To complain about what teachers wear?

[Bunchofdaffodils]

More is she being unreasonable? Visiting a friend the other day with a daughter in year 5 I think. Just moved to a new school ( New to area).
My friend suddenly went on a rant about how it wasn’t on what the teachers were wearing and should she say something about it being inappropriate? Apparently it’s things like short skirts(other parents have commented about seeing Miss Xs knickers!), high heels and being over the top, like a fashion show.
She thinks it’s not a good example to set the children? Was she being unreasonable?

I'm a teacher in early years and usually wear a floral/patterned dress with leggings or thick black tights and boots or pumps. I always wear a vest under any v-neck.

Sometimes I wear a long top over black skinny jeans. I once apologised to the head for wearing a t-shirt and trousers during a particularly messy day and she told me I was dressed entirely appropriately for my job!

I did work in a school once where the early years teachers HAD to wear a hidious purple polo t-shirt with the school logo on! No other teachers had to wear them, I found it really unprofessional. I got told off for not wearing mine when I was 7 months pregnant and it no longer fit .

I think most people are quite sensible, however I do have friebds who teach secondary who push the boundaries esp on school trips abroad ie wearing tiny bikinis at the water park or tiny dresses when out for dinner!

MaisiePops The point is that, if there is a good reason for a rule, then teachers and parents should lead by example, wherever possible. If there is no good reason for a rule then it shouldn't be a rule.

I worked in an all boys school but girls were allowed in 6th form.
The female teacher's dress code was mentioned every year at our inset meeting and every year, it was ignored.
There was almost a culture of who could push the decency boundary the furthest. It was usually English
Trying to pull 6th form girls into line when the teachers were on the wrong side of decent was impossible.

Quite a few of my teacher colleagues DO think it's a fashion show...Very high heels, very short skirts and tight tops.
It's a bit much wnen a Year 11 boy gives me the 'WTF look'after watching another teacher totteing past in 4" stilettos. Obviously, I didnt react but his reaction said it all.

I am a LSA and go into different schools. The first time I attend a school I will always dress "business" style until I suss out the dress code. Each education establishment is different: primary schools are generally more relaxed than secondary and in FE colleges there is no code at all. There are some very smartly dressed teachers in poor schools and vice versa - as others have said your friend should consider carefully before complaining.

I think it depends on the school. I've always tended to 'dress up' a little more than many of my colleagues, because of my own personal work history (working in corporate environments). The school I'm in now has a very relaxed dress code (no leggings is the only rule), but I still tend towards a pair of dress pants and a nice shirt as my usual uniform. Next year I'm moving to a school on a small tropical island, and the dress code is extremely casual, partly because of the weather, and partly because of the culture of the island (students and staff can leave school on the lunch break to go to the beach).

Where I work we are allowed no string tops, leggings or jeans. I wear either a tea dress or a polo jumper with a mini skirt and 80 denier tights. Nobody can see my underwear or cleavage and my class make good progress so I don't care what the parents think. If a teacher was not dressed according to the dress code, I'm sure the head teacher would sort it out.

Before I left, the women had taken to wearing bodycon dresses with thick tights and high heels, the men were wearing tight dark jeans and skinny shirts, often with trainer type shoes ... it wouldn't be allowed in a corporate environment

That's nonsense. My entire industry (marketing/advertising) dresses like this as does anyone I know who works in tech.

Firstly there's been widespread casualisation across UK workplaces. Secondly every sector has its own norms. Sounds like teaching has changed - well there isn't any need for them to be super corporate in their dress, so why shouldn't they swing towards style and comfort?

I'm a bit concerned that people actually think we step on children's hands sometimes I wear heels, sometimes I don't. I don't wear shoes to work that I can't run in or stand in all day. Regardless of my footwear, I can guarantee that I've never stood on one of my charges! Do you find you often stand on your children?

it's also weird that people are suggesting that no one wears suits or dresses smartly in offices, considering a couple of weeks ago a whole host of posters were wailing about how an OP couldn't possibly wear flat, brown shoes to an interview in the city

It's all sector specific though.

Banking is still very old school (and lets face it, the brown/black debate is about class markers rather than anything else).

However in a tech or design company, converse/skinny jeans would be entirely appropriate.

I'm more concerned about whether or not my child's teacher is a good teacher than what they are wearing.

When one of mine was in year 5 I did a double take walking past the teacher with PORN STAR emblazoned across the front of his tee shirt.

I did think that was a step too far

Bodycon and anything to mini is similar IMHO (whether it is a mini skirt or a mini top!)

Similar with very young female teachers wearing very little when out and about with some teenage boys

too (sorry)

That's it really, beyond that, teachers should not have to be in uniform because the kids are!!

WTF is the justification for kids having to adhere to a strict uniform code, then, if the teachers don't also have to observe a smart dress policy? What kind of signal does that send out? 'Oh you have to wear expensive, uncomfortable clothing so that you all look the same/display the school 'brand'/prepare yourselves for the workplace/whatever justification, but us teachers actually in the workplace can wear vertiginous heels/low cut tops/visible underwear/skintight shirts & trousers/jeans & converse etc'?

Yeah, that sounds fair.

WTF is the justification for kids having to adhere to a strict uniform code, then, if the teachers don't also have to observe a smart dress policy?

I think that children should learn that there is a difference between being a child and being an adult.

When I was at school it was just the same. School teachers flaunting their décolletage when it got hot.

Year 5/6 teacher in a good faith academy (recently double jumped from special measures). We have a dress code which states that tattoos must be covered, no spaghetti straps or blue denim. Teachers are not expected to wear jeans at all, although support staff can.

I wear anything from Boden dresses, to 7/8 trousers and long shirts, knee boots to heeled Mary-Janes. I also wear sports gear on PE days. None of the parents seem phased by any of my ear piercings and tge children always just want to ask which one hurt most.

Male TA in a primary school here and I wear a pair of smart black, flat and light shoes from Clarks for comfort since I am literally on my feet all day.

These are swapped out for my hiking boots when doing Forest Schools. I also wear a pair of smart business style trousers and either a long sleeve or short sleeve shirt depending on the weather.

Women either wear non revealing long dresses without leggings or short dresses/skirts with leggings as revealing too much skin is not allowed, it's the same for men too as shorts are equally not permitted.

I personally wouldn't mind if the school introduced a branded uniform for staff as it would most likely be much cheaper than the smart business wear we are expected to wear, that and I could claim the tax back on it too whilst not having to worry about what to wear.

The point is that, if there is a good reason for a rule, then teachers and parents should lead by example, wherever possible. If there is no good reason for a rule then it shouldn't be a rule.
Quite simple. Staff are not students.

No jewellery for students - removes people wearing all manner of ridiculous items that aren't ok for school. Takes out status symbols like Charlotte having a tiffany necklace but Louise only has a cheap high street one that's tainted blue a bit. No earrings is no earrings so nice and simple. Allowing earrings and saying small studs only means endless negotiations about what counts as small and whether small stretch holes are allowed etc.

Staff can wear jewellery. We are not students. I don't need to not wear earrings as part of some weird solidarity movement with students.

Uniform for staff?! Ffs. Scratchy nasty sweaty polyester. It’s taken me 6 months to find a pure cotton sweatshirt for my teenage daughter.

It’s bad enough that the kids have to wear shite fibres. Yuk!

As a secondary school teacher I think there definitely needs to be a line but with a good focus now on being comfortable.

I am more aware than most though - when I helped out in my son's RECEPTION class many years ago, I was gobsmacked when two 5 year old boys were giggling that they could see 'TheresAlwaysAn's Mummies Boobies'! I was young and used to wearing low cut tops (just vests etc.) with no experience of working in schools at that point, so children definitely notice these things!

There's a lot of judgement about teachers/women here - "flaunting" themselves? Really? Teetering on stilettos? Most teachers that I have ever come across are far too busy to do anything other than dress practically for a very demanding job. Let's just cut them some slack.

Also, the rules requiring students not to wear jewellery is not only a safety issue (dangly earrings can be grabbed, even unintentionally), plus there is always that parent that will complain loudly that their child has had something 'stolen' and it's your job to find it for them (and you wonder why they sent their child to school with a $600 iPhone watch in the first place). Banning them means less things getting lost/stolen and less whinging parents for teachers to deal with.

Don't mind jeans or trainers or casual clothes. Revealing or supertight clothes are ridiculous in a teaching environment

My DGD's teacher (primary) has pink hair and wears long flowing skirts - she is a brilliant teacher and the children just adore her.

I am against uniform for pupils or teachers. It is just a source of friction.

They all seem to manage fine when they get to FE in spite of the lack uniform for either teachers or students.