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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Another school uniform one.. Blazers

101 replies

MarmiteAndCheeseRolls · 02/07/2018 15:03

So DS at senior sch.. There's a lot round here. Some blazers, no tie. Others logo polo t shirt and trousers
DS school is blazer, tie, trousers. Policy is blazers must be worn door to door.. Even in this heat. Sometimes allowed to take off In class.
He has a 30 min uphill ( mainly) cycle and in 28-30 degree heat I told him to put in bag until got to school. Which he did.
Had a call this morning saying he's been put in internal exclusion for not wearing blazer door to door.
I think this is ridiculous in this heat.
It's not like he left it at home.

OP posts:
BarbarianMum · 02/07/2018 15:54

It is stupid. Ds1 attends a super strict, uniform obsessed school. We had a message home 10 days ago making blazers optional until the end of term.

OiWhoTookTheGoodNames · 02/07/2018 15:58

I love these schools who dictate blazers must be worn door to door. Our local secondary (academy) does that. Same school if you ring them to say you've spotted their kids shoplifting in full uniform from the corner shop around the corner... "not responsible for what happens off-site"

Even our most up their own arses about uniform secondaries around here have relaxed their obsession with hideous polyester blazers as a route to academic excellence in this weather. Either it's a show of sensible thinking - or they just don't fancy having to teach in a classroom full of sweaty year 8s who've not quite nailed down the deodorant thing yet but have been marinading nicely in a full school blazer and jumper since 8.45am that morning.

grasspigeons · 02/07/2018 16:00

I hate this type of thing. As an adult I have never been forced to wear a winter garment in summer. I fainted in class once as I wasn't allowed to take my blazer off.

Some schools hear are in PE kit, others are making their kids dress like bank managers dressed 50 years ago.

kyrenialady · 02/07/2018 16:01

That’s rediculous. The school dd is starting at in Sep in Y7 has on their Facebook that blazers are allowed off which is very sensible. Dd has just left year 11 and they were not allowed to take them off at all, absolutely stupid. Hence the reason why my youngest isn’t going there.

Rufustheyawningreindeer · 02/07/2018 16:02

Another one with children at a school with a strict blazer policy

And theyve been told they dont have to wear their blazer til they go back in September

(Except ds2 wears his because otherwise he has to put his pens and pencils somewhere else Hmm)

Justpick · 02/07/2018 16:05

DD’s school has allowed PE kit instead of uniform. Until the heat cools. It’s a really smart kit though but I think it’s very sensible. Kid’s can’t learn if they feel sick from heat exhaustion.

agedknees · 02/07/2018 16:06

Well I think your school tops the league for stupidity. Requiring a child to cycle with a blazer on in this heat - irresponsible.

Racecardriver · 02/07/2018 16:08

Call up the school. Tell them that if they do not remove the exclusion and make an apology you will be reporting them to ofsted to endangerment and will consider bringing a judicial review on grounds of wendsbury unreasonableness (assuming that it is a state school). What utter morons. Either they are too stupid to realise that this will inevitably lead to heat stroke and dehydration or they don't care. Come down like a ton of bricks.

Soubriquet · 02/07/2018 16:09

Sorry I would telling the the headteacher to lift his exclusion or you're pulling him out of school until the heat wave stops.

Stupid rule. No teacher will be forced to dress "smart" so why should the kids

RiverTam · 02/07/2018 16:11

Why do they need them in their bags?? So they can overheat carting about unnecessarily stuffed backpacks?

British state schools (and it does always seem to be state schools) seems to be absolute morons about blazers. About uniform in general, really, but every year without fail I read several threads about blazers in the heat.

Nousernameforme · 02/07/2018 16:26

P.e kits here too and they are usually so strict on uniform. Don't send him tomorrow op and let them know why

Ninoo25 · 02/07/2018 16:54

I’d be sending him in without his blazer and with a letter from you, explaining that you are unwilling to put your child at risk of heat exhaustion and that he will not be wearing his blazer to school until the heat wave ends. That way it takes the focus off your son being a ‘disobedient’ pupil and makes it clear that they need to raise the issue with you instead. If they still won’t budge I’d continue sending him in without his blazer and start following their complaints procedure (they will have one). At the same time I would contact the LEA. I know they’re an academy, but you never know they might be able to help you out given that it’s a health and safety issue and if not maybe they can point you in the right direction x

Original poster
MarmiteAndCheeseRolls · 02/07/2018 17:08

I have emailed school and said he will not be wearing a blazer door to door and that 99% schools are no blazer in this heat.
So he will leave it at home.
I strutted of they feel the need to put him in internal exclusion then they can send him home.

OP posts:
SunnyShades · 02/07/2018 17:14

I think there's a lot of hyperbole on this thread- it really doesn't get hot enough in the UK for wearing blazers to be an issue.

DS1(14) has to wear his blazer at all times in school(and his jumper from September- May) including in lessons unless the headteacher allows it to be removed, which has only happened on one day. And he gets a bit hot sometimes- but so what?

I think it's good discipline for kids to not always get what they want and even be a bit uncomfortable at times. DS just gets on with it and wears his uniform correctly.

He hasn't even complained about being too hot this week, even though he's had to wear his blazer, tie and trousers all day every day and hasn't been allowed to remove anything. He's used to it, and it's something so minor that I certainly wouldn't expect the histrionics on this thread.

Verbena37 · 02/07/2018 17:16

OP our secondary is exactly the same. If they want to remove them in lessons, they have to ask permission.

How this is teaching kids about being in the workplace/real world is beyond me! Even the military have short sleeve order from May 1st.

What you said in your original post is exactly the reason why schools are failing. Spending far too much time on micro-managing stuff that doesn’t need to be managed.

Yes, some aspects of school ed is about children learning to conform, it’s also about learning to grow as an individual and schools have missed the point there. Staff would be so much less stressed and have much more tmie to actually teach and have a home life, if these pedantic rules weren’t taking over.

Clutterbugsmum · 02/07/2018 17:25

My DD1 high school have said they don't need to wear their blazers in this heat. But they must have them in school so they can "check" they have them.

So they don't have to wear them but they must carry them, I mean make a bloody decision either they need to wear them or they don't it's not hard.

heavenlypink · 02/07/2018 18:10

Sounds like my local senior (academy) Confused

The staff there certainly aren't going to school in jackets/suits/ties

Notthemessiah · 02/07/2018 18:13

It's not hard to believe that the kind of people putting these rules in place actively hate children.

BrazenHusky74 · 02/07/2018 18:26

Mine is at an independent senior school and he hasn't been required to wear a tie or blazer this week or last week.

happymummy12345 · 02/07/2018 18:26

I left school in 2009, but I remember the exact same thing. We were not allowed to enter the school without our blazer on, top button some up, tie corrected tied, tight to the collar with 7 stripes showing, plus the usual shirts tucked in, trousers/ skirts the correct length, jumpers worn correctly if worn.
They preferred blazers to be worn all the time, but most people took them off when it was hot like this.
We had to wear blazers to assembly as well.
(I never wore my uniform right really. I wore my tie tied short- 3 strips max) and worn underneath the v neck jumper, you couldn't even see my tie tbh. Plus diamond patterned tights that all girls wore in those days. Skirt was a few inches shorter than ideal as well. And my blazer was literally only when I had to).

savagebaggagemaster · 02/07/2018 18:29

Hot countries often have the door to door blazer rule. The kids will survive.
*
Ethel* please tell me which hot country where this is actually the case? Hmm

Squidgee · 02/07/2018 18:35

Hot countries tend to have air conditioned classrooms.

Last I checked, most UK schools don't.

lapenguin · 02/07/2018 18:49

I'd be emailing them saying that their staff don't look smart in Strappy tops and short sleeves etc and that I would not be sending him with his blazer until all teachers are going door to door in blazers and trousers. I also would like them to inform me who gave them the authority to tell my children what to wear when not in school (I'm assuming door to door means home to school?).

Gileswithachainsaw · 02/07/2018 18:52

Oh fgs wtf is wrong with people. Fuck off it's hot. Do they want them turning up red sweaty messes in polyester blazers stinking.

Ninoo25 · 02/07/2018 18:53

It’s not only the air conditioned classrooms that make it easier to wear full uniform in countries abroad, but the fact that the population are used to hotter temperatures. If there was a heatwave of say +10C I imagine they’d be having the same conversations as we’ve all been having on this post. Also, apart from catholic or private schools, which hot country are you talking about as most other European countries don’t have school uniforms