School ties

[FarewellNoel]

DD's school (primary) are insisting all pupils, including those with SEN wear ties at all times in school. DD tells me their classroom is 'boiling' and that the thermometer on the teacher's desk suggested it was above 30 last week. Am I unreasonable to send her in without a tie when temps are predicted to be in excess of 25? Currently around a quarter of parents persistently send their child in without one, with another 10% or so not sending them in with one on hot days. The school is actively cracking down though and kids have been told off today for not wearing them.

Is this primary school? Ours allows us to send kids in wearing polo shirts during the warmer weather.

Infants and juniors here in the 70s had ties. Proper tie up ones as well. Though you could wear a summer dress. Shame that’s not an option 🙄

Ah, ok. I’m probably thinking mostly early 1980s m, and it nay have been a little later reaching our rural backwater!

@MuppetsRus the only snowflake here is you. What’s the point of dressing small kids up like bank managers. Give them comfortable, practical, affordable and weather appropriate clothes. School should be about learning which is easier especially for those with SEN in appropriate clothes. The 80s wasn’t such a great time if you were disabled or neurotypical, and for lots of other groups, they were just forced out and couldn’t speak up. Just because people call shit out now…

I really don't see the point in shirts and ties in primary and I've not seen anyone ever give a good reason for it.

I'm anti blazers in seniors as well (most are nasty cheap looking things) although ds likes his

I beg your pardon? Do you know my DD? Many DC with additional needs can't cope with ties. Lucky you if you don't have a DC like that.

Not all high schools require ties, though.

Well said.

Surely most schools have a summer uniform? Like shorts, summer dresses etc.

What a ridiculous attitude. This is the kind of thing that drives autistic DC out of schools.

I completely agree.

Its a no brainier for me .

Uniform cannon be enforced for primary children and as it is utterly ridiculous I would not be sending my DC in with one .

No, we didn't. And when people say 'we all did etc' what they mean is those who were unable to were excluded.

There was uniform but it wasn't compulsory to wear in many Primary schools. Many secondaries didn't have ties let alone blazers.

The majority? How do you know? Is there an official survey?

My primary school (I was there 89-95) had a uniform. It wasn't overly strict. There was a tie but I don't remember anyone wearing one.

Secondary school (95-2000) boys had to wear a tie but iirc they could take them off on really hot days.

90s Primary school... uniform was more of a colour suggestion than a fixed set of clothes.

Mine have elastic ties which don't seem overly hot. (And worn with polo shirt as well as shirt, but not summer dress. But if you have PE, forest school, team building or a sports club you wear the PE kit, which sort of makes the whole thing pointless...)

Within 200m of my house there is a Primary school, 11-16 school, college and a 3-18 Private school. The private school uniform is very smart but the beautiful fitted dresses the lower school girls wear in summer definitely doesn't look cool (no gingham there, they are white with flowers on!)

Yes,so many schools now, the DC wear P.E kit on swimming/PE/outdoor learning days so they end up wearing PE kit most days. Which kind of shows that a more formal school uniform isn't actually necessary.

I don't see what difference a tie or not makes if the temperature is high? Jumpers, yes; blazers, yes... but a tie?!

It would make more sense to have classrooms at a moderate, comfortable temperature rather than making a fuss about a tie. If it's still too hot with just a shirt on, then it's too hot for comfort and productivity and learning (and I bet teacher isn't wearing jumper and blazer equivalent but a blouse or similar!)

I wore a tie and blazer uniform throughout the 70s and 80s (two primaries and a secondary) and they all required it to be worn, but you were allowed to take off blazer and jumper if you needed to.

This thread takes me back 😁. Our school rules in the 1970s, from memory started thus.
There is only one comprehesive rule, thou shalt at all times behave well and sensibly. But the following rules give points of detail.

1. Unless in games clothes, or during the declared period of summer wear, thou shalt wear the school tie'...

Each year the headmaster stated at some point in June that it was now summer. The power of that man! You didn't see a single tie after summer had been 'declared' regardless of the weather.

But agreeing with aome previous posters, we just did what we were told, we all seemed to survive.

@MrsOwainGlyndŵr she's not being ridiculous my dd hates wearing a tie too due to her sensory issues. The whole school uniform needs to be overhauled and modernized. Sending kids to school looking like mini bank managers js crazy.

I usually side with schools on uniform issues but I think there should be some leeway in this heat, particularly in primary school. And that’s without taking into account children with SEN, who I completely agree should have allowances made. My dc’s school used to have a summer and winter uniform which worked really well.

I would send your dc without the tie and tell the school that their policy is completely unacceptable and downright dangerous in excessive heat.

We were always told that wearing uniform/smart clothes was good practice for when we were older and in the workplace, but a lot of workplaces now dress more casually and fewer and fewer men wear ties anyway.

What I can't fathom is why so many schools make girls wear ties as well. The tie has never been a standard garment worn by women, so it just seems so very random. It would make as much sense as them expecting boys to wear tights under shorts, or full one-piece costumes during swimming lessons - but nobody would ever stand for that. When did we first start dictating that schoolgirls must wear male clothes on a daily basis - and be disciplined if they don't?

Our primary insists on ties from Reception up with no exceptions in hot weather, although they aren’t too strict on top buttons being done up.

In contrast when I was at high school only boys had to wear ties, and during hot weather a message would come round saying that they could take them off.

Many adults don’t have to wear ties any more at work, yet schools cling to them for uniform!

No uniforms in the 80s when I went to school, and my sen children would not be able to cope with a tie.
Yep snowflakes because they feel they are literally being strangled and would have panic attacks.
I can not believe some people on this thread.

I'm glad my older children's schools are sensible in that if its over 25 no blazers,no ties and top button can be un done!
How much productive work would they be able to do feeling extremely uncomfortable?

Totally agree. I am a lawyer and nobody wears ties in the office anymore! They do if they go to court, but otherwise not.

Schools should pick their battles in my view, and when I am Queen schools will not be able to have silly uniform rules