grammar school and still run as it was. They have a very strict uniform rule which I have always abided to even though it can only be bought in one specialised shop at extortionate prices. I'm currently on maternity leave and my pay is ridiculous so I haven't been able to afford a new coat for my eldest (15). The school rule is black/ navy blue only, I was thankful that a friend gave me a dark brown, almost black coat for DD to wear (the youngest in now wearing DD1 old blue coat). Today her form tutor has confiscated her coat and told her she is not having it back and given her a detention. While I understand there has to be rules, surely the school can understand that not everybody can just go out and buy a new coat at the drop of a hat, I do intend to buy her one but I have to wait until I get my maternity pay at the end of the month. Aibu to want to go into the school and make a fuss, it's not like I've sent her in a bright green coat, you can hardly see that it's brown and not black??

www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/4108436.Cold_war_over_coat_policy/?ref=rc Well, coats have been confiscated when there was snow on the ground, and we have no idea where the OP is. Could have been cold. Was cold enough that the teenager wore a coat into school!

Sorry yes I met her from school yesterday and she got the coat back. I do appreciate school rules and accept I'm in the wrong for not informing them first but to be honest I don't think it would have made any difference? Like I've said I'm not trying to flout the rules, it's just my circumstances at the moment unfortunately

Dye it?

Yep it is hovering somewhere between 4 -5 0c here today. I had no idea it was so warm in the soft south.

Not the sort of weather I'd like to be walking home without a coat on.

I disagree with the idea that parents should just put up with it and if they dont like it then they should move their children to another school. In many areas there is no choice about schools. You go where you are put. Like it or lump it.

DCs converter Academy comp uniform covers not only coats but bags.

Plain dark navy or black, no logos, for both.

I agree about the safety of dark coloured coats but in reality how many boys would be wearing a light coloured winter coat? Some in our area might - big cream puffa coats with fur hoods or something.

I would happily abandon uniforms for all, but soince the school has one, I am not prepared to undermine them or defy them over it. I could write to the Governors etc, but it would be a waste of time because about 2 other parents would agree with me, if that! And DC aren't bovvered.

Dylon - £3.10 in Tesco.
End of problem.

OP, please read this taken from the DofE's website - Guidance for schools on uniform:

"When considering how the school uniform should be sourced, governing bodies should
give highest priority to the consideration of cost and value for money for parents. The
school uniform should be easily available for parents to purchase and schools should
seek to select items that can be purchased cheaply, for example in a supermarket or
other good value shop. Schools should keep compulsory branded items to a minimum
and avoid specifying expensive items of uniform eg expensive outdoor coats.

Governing bodies should be able to demonstrate that they have obtained the best value
for money from suppliers. Any savings negotiated with suppliers should be passed on to
parents wherever possible. Schools should not enter into cash back arrangements.
Exclusive single supplier contracts should be avoided unless regular tendering
competitions are run where more than one supplier can compete for the contract and
where best value for parents is secured."

It sounds as though the school has not followed the guidelines...

Even though a generic black coat for this school can be bought in Asda, I do think you should point out that they are not obvserving guidelines for the rest of the uniform.

Before buying dye check the fabric because most coats are nylon or polyester and it cant be dyed easily. (Unless it is a bra, in which case every scrap of loose dye sticks to it for ever, I dont know why)

Some posters here do spout a load of rubbish. Over here (The Netherlands) only very expensive private schools or international schools have uniforms. And there are no more rebellious children terrorising the population than in the UK nor are Dutch people scruffier on average than people in the UK.And in the latest PISA study, looking at the average level of educational achievement of 15 year olds in a large number of countries, The Netherlands came no. 10 and the UK did not even make the top 20.I am glad DS will go to a Dutch and not an UK school.

It's outrageous that they didn't give the coat back at the end of the school day. I think that if you can't afford the uniform though, you need to speak to the school about it and come up with an arrangement.

I get really annoyed at the cost of dd's uniform (she's at a grammar) and the fact that we have to get it from a specific shop that is miles away.

paulinholland exactly well said. as also the teacher who left secondary teaching as she was fed up if crap like this.

school uniform does nothing for discipline, morale, standards and more importantly results.

completely outdated, ridiculous waste of money, effort and time.

thankfully all of my kids went/go to an outstanding high school with a very loose and sensible policy.

it's a fucking ridiculous waste of money and bloody disgraceful in these economic times.

personally op I would have asked the police to investigate the theft of your dds coat.

what makes adults act in this ridiculous way? how bloody childish and what a dreadful example.

I don't really understand the fuss about uniform. DD's was about £500.00 (indy - apologies). Fortunately she hasn't grown much and I haven't had to buy new except for the odd bit she has lost. I'm pretty sure that if she hadn't had a school uniform I would have spent far more that £100 per year on her clothes for school and she would have been far more anxious about fitting in; being cool, etc.

I've put my kids in schools with uniforms and schools without.

We're so much happier in a non-uniform school. More convenient, comforable for them, cheaper for me, and far fewer lost items (and easier to find them in lost and found).

And the teachers get to actually teach instead of wasting their time enforcing stupid pointless rules.

totally pointless waste of parents money and teachers time.

PaulInHolland

PISA tests critical thinking skills not academic achievement.

what constitutes an outstanding successful school?

a brilliant senior management team, good enthusiastic teachers, good facilities, outstanding support and exciting innovative techniques?

or all the kids dressed the same?

mmmmmm

A girl at my school was told to leave as her coat was the wrong colour. It was dark bottle green instead of navy, the colour from her previous school.

She didn't even wear it inside the grounds, she rolled it up at the gates to hide it. She still had to leave:(

I really didn't think these ancient malicious types were still teaching.