To be put off a school by it's uniform?

[SnugglyButterflySnuggler]

I know I probably am UR.

DD is 3.4 and we're applying for schools for her. Ready for her to start next September. She has a few SN so even though technically we have a choice (she has an EHCP) we actually don't as there's only 2 primaries schools (out of 6) in our town that are willing to take her with her specific issues.

The closest school to us that would take herI hate the uniform. It's a state school but they insist on blazers from the January of reception year all the way through to year 6. No pinafores or trousers for girls, skirts only. No shorts for boys only trousers. No polo shirts for anything other than PE, full button up shirts and ties. It just seems so formal for such young children. It's an oversubscribed school so it looks like the parents don't agree. I just can't imagine trying to battle DD into a shirt and tie everyday. The website says children are only permitted to remove blazers if a teacher says they can, even the local high school isn't that strict! (HS has blazers but they don't have to be worn at all after Easter and up until then the individual child is allowed to choose when they take it off) This is actually our closest school even if DD didn't have SN, so this is likely were we'll be allocated.

So AIBU to be put off a school by it's uniform, and is there anything I can about it? I am going to put the other school down as first choice, but I don't think we'll get it as we're just outside of it's catchment for the last 3 years and SN in catchment come above SN out of catchment for that school

YANBU

I am disregarding all local schools that make kids wear ties. To me it means that they put appearance over comfort and I don't think that would suit my child at all.

"Seems to be a lot of reverse snobbery on this thread- people trying to look down on school who have smart uniforms."

For me (I didn't wear one, my children don't either) it's that wearing a uniform isn't conducive to running around, climbing, grubbing about in the dirt. It's ok when you're 12, but not at 4.

Yes, I do look down on schools with stupid, old-fashioned, uncomfortable uniforms - and on the sort of parents who think that such uniforms are an indicator of a 'good' school when it's usually the reverse.

I think a blazer is one of the least useful bit if clothing (after a garter!). It doesn't do up properly so can't really keep you really warm like a coat, but it might make you feel very hot in classroom. It's made of stiff, unpleasant fabric. It can't be bundled up in your bag and then washed like a sweatshirt.

Yes I can name a school the EHCP but if the school feel they can't meet her needs they don't have to take her.

Not true. Likewise the issue of oversubscription is totally irrelevant as children with EHCPs come right at the top of the lists.

As you want a mainstream school, then the LA must meet your preference - whichever school it is - unless admitting your child to that school would be incompatible with the efficient education of other children in the school and there are no reasonable steps that can be taken to overcome the incompatibility. Given that two mainstream schools are prepared to take your child, it seems pretty clear that no-one thinks taking her would be incompatible with efficient education of other children, so you effectively have your choice of every local school. The one limitation is that you may not be entitled to free transport if it is not the nearest suitable school.

I would strongly suggest you talk to IPSEA or SOS SEN as the local authority seems to have misled you badly as to your rights.

Criteria for School 2:
1. LAC/Fostered
2. SN in Catchment
3. Siblings in Catchment
4. SN outside of Catchment
5. Anyone else

And those criteria are unlawful. They are not allowed to discriminate between children with EHCPs in or out of catchment, and they certainly are not allowed to take siblings before children with EHCPs.

It's quite frightening how thoroughly they are disregarding the law in your area.

Listen to Ceto.

There is nothing smart about being inappropriately dressed for the weather. Skirts in the winter or blazers in the summer.

Those criteria are not unlawful if SN in/out of catchment refers to children without an ECHP as a medical/social need category.

Children with an ECHP won’t be mentioned on oversubscription criteria since during the normal admissions round, those places will be allocated first and the oversubscriton criteria applied to whatever places are left after those children have been admitted.

IF a school is that fussy about uniform then I don’t believe they would be helpful or supportful over your child’s sn

YANBU. I would avoid too.

It's actually not that hard. You just keep most of the buttons done up and put it over her head before doing the top few so it's no different to a regular polo shirt.

YANBU. This is probably indicative of a bad ethos generally, and quite possibly inflexibility towards children who are different. Check this school out carefully, talking to parents and asking to meet the teacher responsible for SN.

That school's horrible inflexible nature will be hell on earth for your DD. They will try to baulk you at every turn and not give a shiny shit how distressed your child will be.

This!

You're looking for nurturing, flexible, maybe small, for any sign of sensitivity to or success with children outside the norm (so DC with SN, adopted DC, refugee DC). You're probably NOT looking for OFSTED "outstanding".

(And how shitty were the first few replies on this thread? )

"For me (I didn't wear one, my children don't either) it's that wearing a uniform isn't conducive to running around, climbing, grubbing about in the dirt. It's ok when you're 12, but not at 4."

I agree with this. I also think that's particularly true when the smart uniform is a skirt - very hard to run around or play on the climbing frame in a skirt, so it suggests they're not committed to giving girls the same opportunities as boys. That would worry me.

Thank you all for the replies. I could get to School 2 it's just a bit more of a walk, I am learning to drive so it may not be a problem if she's allocated School 2 come September. School 1 said they'd take her so that's what worries me a bit more but I'd overcome it.

I am also looking at two closer schools who said they couldn't meet her needs, one is advertising for a SENCO atm so wondering if that's why they said no.

Ttbb She can't just put the shirt over her head, it's the feel of the material she hates, it has to be cotton or soft material that's why she can't wear normal school trousers either.

She also has a speech and language delay, hearing problems (related to the SLD) and a Global Developmental Delay of around 6 months, which we've still got no known cause for, so I do understand her specific problems are quite complex hence why a school might say no.

My children went to three primary schools.

School 1. Year R-2 polo shirts
Year 3-6 shirts and ties. State school

School 2 - nursery - polo necks
Year R - 6 shirts, ties, blazers, caps/boaters
Year 7-12 as above but no head gear. Private school.

School 3 Year R -6 Swimming days all to come in PE kit
Elasticated already tied ties, blazers, caps/ Norland Nanny type hats. Summer uniform, dresses/shorts. Independent school.

My preference - PE kit for swimming days is inspired. Blazers and ties should only be for older kids. Should be allowed to take off when necessary.

My dd is at a school where the children aren't allowed to wear their coats on school grounds so at break times they aren't out in wet weather without a coat. Staff allowed to wrap up .

I would think a school that has such ridiculously over the top views on uniform are going to have ridiculous over the top attitudes to other things.

As I have a SEN child myself I would suspect this would not be the best environment for your daughter.

We HE our child now and it took a year for him to recover from the trauma of going to his outstanding in all areas school. Uniform was just part of the problem.

BaseCamp I wish I could could HE. Her nursery are fantastic and she loves it, will be sad to see her leave. I work 3 days a week, just wish I could give up work but it's not worth my mental health, even though it'd be easier with all the appointments etc she has.

I haven’t RTFT so I’m sorry if this has been covered already, but M&S have designed a range of uniform with the National Autistic Society designed for kids who have sensory issues around uniform. It’s bloody expensive but if that School is the only option it might make life easier for your DD?

It would put me off, comfort and practicality (and low cost) should be the main considerations when it comes to uniform.

This a thousand %

A stupid uniform is indicative of shit ethos in the school that priorities dressing little children up like dolls over their well being.

Those criteria are not unlawful if SN in/out of catchment refers to children without an ECHP as a medical/social need category.

Incredibly unlikely. Where schools have a medical/social need category, they normally phrase it in those terms, they don't restrict it to SN which is known to have a specific meaning. And why would they give priority to SN on its own anyway? It's difficult to define, reception aged children won't necessarily have been put onto any sort of SN register, and there's no logical reason why, for instance, a child like my child with mild dyslexia should have priority over siblings.

As a parent of children with SEN, I would definitely be put off by that sort of uniform and tbh, It wouldnt surprise me if that indirectly excluding certain children was part of the point.

School 1 may be saying they would take her but not being prepared (at this point) to give an adjustment for the uniform despite your DD's sensory difficulties is pretty nonsensical. They're dressing up a no as a yes IMO.