So are these school shoes or trainers

[Shoesortrainers]

School have published their amended policy from Sept. This style is showed as unacceptable as they apparently trainers.

Er no they are school shoes and they
are the ONLY ones that fit my wide footed , high instep child. Believe me we’ve tried and tried over the years. They are just like me unfortunately. Plus sensory issues too.

School shoes must also be black and of polishable leather (they are!)

School refusing to budge. In fact the teacher dealing with uniform is being very rude and obstructive.

So Mumsnet are these shoes or trainers.

Ah yes of course. She should instead send her daughter in slip on ballet shoes they are much more grown up with their laces and oh wait...

God it's like some people on MN have never encountered a child with additional needs who struggles with laces...

Trainers according to our school.
For example on the example below ( Clark’s also) the ones on the right would be acceptable to our school. The other two would be classed as trainers. Our school told parents lots of shops are calling shoes of all sorts of designs trainers when in their opinion they are not.

My view is that you should take a pragmatic approach, drop the focus of whether they’re shoes or trainers (this is something they probably won’t budge their position on) and focus on your child’s diagnosis and sensory issues.
Get supporting letters from the relevant professionals. Meet with SENCO and or pastoral, get an exception agreed. If they won’t agree it, take it to the head.,if they won’t budge, take it to the governors. If they won’t budge, get specialist SEN legal advice, and maybe take it to the press.

These are school shoes. They're black, polishable and suitable for what most need. We would accept them in our schools as shoes.

They’re trainers. They may be marketed as school shoes, but they’re trainers.

That has nothing to do with my opinion on uniform ridiculousness. I think they’re ridiculous.

OP I can see why they are querying as my sons school sent out similar paperwork . However my son wears them and it has never been queried .. I’d recommend you just ensure they are polished ever week and they will then return the school shoe look and are unlikely to be noticed . Only downside I’ve seen is that Clark’s shoes aren’t as good quality as they used to be and do seem to fall apart quicker .. which makes it harder to keep up the smart school shoe experience. In the current cost of living crisis no one can really afford for school to be getting silly about stuff like this . I hope your school wise up soon .. maybe you can screen shot some of the posts from here

They're what my son has. No one in his school has ever questioned them and they are quite strict with uniform at his school. Like your child mine has sensory issues with shoes and these are ideal. Nothing on website says they are trainers. They can be polished, look smart, no logos, I can't see what the problem is. They are half covered up my trousers most of the time anyway.

In the school I work at they would be acceptable as they are leather and can be polished. That is how we define it. I’d challenge this

Sorry I didn't read the full thread. If we are talking secondary school then they might not allow them. We would probably give a student the choice of wearing our shoes or being sent home.

I’m so glad my mindset is more inclusive and not one of fixed thinking like so many have expressed on this thread.

Don’t like it send your child to another school or home educate.

Must have laces. Lots of children and even adults struggle with laces. Its not uncommon.
I can guarantee they’d veto elastic laces too.

Don’t argue. Must obey. Nope we live in a society where we must challenge inequalities and imbalances in power. Yes choose our battles but stand up when necessary.

I will win this for my child. Yet there will be tons more than don’t have the ability to.

And yes shoes that allow walking or cycling to school and remaining active are far more important than a ridiculous outdated formal shoe look. One I’ve not seen anywhere except weddings. My child is there to learn not attend a function.

From this it's the same as our school policy: lace up or slip on shoes only. No Velcro, no trainers. We wouldn't accept the girls shoes though as being suitable. They need proper shoes as well not the little ballet pumps shown in the picture. Again though we would provide students with shoes for the day and a detention, ask them to go home or ask parents to being the correct shoes in for them and keep them in isolation till it was done.

And lining kids up to check shoes and trouser length yet lecturing us on missed education. Shameful and authoritarian.

Educate the kids. Teach them autonomy and values such as pride in being kind, inclusive and looking out for others. Get respect but giving respect.

You provide children with shoes for the day at your school? That's as bonkers as the bloody uniform policy. How can you possibly accommodate for and provide children with appropriate fitted footwear??

We had a school malfunction one day with eldest. After school Went straight to Clarks and Asda. The only shoe outlets available. No joy.

Emailed school. Will get done on Saturday. Need to send in PE trainers for one day. Received reply that evening.

Will be in isolation until in school shoes or agreement to wear a loan pair. This was for a SEN child who they knew was struggling academically and socially. The loan pair were worn. He struggled all day. Hated them. Sensory issues. Was disruptive cos of it. Did the school care. Nope as long as unauthorised footwear not in circulation. They care more about appearances than education and I’ve told them this.

We've had similar issues with our school and their stupid policy on uniform which they are changing yet again!!

The school is rated inadequate, it used to be rated outstanding and people moved area to get places (me included). The fact it's gone so downhill and they send emails and give negative points for a shirt being untucked makes me absolutely furious!!

My child has learnt virtually 0 in maths for the past 2 years, is unable to complete and in class test and does not get the help he is entitled to for SEN yet gets penalised for stupid uniform infringements that have absolutely no bearing on his learning is why the school is such a shit show!

I have tried to apply for an alternate school for my son but it is currently oversubscribed, I am really hoping he gets a place come sept!

where I live, it's the inadequate/requires improvement type schools which tend towards a dictatorial uniform policy. It's the one thing they can control.
Those are definitely shoes. The school are being ridiculous.

The alternative local school is run by the same trust and shares a SLT. No alternative there.

They are shoes and I would be kicking up a stink about this too.

My boys are going to be in Y10 come Sept., one of them really struggles with laces and has these shoes. I would be mad as fuck if some ridiculous teacher decided they were inappropriate. They have to walk a mile and half to and from school, I'm not getting them shoes they don't find comfortable to support a frankly ridiculous policy like this!

Luckily although our school policy seems very strict (when I read it before they started in Y7 I was all ready for a fight when I read that being caught wearing trainers would cause an in-school exclusion!) it would seem that the teachers are actually more sensible. Neither of my children has been in trouble for uniform, even when they've occasionally been in trainers or forgotten a tie.

There are loads of shoes that are both practical and comply with the dress code. You’re making an issue where there isn’t one.

(I do agree that a lot of shoes sold in Clarks are very trainer-like, but too bad. Despite the comment on the picture that there's lots of different styles available, there really isn't)

Are there? Have you been shopping with the OPs daughter and looked for these Illusive shoes that she feels comfortable in, can fasten independently and suit her needs maybe you should share links to them...

This is fucking insane, and what I was afraid of.

Pure insanity. Can you complain up to the governors about this ludicrous rule?

Those look like pretty standard school shoes to me. And after paying for them I wouldn't be buying new ones - you say this is a newly published amended school uniform policy? They can't expect everyone to immediately buy new shoes anyway surely. Buy the next size up and say you bought them before this amended policy was announced.

I've just had a look on my school website - youngest will be starting in Sept. as well.

The uniform policy has gone, so I'm assuming there'll be an update soon.

I will win this for my child.

Is this the motivation for you? Do you think you could be making this into a bigger deal than necessary because of previous experience?