To not get schools issue with dyed hair?

[fitforflighting]

I suspect I may get flamed for this but I genuinely do not get it.
They have a rule against earrings including sleepers. That I get especially with younger children or in sports were children can end up getting them at worst ripped out.

I can kind of even get extreme haircuts with big shaved stars or strange styles that look unprofessional and might not be allowed by adults in a professional work place.

But this week and last term several of senior age children who had dyed hair brown/red/dark purple etc were sent home from school to re dye or put in isolation by teachers with errr brown/red/purple dyed hair! One of the children's teacher has bright purple hair. It does not make her any less of a English teacher or lesson her professionalism in school I don't reckon so what is the problem for teens?

Agree Atenco

My eldest has been told today to tone down her hair colour tonight or spend tomorrow in isolation. We've spent most of the night dying it back Brown again. To be fair i kind of like the no unnatural colours rule, I did warn her it was too much but teenagers always know best! If hair colour is a school rule then it must be followed regardless if I agree with it or not!

LordBrightside

The least that would happen is that you would be escorted back to reception and then have a talk with SLT/SMT.

The worst

Arrested/removed from the school premises by the police and not allowed back on the premises at all.

Of course then you could then go to the daily mail and have "DM sad face" pictures taken.

"I'd go into the school where my child was being "isolated" for his uniform discrepancy, go to the room, take him to the class and plonk him in his seat. Then I'd ask the teacher to get on with his or her job of teaching."

Yes of course, because you would get beyond the front desk without anyone stopping you, and of course the teacher would follow your instructions, oh mighty parent.

While uniform may be an issue for some, the vast majority of parents WANT a uniform, when I've been involved with the setting up of new schools, the response is overwhelming when you consult parents that they want uniform.

Ok, socks are a bit daft, but I can see outlandish hair dyes and cuts can be distracting, a year 11 girl in my class has dyed her hair a very bright blonde/almost silver colour and it caused a stir in the room this morning.

But if the school has rules, you have to get your kids to follow them, far too many parents ( as is proved contiually on MN) want the rules implemented when its in their favour, or when it involves someone else's child, but want them bent or changed in favour of themselves and their child when it matters to them. It is frustrating.

In my own school we don't bother with hair rules, there are girls with daft colours, boys with tram lines and corn rows etc but we still get told that we're being draconian and unfair by parents for enforcing the uniform rules ( for example that students wear schools shoes, not trainers or converses etc).

I also love the contempt for teachers on here, its no wonder some of your DC have problems at school when the attitude towards the staff from parents are so poor.

Yanbu. It's ridiculous and I've accepted this petty rule with gritted teeth through my dd's education.their hair is not uniform, it is part of their body. Tied back for safety and practicality, fair enough. Dictating whether they can choose to dye their hair, utter bollocks.

"At my school, all unauthorised entry to the school results in the person being taken back to reception. In this case, you, LordBrightside would be unauthorised."

What rubbish. I can have access to my own child whenever I wish. Schools aren't prisons.

No, you can't. Sorry, the protection of all the children and the staff is the aim of the school, in my school you would not be allowed beyond the front desk and if you forced entry the police would be called.

" I also love the contempt for teachers on here, its no wonder some of your DC have problems at school when the attitude towards the staff from parents are so poor."

Of course, teachers are all great and none of them deserve criticism or contempt eh?

"No, you can't. Sorry, the protection of all the children and the staff is the aim of the school, in my school you would not be allowed beyond the front desk and if you forced entry the police would be called."

What rubbish. Who talked about forcing entry. Why would anyone have to force entry to a school they were already in.

No, I didn't say that, but there are many sweeping generalisations and nasty remarks being made on here, and as I said, the chidren often reflect the attitude of the parents.

Gruntled
Pink tips is classed as extreme as is a mohawk. Should 11/12/13 year olds be doing this anyway? Blond/e, brown, black, red, even purple shades are fine - it's a rule. Stick to it.

Yes the children did discuss not having a uniform and they wanted one - deprived area. They see uniform as a good thing. Some of our kids stay off on non uniform days as they don't have the right clothes. School provides them with a uniform.

Of course I realise that some areas get good results without uniform but if you look at the Pisa rankings the top five schools all have uniforms - so it can be argued either way although the Pisa tests are not a true indication at all

Brightside - hilarious . Would like to see you try. You wouldn't get near the classrooms and How ironic that in trying to get you DC educated as they are isolated for breaking the rules - you decide to disrupt the learning of the other 25 kids in the class!

Throughout life there are rules, love them or loathe them there are consequences. College is the time to rebel - from 16. Not when still a child in compulsory education.

What rubbish. Who talked about forcing entry. Why would anyone have to force entry to a school they were already in.

This is forced entry:

"I'd go into the school where my child was being "isolated" for his uniform discrepancy, go to the room, take him to the class and plonk him in his seat. Then I'd ask the teacher to get on with his or her job of teaching."

You have not said you would seek permission to do this, and the tenor of your posts implies you would not. The fact that you'd be shown the door I hope, puts this little projection into la-la land.

And who's attitude does failing teachers reflect?

Because, as a parent, you would not be allowed beyond the reception area, standard practice in schools that you would have to be escorted, especially if you were volatile. So if you insited and entered the area that is occupied by students the receptionist would be asked to call the police.

Lots of newer schools have automatically locking doors even internally to stop students wandering and stop the "marching in" of parents too.

i made no reference to forced a try and you cannot pretend otherwise.

You wouldn't get past reception at my kids high school, to get to that you have to get buzzed in then you sign in and get a lanyard and a member of staff will then escorts you to where you need to be, no wandering around unescorted. That's at the high school.

At the primary it's not quite the same but you still need to get a lanyard and be buzzed in etc.

I do actually respect teachers, but I respect most people and work on the principle of assuming that most are nice, decent human beings until they prove otherwise and yes with five kids I have met lots of teachers and there have been the odd few that lose my respect but on the whole most have been fine, some great and we have been lucky enough to have some teachers who have gone above and beyond to help our children. It's like any profession anywhere you get good and bad but you couldn't pay me to be a teacher given the current system, teachers are damed if they do and damed if they don't and restricted by a system that doesn't put pupils first.

And who's attitude does failing teachers reflect?

It's not clear what you mean by this.

A teacher would have to do something appalling to deserve contempt. Criticism is fine, if it's something the teacher is actually in control of. Uniform policy and the enforcing of it is not down to individual teachers.

And at my last school, you'd be escorted off the premises and probably banned from returning. If you refused the police would be called. You do realise that potentially non of the staff you encounter would know you're a parent? They also don't know whether you're violent/dangerous or whatever. If an unknown person attempts to access classrooms the school has a responsibility to protect the students.

Oh, ok, no problem. I'd ask to be escorted to my "isolated" child then. If they refused, I would call the police.

i made no reference to forced a try and you cannot pretend otherwise. That's why it's called implication.

Echt, you say poorly behaved pupils are felt to of their parents. Who do we blame for the many crap teachers?

Yes and they would come from Lala land.

Oh, ok, no problem. I'd ask to be escorted to my "isolated" child then. If they refused, I would call the police.

Good luck with that.

How fortunate that this is all imagined scenarios swilling round your head.

Oh, please do this. I'd love to know the outcome!

*I am a teacher in a school that is very strict about uniform, has outstanding discipline and excellent results. We are an ordinary comprehensive school with a very mixed intake and constantly achieve over target.
The pupils respect the rules and the staff that teach them.
The only pupils who get put in isolation with extreme hair are those that stretch the rules to beyond ridiculous. Short back and sides - no problem, short back and sides with Mohican is a problem. Blonde hair fine, blonde hair with pink tips - a problem.
Our pupils designed the new uniforms and chose the blazer themselves. They actually like to be smart and have a sense of belonging - even I. Year 12 they are happy to comply.
There are of course those that try to bend the rules - boys in drainpipe trousers for example and girls with lip piercings. These are the kids who usually have parents who come steaming in to school shouting their heads off about the rights of their kids and how teachers should dress the same etc. I once had a parent tell me that I should not wear a scarf in class as her child couldn't. Mine was a silky neck scarf tied in a bow ...

Uniform teaches pupils about belonging and gives them pride. I have 20 years experience in education and have taught in schools with uniform, without uniform and with a basic uniform. The pupils where I teach now are the best as they have that respect for each other. I wish my son's school had the same standards.*

I have a child in a school that has no uniform and where pretty much anything goes (I assume they would have a quiet word if kids were actually turning up in their underwear or with obviously offensive slogans) . Most kids wear jeans, tops and converse. A few branch out into more quirky styles of dress, some even have (gasp) pink hair.

Apart from that, all the other things you say about the school you teach in: "has outstanding discipline and excellent results. We are an ordinary comprehensive school with a very mixed intake and constantly achieve over target.
The pupils respect the rules and the staff that teach them" is also true of my dc's school, which has an Outstanding ofsted and is hugely sought-after. And there are several other schools wiht similar policies in our area, in among all the uniformed ones.

The uniform is really not the cause of the good results and atmosphere. Otherwise how do university students ever manage to produce high-quality academic work, dressed as they are in jeans and Converse?

I really don't understand the obsession with policing teenagers' clothing choices, or the weird fetishisation of black polyester blazers. It baffles me.