To think school uniform has had its day

[Grumpybutfunny]

Okay I'm northern like this poor kid, tho not that close to the Scottish border. Is it unreasonable to say, when schools start saying kids should wear an inappropriate coats, just because it is school uniform that its time for parents to fight back.

I've left for work at 7:30 and it has been minus 2-3 all week. When I'm scraping ice off the car, a kid shouldn't be walking to school in a summer fleece with a rain jacket over the top. I've been freezing in my duvet coat.

Uniforms were a great leveller, but in the age of social media they still see what kids are wearing outside of school or what car the parent does the school run in. Surely what's more important is that they are comfortable and warm.

www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/jesmond-park-academys-uniform-policy-26016890

That's my area. We aren't really close to the Scottish borders, but I guess that's subjective as to where you are in England.

Jesmond Park Academy is a wanky up its arse school all round IMHO.

I don't think school uniform has had it's day, but I do believe kids should be able to wear proper winter coats. As my DDs school (about 4 miles away from Jesmond and less up it's own arse) does.

School uniform in general has not had its day. I would have hated to not have uniform and did hate that we didn't in 6th form. But it shouldn't extend to coats.

If the school is very precious about its uniform then they can provide a warm school coat with their own logo on it as an option to purchase.

Absolutely ridiculous that the school think a thin fleece is acceptable in this cold weather. I'll just add this to the growing list of reasons why I dislike teachers and the draconian authoritarian controlling environments they think they rule over. Oh and while Im mid-rant, can we fine them for not going to work and being on strike like they can fine us if the kids take a day off.

I hope so.

Schools should have practical dress codes.

Not uniforms.

The amount of girls walking in the snow in ballet shoes and mini skirts is insane. Now this nonsense!

YABU. Getting secondary age kids to wear coats to school is pretty much impossible. Mine have warm winter coats but they won't wear them. The girls can wear trousers but still choose to wear skirts rolled up until they are ridiculously short. I think the issue is teenagers rather than uniform.

Sounds like the problem is not the uniform, but that the school should have common sense & allow appropriate coats etc!

I don’t like school uniforms anyway. Poverty reasons never make sense as a) logo gear is expensive and b) kids who pick on other kids over clothes will do so over shoes/ bags/ haircuts and just about anything else (bullying should be tackled rather than uniforms). And plenty of schools in Europe manage just fine without uniforms.

That aside, this is particularly barbaric. If a school insists on only logo clothing they need to make sure they are covered for every suitable weather situation.

@RainbowZebraWarrior JPA is the feeder for my DC primary could you expand? Not that there's much choice in the area!

I don't mind uniforms as such but some common sense is needed - if it's freezing kids should have a decent coat to keep them warm.

I don’t totally object to school uniform but don’t know why it needs to be shirts, ties blazers etc. Comfortable, practical clothing would be far better. Something more like scout / brownie uniform.
School coats are stupid and not required. A winter coat should always be an option.

Agree this school is the pits now

Sorry, disagree. It serves a purpose. The ones causing the problem are those who think it doesn’t apply to their kids.

Our school has no uniform (normal state primary) and it’s lovely. I’m dreading the drab uniform in secondary!

School uniform is ridiculous - expensive and impractical. DT’s school was non uniform - they wore shorts and T-shirt in the warmer weather and jeans and a hoodie the rest of the year. Both had regular winter coats. Rarely any logos in sight. No one discussed what they were wearing - an non issue.

@Grumpybutfunny Surely the only issue with the coat in the thing you posted.

we have enough issues in schools without children being allowed to wear that they want. As a parent I don’t want that pressure either.

The Scout uniform is a thin shirt. Its not actually practical...

I agree that school uniform could be made more practical though. Warm jumpers (or hoodies/fleeces) rather than blazers and shirts for example.

This is ridiculous- it also means that families will have to either buy two outdoor coats - a school uniform one and an ordinary one for wearing outwith school.

Classroom teachers don’t make uniform rules or attendance rules. They don’t have any contact with parents over this.

Perhaps get your facts right before you start moaning about their right to strike. Which as a parent l support. It is enshrined as a democratic freedom in the UN l believe🙄

I’m fine with uniform but dc get to wear their own coat. Only he wears one though, primary age and sixth form don’t.

So is branded and designer clothing expensive but parents don't worry about buying that.

I agree that saying what coat and also the coat they have suggested is ridiculous but I am laughing inside at the idea of teenagers who actually wear coats? Mine refused at minus 7 ( I confiscated his phone till he put it on) seems to think it's not cool....he got to chose his coat not me before you ask!

It's not just the coat tho, our DS could go to a local secondary that insists on shirts and blazers. The kids don't want to wear a proper coat on top of a blazer. It would be much more practically for him to wear something like a hoodie, jeans and a coat with trainers or boots

@mynamesnotsam they seem happy in north face or CanadaGoose "dupes" round here.

Secondary school uniforms tend to be ridiculous and impractical. DS's school is only blazer and shirt. No warmer layer options. I have got him a relatively warm but squashable coat that he can hide in his bag for the walking at the start/ end of the day. DS goes out looking like a mini YUPPIE, and there's DH off to his professional job in an open collar and jumper. These days, the more you earn, the more casual the dress code.

I'm not anti-uniform but it needs to be practical and over-policing it is a waste of teaching time and erodes relationships. Teaching in non-uniform schools was great, and the pupils very seldom created any issues because there was no novelty factor and they could express themselves without daring to roll a skirt up 2" above a knee.

Oh and trying to spot teenagers in black uniform in winter conditions is a safety hazard.

£56 for a school fleece! I thought the government had brought in legislation to try to prevent this kind of nonsense?

50 years ago I was at a secondary school with a uniform coat made of gabardine (like a Burberry raincoat) and a thin school scarf. I remember shivering on the bus on the way home on many a cold winter's day, with snow on the ground. Lunacy.

Completely agree with you OP. My school banned boots, hoodies and all coats with hoods. Then made us stand outside every single lunch and break unless it was pouring rain. They seemed shocked that miserable freezing cold children weren't in the best mood to learn.