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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu? This sixth form shouldn't have a uniform.

122 replies

KindergartenKop · 27/08/2021 21:07

I'm rewatching all of Waterloo Road on iPlayer. It astounds me that, despite lax rules about ties, skirts and hoodies, the sixth form still have to wear the same uniform to as the rest of the kids.

IWRBU (is Waterloo Road being unreasonable) in making these 16-18yos wear uniform? Do you know of any sixth forms which make the kids wear uniform? I don't mean top man smart suits and a tie, I mean proper school uniform.

OP posts:
Boatonthehorizon · 27/08/2021 22:11

Private school 6th forms tend to have uniform but not state schools in England.

Dramas often employ actors over 16 or over 18. Far easier employment law then they have to get them to wear uniform to make it look at all like a school.
The only dramas with real school age secondary children in them are on CBBC.

Porcupineintherough · 27/08/2021 22:12

It's not the norm here for sixth formers to wear uniform but I can think of a couple of schools where they do.

plodalong12 · 27/08/2021 22:14

@TartanJumper
Just checked my old school- no uniform, but very strict dress code compared to when I was there! No sports wear/jeans/hoodies/trainers/leggings/shorts/skirts above knee etc. How things change !

@Rockhopper81
I left sixth form in 1999, and we didn't have a uniform, we just wore casual clothing (including jeans and trainers!), but nobody wore anything particularly 'out there', mostly t-shirts/shirts and jeans really.

I wonder when the rules changed within the last 20 or so years? Is it to do with social media? I don’t remember there being so much enforced rules on hairstyles or wearing trainers to school either as compared to what I hear and read on here now.

It was considered a pretty good school at the time - offered the International Baccalaureate instead of A-Levels, which it was one of only a few schools in the UK to do at the time

Wondering if it was the same school as I went to!?

Newgirls · 27/08/2021 22:15

Even business dress for sixth form seems old fashioned - the city don’t wear suits that much now 🤷‍♀️

0palescent · 27/08/2021 22:16

@Sally872

Here (central Scotland) 16-18 year old wear uniforms. Sometimes a different tie or trim on their blazer but still much the same uniform. Don't think it is unreasonable.
Yes, a braided blazer and a senior tie is standard here for S5/6. DS's school has also added the option of a tartan skirt, which a lot of the girls seem to opt for.
MyDcAreMarvel · 27/08/2021 22:16

Every single high school sixth form I know has a regular school uniform. Only colleges do not.

NoWordForFluffy · 27/08/2021 22:18

My old school has uniform for sixth formers (different colour jumper to years 7-11).

If you don't want to wear sixth form uniform, go to college.

FrangipaniBlue · 27/08/2021 22:19

Sixth Form at DS school (England) have uniform albeit a different colour to the rest of the school as does the one in the neighbouring town.

DontCallMeBaby · 27/08/2021 22:19

DD’s school have sixth form uniform - but it’s more casual than main school, polo shirt and sweatshirt vs shirt and blazer. All the other local schools with sixth forms are more uniform - either explicit uniform or quite strictly defined ‘business dress’ with a school tie.

If I were 17 again I’d prefer DD’s, it’s reasonably comfy and involves no ironing. As it is I went to sixth form college in the late 80s and have pics of me in college ripped jeans and plaid shirts (and by ‘in college’ that usually means ‘in the pub during a free period’).

Anoisagusaris · 27/08/2021 22:20

Business dress for 6th form??? As someone not in the UK, that sounds mental 😆 They go on to uni then and can wear regular clothes, seems odd to have school pupils/students in business wear.

FrangipaniBlue · 27/08/2021 22:22

I wonder when the rules changed within the last 20 or so years? Is it to do with social media? I don’t remember there being so much enforced rules on hairstyles or wearing trainers to school either as compared to what I hear and read on here now.

DS goes to the secondary I went to (I also went to the sixth form) and the rules re: uniform, hair, makeup etc are EXACTLY the same as when I left in 1999

RedToothBrush · 27/08/2021 22:25

Only the 6th form colleges round here have no uniform. All the 6th forms attached to schools do.

CeeceeBloomingdale · 27/08/2021 22:26

I wore one in 6th form, it was different to the rest of the school but still a mandatory uniform

campion · 27/08/2021 22:26

@VeryQuaintIrene

Fascinating - I'd no idea any 6th formers still had to wear uniform. At my moderately posh girls' school it was a point of honour to find and wear to school the mankiest, full of holes sweater long ago rejected by our dads and no one ever complained.
Presumably your teachers were prioritising more important things. Such as your education. The British obsession with school uniform is a bit baffling.
nukeitfromorbit · 27/08/2021 22:28

We had a modified school uniform for 6th form but it was still uniform. TBF this was nearly 30 years ago though.

Dillyjones72 · 27/08/2021 22:30

We wore uniform in 6th form, 25!years ago and the school
Still has the same uniform. Totally normal in Northern Ireland.

SleepingStandingUp · 27/08/2021 22:33

Here (Midlands, England) 6th form in school wither has "office wear" or uniform and colleges don't. I'm nearly 40 but we were uniform in school 6th form and so did my older sister in a different school. For us it was a different skirt, proper tights, different blouse

gogohm · 27/08/2021 22:36

My dd did - Midlands

Rockhopper81 · 27/08/2021 22:38

[quote plodalong12]@TartanJumper
Just checked my old school- no uniform, but very strict dress code compared to when I was there! No sports wear/jeans/hoodies/trainers/leggings/shorts/skirts above knee etc. How things change !

@Rockhopper81
I left sixth form in 1999, and we didn't have a uniform, we just wore casual clothing (including jeans and trainers!), but nobody wore anything particularly 'out there', mostly t-shirts/shirts and jeans really.

I wonder when the rules changed within the last 20 or so years? Is it to do with social media? I don’t remember there being so much enforced rules on hairstyles or wearing trainers to school either as compared to what I hear and read on here now.

It was considered a pretty good school at the time - offered the International Baccalaureate instead of A-Levels, which it was one of only a few schools in the UK to do at the time

Wondering if it was the same school as I went to!?[/quote]
Maybe it is the same school - in Kingshurst?

I don't remember the same issues around hairstyles etc. either - in fact, when a boy in our year was questioned over his hair style (sort of like small Bantu knots - lots of elastics over his head), there was a lot of pushback from the year group as it was seen as ridiculous it was an issue!

plodalong12 · 27/08/2021 22:39

@Rockhopper81
Maybe it is the same school - in Kingshurst?

Hahaha - yes! Burgundy jumpers Grin

reluctantbrit · 27/08/2021 22:42

SE London borough. Two of the three secondaries with 6th forms have some kind of uniform, one is black all over (skirt/trousers, top and blazer), the other suit (trouser or skirt).

The third one as "Smart casual", the worst is nobody knows exactly what to wear, so you have either over or underdressed students.

The pure 6th form colleges have no uniform at all, you have a "no tracksuit" rule but otherwise they wear what they want.

Scarby9 · 27/08/2021 22:46

Our school (incredibly particular about every bit of uniform up to GCSEs) has no uniform for 6th form.
Ripped jeans, leggings, strappy tops, T shirts and hoodies are the order of the day.

yikesanotherbooboo · 27/08/2021 22:52

Around here they wear 'office wear' ie suits or smart skirts or trousers and jackets. That is across 2 counties, comps, grammars and independent schools.

BillyIsMyBunny · 27/08/2021 22:56

My school sixth form had uniform, the polo shirt was a different colour to that of years 7-11 but the jumper still needed the school logo on. All of the other sixth forms attached to schools in the area (Wales) were the same, you had to go to the sixth form college if you wanted to wear your own clothes.

Lennybenny · 27/08/2021 22:59

Only public schools in my area have uniform for 6th form. My ds is Y13....he'd hate having to wear one as would Y11 ds who wants to go on to 6th form too.....in fact I suspect he'd rather not go if it meant wearing a uniformGrin