School uniform policy

[CuntyMcBollocks]

I'm interested in people's opinions on this.

A couple of years ago my niece got into trouble at school and was put into isolation for taking off her school blazer. It was in the middle of a heatwave and she took her thick blazer off as she was too hot. The schools policy is that students must wear them at all times, which I personally find ridiculous for reasons such as this.

I understand that the school wants students to look smart and abide by their rules, but surely a bit of common sense should be used also.

Yes, I’ve known of this. It’s madness as when they are in primary we teach them to dress for the weather yet when they start secondary they have to ask permission to take a blazer off.

I’m 99.9999999% sure this is not the full story

My secondary didn’t have ties for girls, and still doesn’t. Unusual but lovely. Ties for girls always seems at odds to me. To be honest ties seem pointless to me altogether in school.

DC secondary school has to tell us when the kids don’t need to wear their blazer.. last year only when temp was 28 or over! Madness

if you're going to have uniform you have to have rules around how to wear it. Otherwise there'd be a "heatwave" every day!

@oldwhyno

if you're going to have uniform you have to have rules around how to wear it. Otherwise there'd be a "heatwave" every day!

Why? If you're cold, put on a school unifrom sweater, if you're colder, put on a blazer. If you're hot, remove said items. My daughter's school has no rules as to when they need to wear a sweatshirt. They make that decision based on how warm they feel. THey're entirely capable of making that choice and still adhering to uniform regulations.

I lost all respect for the school by the time my kids left. Petty uniform rules really chip away at all positive feelings. My kids continued to follow the rules but we did a lot of eye rolling at the HT’s priorities, teaching was shit but at least the kids all wore the right uniform😂🥲😂

It's ridiculous, even the asking is ridiculous, when I've worked in schools with this I've always given permission at the start of the lesson.

I went to school when there were dinosaurs roaming and my school had a strict uniform but blazers were outside wear and we had a summer uniform that could be worn from Easter until the September holiday.

When I started it was a pink gingham dress, but then you were given the option of an open necked short sleeved blouse.

We used to be ordered to remove our cardigans / jumpers when it was hot.

But our headmistress was a nun who had to wear a crimplene dress in all weathers.

Which might explain the madness of us not being able to wear trousers even to travel to/from school in the middle of winter.

The DCs’ school has this and it’s really not a problem. Blazers worn at all times in lessons and to and from school, jumpers also to be worn at all times except in summer term.

The uniform looks smart and I think is a big part of the high standards of discipline in the school. It’s not much of a uniform if you have some students with blazers off, some on etc.

If the weather is exceptionally warm, the headteacher will give classroom teachers discretion to permit removal in their lessons. On a few days per year, blazers can also be removed in corridors etc.

The DC have been in blazers and jumpers all day this week. A few moans but I don’t think a uniform policy should be dictated by DC moaning!

My daughters school was like this, heavy wool jumpers, not allowed to take them off no matter how hot it got. New principal came in and changed that immediately. Some of the older staff objected saying that the girls looked untidy. Principal was quick to point out that the teachers themselves were wearing summer clothes and she would put the girls health before appearance. Someone with a bit of sense

I have worked in a secondary (girls) with a summer uniform i realise it's more expense so I get why a lot don't. But a shift to trousers and shirts in summer with the blazer available, to be honest most mornings in the UK a light jacket would be useful, then they can put it on a chair in lessons. I realise schools are terrified of managing lost property, but it's only one term! It's a sign of the over the top control schools seem desperate to exert rather than crack on with teaching! It's still smart, they still have the logo, they would be less smelly, they'd be more engaged!

I will be really annoyed if the school my kids go to is like this. My eldest HATES being hot. He feels sick, dizzy, and his temper flares. He will not cope with this at all. There's one local secondary, there is no choice of school.

When I was at secondary school we wore polo shirts and a sweatshirt. Comfy, cheep, and looked smart enough. Could take our jumper off whenever we wanted.

@Nutsabouttopic

I don’t think it’s about students’ health at all. A smart uniform is about discipline and an environment of high standards.

Of course if the weather is exceptionally warm, allowances should be made for removal of blazers if necessary if a particular room if extremely warm.

But it shouldn’t be an issue in most cases. DC get used to it quickly ime.

I can't see how having such strict uniform policies will enable or encourage students to learn any better. Something needs to change

You will find, on the whole, schools with strict uniform policies they seemingly unreasonably enforce, have less behaviour issues than those who are more flexible. Therefore learning is facilitated by a management team that has a grip of the basics and isn’t constantly firefighting. There will be exceptions, of course.

In my school students have to ask to remove their blazers and I would certainly never say no. In the summer months, I will tell them to take them off as they enter my room.

The DCs’ school has this and it’s really not a problem. Not to you it isn't - you're not the one being forced to be too hot and uncomfortable. Your dcs seem to think it's a problem - dismissing their discomfort because looking smart is more important - you sound delightful!

@Mcginn

I imagine there’s more to it than you are lead to believe. Some schools make students ask to take their blazer off but I’ve never heard of a blanket ban on taking them off

I have. Every time there's a heatwave it tends to come up either as reported news or in places like MN.

I have an issue with uniform having to come from a compulsory uniform shop. And skewed towards girlsparents spending more - skirts must come from the uniform shop (£25/each) or girls trousers (similar price) must be from the uniform shop but they are so unflattering almost no girls wear them Boys however can wear trousers, standard or slim fit from wherever as long as they are the right colour (DS were 2 pairs for £15 from M and S)
DC primary school changed to a new uniform (from school supplier) just as they were leaving. The HT suggested it would prevent so much lost property because it was new and smart the children would take better care of it!! For someone who worked with children I thought this seemed particularly naive (if she actually did believe it) and a very tenuous reason for introducing a new much more expensive uniform.
I also disagree with schools having a policy of "business wear" for sixth form , apparently to get kids used to work place attire. It's not clear where they get their info from, but all manner of businesses are fully functional without the need for everyone wearing suits. Most teachers don't wear suits for a start! It particularly irritates me for practical subjects - like tech (working with metal/wood/concrete etc) cookery and art. When in your life would you see someone in a practical job wearing clothes totally unsuitable for the task at hand..?

I went to a convent school - very strict on uniform but they never policed the wearing of blazers...they did insist on a proper winter coat and you'd get told off it you were seen leaving the school without your coat on. My kids got told off for wearing a coat in school - the whole approach to uniform now is a totally fucked up way of thinking. The teachers were often shit at their jobs and nothing seemed to be done about that - years and years of shit teaching - kids dreading getting certain teachers - everyone knew who they were - nothing could be done..

I went to school on the 70s when corporal punishment and sadistic teachers were the norm. Some would take great delight in punishing pupils for the slightest aberration.
However, I have no recollection of there EVER being such rules that prevented pupils from taking off their blazers when the weather was hot!!

@oldwhyno

if you're going to have uniform you have to have rules around how to wear it. Otherwise there'd be a "heatwave" every day!

But what does it matter if you leave it to children to decide whether they need that sweater, blazer or whatever? If they're still wearing the uniform shirt, surely that achieves whatever it is you want to achieve by having uniform? If they are then too cold, that's their lookout.

I went to school in the 1990s and I remember the head teacher hiding waiting a few hundred metres from the school exit in the summer, to check pupils were wearing blazers on their way home!!

@RocketFire7

The DCs’ school has this and it’s really not a problem. Blazers worn at all times in lessons and to and from school, jumpers also to be worn at all times except in summer term.

The uniform looks smart and I think is a big part of the high standards of discipline in the school. It’s not much of a uniform if you have some students with blazers off, some on etc.

If the weather is exceptionally warm, the headteacher will give classroom teachers discretion to permit removal in their lessons. On a few days per year, blazers can also be removed in corridors etc.

The DC have been in blazers and jumpers all day this week. A few moans but I don’t think a uniform policy should be dictated by DC moaning!

Blazers and jumpers till the head decides it's hot enough not to? That is utterly insane. How on earth would it affect discipline to leave it to pupils to decide whether they need them? More importantly, how would it affect learning, which is after all what the school is meant to prioritise?

I can't see why students (especially teens) can't decide for themselves how much clothing is necessary (obviously within uniform constraints) some people get hot more quickly or feel more comfortable writing/working without a blazer on. Others might feel cooler. In workplaces I know there are often debates about when to put the air con on but no one polices whether you can or can't take a layer off, or wear extra layers.
My DS has gone through the whole of winter wearing a shirt and blazer and tie (no vest or jumper) whereas DD has felt cold with vest, shirt jumper and blazer (and occassionally a coat) People have different temperature/comfort levels.

[quote RocketFire7]@Nutsabouttopic

I don’t think it’s about students’ health at all. A smart uniform is about discipline and an environment of high standards.

Of course if the weather is exceptionally warm, allowances should be made for removal of blazers if necessary if a particular room if extremely warm.

But it shouldn’t be an issue in most cases. DC get used to it quickly ime.[/quote]
How do you account for the very high standards of learning achieved in schools that have no uniform all over the world?

How would you account for the needs of children with disabilities (i.g. sensory ones) that mean they can't wear certain items of uniform?

Tell me, do you think you are capable of deciding what level of warm clothing to wear during the day? Do you allow your children to decide for themselves during the holidays whether they want a jumper or not? Would you work in an environment where you had to wear a blazer even in hot weather unless and until your boss decides it's "exceptionally warm" enough to remove it?

Frankly, I wouldn't want my children to get used to having to put up with having their health and ability to learn endangered in this way.

Blazers and ties are pretty ridiculous as uniform irrespective of the heat issue. There's a definite clue in the fact that people don't routinely wear blazers in adult life; and if you think about it, ties perform no useful function whatsoever.