Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

First and surnames on leavers hoodies is a safeguarding issue

362 replies

SavonDeMarseille · 01/02/2019 09:08

Just found out the Y6 leavers hoodies (FFS since when was this a thing for Yr6!) will have the full names on their hoodies in the year number with their own name above the number and the school emblem and name on the front. AIBU to think this is a big safeguarding issue and should not be permitted. AI also BU or to want to take this up with the PTA who are organising this. Hoodies are worn all week on Yr 6 school trip.

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 01/02/2019 09:46

Well said Schmoobarb

Honestly, the overreaction on MN sometimes to these things. Not to mention the overuse of the word 'Safeguarding'.

Some people never get tired of typing it, like it's their favourite word.

Meanwhile in real life....

SoupDragon · 01/02/2019 09:46

There were a couple of children in DD's year who only had a first name in the number. I have no idea if this was because they were actually at risk or just parental preference.

WhentheRabbitsWentWild · 01/02/2019 09:47

Mine have left school, bar one but he is not in mainstream .

I have seen one of these though, belonging to a Facebook (and rl) friends son . It had his first name on the back of it and then around it were the first names of fellow class and year mates

Yabbers · 01/02/2019 09:47

Yes this is a safeguarding issue. A child who has an abusive parent or has been adopted could be traced to a school by the jumper.

So that child doesn’t have one.

Why are people so precious about a child’s name? Sure we have to protect the small number of children who are at risk, but for the vast majority this isn’t a problem. When children win competitions, the local paper prints their photo and their name. I’m amazed how many adults know who my DD is for various reasons.

It’s not a safeguarding issue, it’s not even a risk for most kids. But if you don’t want one, don’t buy one. Don’t be bothering the PTA with it.

JacquesHammer · 01/02/2019 09:48

I never get why PTAs makesuch a simple job so bloody difficult.

I arranged our leavers hoodies. I gave each child a form for the parent to fill in. It gave them the option to choose whatever name they wanted to go on the hoody and a size (I sent measurements). They then signed it, and returned with the payment. I put on the caveat that it was their responsibility to ensure the name was easy to read and had the correct spelling and that sizes couldn't be changed to be sure.

Et voila. Every child has a hoody, no parent can complain.

MrsJayy · 01/02/2019 09:48

Ack worra beat me to it I was going to say Safegaurding is thrown about lke confetti on here

JacquesHammer · 01/02/2019 09:49

So that child doesn’t have one

That's really shit though - child already has to deal with extra and now gets left out of having a moment of enjoyment with their peers.

OR

You can just put first names on for everybody. I mean surely Johnny Brown is going to enjoy his hoody just as much if it reads "Johnny"

Hundredacrewoods · 01/02/2019 09:50

Of course it's a safeguarding issue, even if the child isn't at risk from abusive relatives or other people known to them. Some children, if approached by a stranger who "knows" their name, might assume the person knows their family and trust them / go with them. Year 6 is still quite young; maturity and street smarts vary hugely and that's not even considering SEN.

treaclesoda · 01/02/2019 09:50

If you can opt out then it can't possibly be a safeguarding issue. I've seen kids all round the place wearing these hoodies (my kids school don't do them) and I can't once remember being close enough to someone to read the names on them.

Jeanclaudejackety · 01/02/2019 09:51

Just be the miserable bugger who won't let their kids have one then, your kids will miss out but don't make everyone elses

brizzledrizzle · 01/02/2019 09:53

For someone to get so close as to read the names that would be the smallest problem going on, you'd have to be very close indeed.
Leaver's hoodies have been round for years.

JacquesHammer · 01/02/2019 09:53

Just be the miserable bugger who won't let their kids have one then, your kids will miss out but don't make everyone elses

Because by not having a surname on your hoody you're missing out?

Wouldn't it just be simpler for everyone's first name to go on. I mean it isn't rocket science is it.

Jeanclaudejackety · 01/02/2019 09:54

I mean the Hoodie in general not the name. Seeing as op thinks it's a daft idea altogether

LagunaBubbles · 01/02/2019 09:55

Safeguarding? If there was a real issue then that child wouldn't have one. This is OTT and making a bigger problem when there is no problem.

Jeanclaudejackety · 01/02/2019 09:55

If anyone can read the actual names on this then kudos to your eyeballs

First and surnames on leavers hoodies is a safeguarding issue
JacquesHammer · 01/02/2019 09:57

If anyone can read the actual names on this then kudos to your eyeballs

There were 18 in our school year, font was definitely big enough to read Grin

I agree to stop hoodies altogether is unfair, but a slight change would mean everyone could have one.

marymarkle · 01/02/2019 10:00

hundredacrewoods If a year 6 would go with a stranger who knows their name, then they really need help to learn more about keeping themselves safe.
This is not a safeguarding issue.

Isitme13 · 01/02/2019 10:01

Ours had full name making up the number on the back.

Extra personalisation could be added if desired - either in front by school badge or along one sleeve. I discussed with dd why I didn’t want her to be identified in that way, and so didn’t go for the extra.

The names making up the number design are teeny, and everyone who opted in had their name there, so no major identifying issues there.

I haven’t checked whether some children only had first names put - I know dd used her abbreviated name instead of full first name, and one of her friends use full name instead of abbreviated form she usually goes by, but haven’t checked them all.

SoupDragon · 01/02/2019 10:01

OR

You can just put first names on for everybody.

Or, you simply ask the parents what name goes on it.

JacquesHammer · 01/02/2019 10:02

Or, you simply ask the parents what name goes on it

Yup, as I said in my first post - exactly how we did it!

Namechangeforthiscancershit · 01/02/2019 10:02

Some children, if approached by a stranger who "knows" their name, might assume the person knows their family and trust them / go with them

Well yes I remember that being given as a reason for me not being allowed a beautiful velvet headband with my name in puffy neon paint in 1992 but I thought it had been comprehensively disproved?

Not even sure how the potential abductor would have managed to work out which or the teeny tiny little names in the number belonged to the child in front of him/her anyway?

Swishswish26 · 01/02/2019 10:04

In my son’s class there are quite a few children with the same name so a surname would be the only other way to differentiate them other than Ava N, Ava L, Ava D etc.

EwItsAHooman · 01/02/2019 10:05

Printing names on a jumper is not a safeguarding issue.

School uniform at my DS' school includes a logo'd school jumper with the school badge. The badge is outlined in a different colour based on which year group you are in. Jumpers have the be embroidered with the child's name - first name and surname - underneath the school badge.

If a year 6 would go with a stranger who knows their name, then they really need help to learn more about keeping themselves safe.

It's not as easy as that for some children, particularly those who are vulnerable due to SN/SEN.

eggsandwich · 01/02/2019 10:06

Ive just ordered a Yr 11 leavers hoodie and the have there full names on the back, don’t have a issue with it, and the names of every pupil is written so small you need a magnifying glass to see it properly, well I do anyway.

Serialweightwatcher · 01/02/2019 10:06

They are really hard to read, as the photo above shows - my son's is a grey hoodie with white writing and his was the only name split into two lines Hmm but they aren't easily readable when wearing

Swipe left for the next trending thread