To complain to this teacher (and what do I say)?

[MerryMarigold]

Dd (Y2) started a new school on Monday. The school uniform says PE kit should be school T shirt and black shorts. Before she started and I was in school, I saw some of the older girls doing PE in cycling shorts, so I assumed black leggings would be ok and sent her in with these in her PE kit.

Anyway, she had PE on Wednesday and came home saying she is not allowed the leggings and needs black shorts. Fine , I will go to the uniform shop at the weekend, which is probably the only place you can get them at this time of year. Then yesterday she had PE again and had to sit out because she didn't have the shorts. Apparently you can't do gymnastics in leggings. She was sad as they were playing stuck in the mud which she loves. I really don't see why you can't wear leggings to play that!

This is not some posh school, it is a state school in a fairly deprived area. At our last school we didn't even have a pointless PE uniform.

I just feel it was very unkind to make a small girl sit out of PE which she loves, single her out in her first week at a new school and give me one evening's notice to get shorts for her.

So, anyway, do I bring this up with class teacher (who is lovely)? Or PE teacher herself? And what do I say?

I have never seen a child sent into school with leggings for indoor PE You certainly don't live in any of the places I have!

The teacher made it clear that your daughter must have shorts to partake in the PE class. You sent her in again in leggings, and it is now the teacher's fault for embarrassing your daughter and making her sit out?

Really?

Hate stupid petty rules like this, so IMO YANBU.

Takes me back to my own school days when you were required to wear the woollen school jumper at all times, even in 30 degree heat. Sigh.

And in the scheme of things they were playing stick in the mud - hardly gymnastics is it

Imogen

The teacher told my Dd (a 7yo child) she should have shorts. She did not say it was unacceptable to have leggings and would not be able to join in the lesson the nexy day if she did not have shorts.

This thread was supposed to be cathartic, but I'm starting to get irritated by how U SOME people can be!

Oh come on, people - be nice. First week new school, genuine mistake, would have been rectified by week 2 but through no fault of OP's own her DD had PE again THE NEXT DAY. Give a woman a chance!

If it's anything like the schools we've been to, my DD would have left the PE kit (with offensive black leggings) at school anyway, so if the OP only found out on the way home she'd have had no chance to cut the bottoms off to make shorts before the next day.

Usual circumstances = PE teacher not unreasonable, parent at fault.
Week 1 at new school = cut everyone some slack!

Probably - no, definitely - the most sensible, reasonable and balanced post on this thread Squirrels

I think it is petty but wouldn't say anything , just supply shorts and make a mental note that uniform is a big deal at new school. Don't believe all kids are wearing shorts at the new school, bet the older Muslim girls for example wear tracksuit bottoms or leggings.

She was told she was not allowed leggings, and yet you sent her in again in leggings.

You asked if you were being unreasonable and are now basically complaining that we didn't all sympathise with you and call the teacher petty etc.

I am very glad I am not a teacher in your daughter's school if this is a realistic example of your attitude.

Many of us did sympathise though. Wouldn't bother me at all if I were a teacher at the OP's school - it might just be the reality check we needed.

Goodness me, people are so law-abiding. What's wrong with doing PE in leggings made for the purpose? Especially for a new pupil whose mother can get her shorts at the weekend? And cycling shorts are a lot like leggings! I have different lengths of leggings (running tights) for running in. All suitable. Just depends how warm it is. Ok I don't do gym but I would have thought that shorts flapped about and were actually less safe than leggings which don't.

When I was secondary school, the uniform for PE was navy shorts. I already had a pair of navy shorts with white trim. I wore those. The school didn't complain and it would have never occurred to my mother that she should buy a new pair when I already had a suitable pair. Clearly some of the people on this thread would have her hung drawn and quartered for such a thing!

In any event, my understanding was that primary schools cannot enforce uniform (in England). Secondary schools can.

Another,

Schools can enforce uniform, and discipline children for non-compliance, if it is their policy and their discipline policy defines the consequences. It's an common misunderstanding.

Thanks most of you. Thread has been helpful to clarify my thoughts and feelings. I wasn't expecting 100% agreement and fine for people to disagree if they have a valid point eg. teacherto2kids gave an opposing perspective which was interesting. But SOME people can be so U. And in AIBU? Who'd a thought it?

Greengarden I am in Scotland too and uniform is compulsory in my dc's primary and they have been made to sit out when uniform is forgotten / lost / stolen!

imogen You are a sensible breath of fresh air on this forum

YABU. It's the thin end of the wedge. If the teacher makes allowances for once child, then where will it end. I think the teacher was right. And you should have cut the leggings into shorts.

But the second legging-gate lesson was the next day so the teacher was really U for making DD sit out. Especially when she did have appropriate clothing to play stuck in the mud in. One day is not enough notice to source the correct clothing, and you wouldn't make a child sit out a maths lesson because they had forgot a pencil would you?!!

Should have just said DD was Muslim... Bet most of the Muslim girls are wearing leggings.

Imogen really isn't

Thanks goodnight

Agree whois

The polite thing to do would have been to send a note to the PE teacher, or even to the class teacher, explaining that you had not yet had the opportunity to buy the correct shorts but your child would have them the following week and would be able to partake in PE from then.

Not to just send her in with the same item, and say nothing.

I presume the OP didn't send in a note because there had been no indication from the teacher (whom she saw at pick up time) that it was A Big Problem. Furthermore, the OP "did not know she had PE the next day and neither did dd"

She said she'd been given 'one evening's notice' so I presumed she knew the evening before.