To complain to the board of governors?

[messicliche]

Hi all, below is a post from DH.

NC as post could be outing.

A bit of background about the situation. I am a senior leader in a secondary school. As a result, I am well aware that we are not bound by the standard 'Burgundy Book' directive document etc.

Essentially, last week was asked to perform a role outside of my general remit (supporting with sports day results outside). The day before sports day itself, an email was sent around to all staff (after school hours, approx 2.5hrs after school ended) noting that all staff are expected to wear normal formal attire.

Maybe naively, I automatically ignored it as I had seen the sports day support schedule and I was scheduled to be outside. As a result, I wore what I deemed 'appropriate attire' to support with this, think, sports shirt, shorts, appropriate trainers.

Cue the next day, turn up on site, instructed to go home and change into the professional dress that was directed the day before. Moreover, I then have received a professional letter of conduct for my inappropriate dress. To add, there was another member of staff that this happened to as well.

My issue is more the way it's been dealt with rather than the being asked to go home and change, although that's annoying. At no point did the head speak to me about this, I was hauled into a room with my SLT line manager. Also, at no point did the head mention that I would receive a letter of professional conduct for my dress. It was just placed in my pigeon hole. Found it by sheer luck.

So essentially the question is

AIBU - there was a directive sent the day before, you weren't mentioned as being excluded from it, even though it was sent outside of school hours, you should have followed it even if it would have meant dying outside in the heat

YANBU - ridiculous overreaction, petty, spiteful and vindictive and need to take it further to his line manager who is the chair of governors and potentially hand my notice in

FWIW - the PE staff were all in PE attire, and continue to be even when now outdoor PE can't take place because of the heat. I think I'm so frustrated by the lack of consistency shown by the top leadership in following rules and guidelines. I would stress that throughout the year I am (in my eyes) impeccably dressed and often gaze at other people thinking, how on earth are they getting away with that (think, open toed flip-flops, short dresses that are traditionally not professional etc.)

Would love to hear all of your opinions, apologies about the rant.

Happy to add any extra info if anyone needs it

Thanks!

I would personally think PE wear is what professionals wear on sports fields. Our staff were all expressly told to wear PE attire for sports day as it looked professional.

So there you go! Its a term open to interpretation.

Teacher here. This is ridiculous and totally overboard. I would complain to the governor's. You're outside supporting sport's day- of course you wear PE kit. SLT are off their heads.

I've seen two grievances brought to the governors where the board rules in favour of the complainant

It all sounds very OTT but reading your post carefully, your DH was asked to help with sports day RESULTS. So the 15 minutes at the end of sports day, where they read out the results?

So he turned up to school in full sports kit to read out results at the end of sports day?

... I think he could have worn a suit to work that day...

This is insane. As a member of SLT I would be utterly gobsmacked if my head sent me something like that and didn’t just have a conversations with me.

I also think insisting on suits on sports day is insane. I’ve never heard of anything like that before. Our sports day is casual dress with people encouraged to wear sports wear. I’ve never heard of a school where sports day is a suit sort of event for anyone directly involved in it.

Which union is your DH in? One of the main teaching unions or ASCL?

Results was the process of recording results of every single event - so would assume it would be the whole time sports day is on. DH says he was in a tent with laptop receiving slips of paper, reading scores out, every time an event finished

My head sent an email Monday evening saying flip flops were allowed Tuesday and shorts as long as they're knee length 😆

NASUWT, but only an NEU rep at his school

Having said that, the written warning, and even the being hauled over the coals was waaaay overboard.

It would have been enough to send him home to change, and then a gentle ribbing for the rest of his career about the fact he wore full sports kit to read out the results..that should do it.

I had sports day yesterday for half of the day which I was involved in therefore I was in ‘PE kit’ and trainers even though I was teaching too.
No one batted an eyelid and other staff did the same and we looked like all of the PE teachers.

This would really upset me.
If you were regularly coming in in inappropriate outfits then I can see why you’d be called up on it but this was one day due to you volunteering in sports day.

The being sent home to change would have infuriated me too and I think I would have refused.

Sounds absolutely ludicrous.

He should raise the timing of the ‘formal attire’ email, the method of notice of discipline and the unrealistic expectation of the dress code itself.

And look for a new job ASAP. Who wants to work in a place like that?

I've seen your update - so he was out there all day? Yeah that school sounds awful. He needs to move schools

@Holly60 Helping with results is a whole-day job at my school. It involves collating spreadsheets of times, working out finalists and lane orders for finals, checking against school records and then calculating overall house scores. There are a team of three people in the score room and then staff who are timers for races and members of staff allocated to field events that collate results too. It’s not a 15 minute thing.

Isn't it interesting that the top girls' school in the country has no uniform? Guess what the students still get outstanding results. Why on earth does this stuff matter?

Taking up volunteers' and the clerk's time (having presumably already followed the formal grievance procedure for the first two stages?) for a whinge about the operational - rather than strategic - matter of a Sad Face story in the local rag from some kid who turned up with a Mohawk?

Is he absolutely certain this is the hill he wishes to die on?

I think the correct way to deal with this is to raise a grievance as speak to your union.

However, you did go against instructions.

The way they dealt with it on today was fine - your line manager did their job.

If you have received a formal warning then that is probably OTT.

Also, if you were the only person who thought that the request was unreasonable, then maybe you need to let this one slide.

even if your union isn't represented at the school they can still help you with your response to this. Speak to them before you do anything else.
Look for a new job. On exit interview mention the ridiculous attire rules, and cc that to the governors. Then don't look back.

Flip, he really needs to leave that school. I assume he is looking elsewhere?

School reps are rarely involved in serious stuff in school. He should contact NASUWT directly for advice and they will also point him towards his local rep.

www.nasuwt.org.uk/contact-us.html

Formal attire for sports day. What an absolute joke. Can you look around for a new, less toxic work environment.

Easy way out "I did not see the e mail". (Then apply for another job)

I'm guessing spectator pupils might have been in uniform, so staff needed to be?

What a totally ridiculous school - adults don’t get told what to wear to work and wearing formal attire in such hot weather is plain stupid.

If I was him I’d look for another job. It sounds like a horrible place to work.

Something tells me that OP's DH turning up in a dress or a blouse and tailored shorts would have caused quite a stir.

IME the staff reps are only good for signposting anyway. If he wasn't union representation for a grievance he should approach the local area office.

That said what outcome is he hoping for? I doubt even with representation it would be more than withdrawal of the letter and maybe an apology.