Do you agree with school or the parents?

[Watermelon44]

Our high school has made the news because of a uniform dispute between (some) parents and the head who is recently in post.

The gist of it is that the school brought in a new rule in April that they were no longer allowing black leather trainers (eg superstars or nike air force) and instead the kids should be in smart plain black leather office shoes.

This appears to have caused ww3 with some parents, who despite having many months notice, still sent their kids in the banned trainers (100+ children apparently). The school has stuck to its guns and has isolated and then suspended those in the wrong shoes if they refused to comply.

The school has also banned girls from wearing socks, and have enforced a thick tights ruling, although socks are allowed in the summer term and if allowed by the head in any warm spells (eg the past 3 days).

Personally I think the tights ruling is worse and I have mixed views on the trainers rule.

I am interested in the real reasons behind these strict uniform rules as I feel if the real reasons were shared with parents they may be more on board with them, rather than the usual rubbish about dressing professionally eg like in an office, when my dp works in a head office in London and goes in jeans and trainers!

As this seems to have whipped up a storm locally, I am interested in other people’s views on this topic as some of the parents round here seem to have gone totally bats*it over it!!

Shoes - parents trainers are much more long lasting. My son plays football and we got through leather shoes monthly.

Tights- this is just a power flex

My daughter's school was in a row with parents last year because of the tights rule, they wouldn't even relax it when we had the 40 degree heatwave so the girls had to go in wearing thick black tights in 40 degree weather. It was absolutely ridiculous.

I think the school are in the wrong.

Shoes fine (by normal UK school uniform standards, though personally I'd ditch uniform). Tights ridiculous.

The tights / socks part is bonkers.

The no trainers - I am 'meh' about trainers, in truth, but I can see it is just simpler for schools to say "everyone wears shoes" rather than making individual judgements about each separate pair of trainers. One of the points of having uniform being it takes away the peer pressure over 'designer trainers'.

However I have NO sympathy for the parents who choose to ignore the rule and went out and bought trainers, knowing they were banned.

The shoes rule is fine.

The tights rule is misogynist bullshit and i hope all the girls refuse to comply.

A ban on branded items is a sensible rule. It takes the pressure off both kids and parents.

The tights rule is a bit daft. My niece's school ruled that skirt hems had to be two full inches below the longest finger on their hands with their arms down by their sides. (so about mid thigh for all girls) That seemed to be a happy medium of the girls still having their preference for a short skirt but it wasn't too short.

The time to protest a u inform rule is when its first brought in.

Not when your kid was sent home because you're too thick to read the uniform policy, or couldn't be arsed, or thought it only applied to other people.

I agree with the rule about shoes.

I can understand the tights/socks rule as I am so sick of seeing bare arses when I walk upstairs, but think that's more contentious in terms of comfort.

But fundamentally parents should just follow the code. If you can buy Vivien Westwood ballet flats and a handbag, you could've bought sensible shoes and a rucksack. You were just too weak to stand up to your child's wishes.

Proper shoes makes sense to me with smart uniform. I’m pretty anti-uniform in general but if there is one then these shoes make sense.

the tights thing is bonkers and would have driven me insane at school. I hate wearing tights - too many sensory issues!

personally I’d be happiest with no uniform and whatever shoes / clothes they want, but that rarely happens.

My daughter prefers to wear tights as the boys upskirt them

When I was travelling I ended up accidentally staying for a week in some church rehabilitation programme, and they had a similar philosophy for controlling what the women wore!

Tights can cause yeast infections, especially if worn when the individual feels they are too warm. They should never be required.

The tights rule is ridiculous. What about kids with sensory issues? Tights can often be a big deal for them.. and not everyone has a diagnosis as its often a very long process.

It's grossly unfair of the school to punish the children for the choices of their parents.

School uniforms are a throwback to the 50s and should be abolished.

Parents opposed to school uniform have no choice of where to send their children these days. Both DSs went to a non uniform school where there was a dress code. More than enough.

Shoes fine
Tights- unreasonable! Tights can be sweltering

The shoes I get. It's policy. But insisting on tights for girls is outrageous. But of course it's a male head insisting on tights. He should put his money where his mouth is and wear a pair for a full day to see how much he likes a sweaty crotch and faffing in the toilet and during getting changed for PE.

@Watermelon44 Are girls allowed to wear trousers if they want?

I agree with no trainers as not smart enough for uniform, plus creates problems as a lot of people are brand pigs so have to have Nike etc and then belittle the ones who can't afford it.

I do overall agree with school uniform rules.

A lot of the girls pull their skirts up so high you can see their arse. They were asked to wear rucksacks not handbags, yet a lot have ignored the request and then complain about it.

So rules are there for a reason, to be a great leveller etc.

However, my DD has just been in isolation for 2 days due to her hair dye not having washed out enough over the school holidays (put on as soon as term ended, 10-12 washes but still there). It was originally bright red but had faded to a sort of dark red and we plaited it to minimise it so it was the just that sides that still looked quite bright.

I have had to buy a colour remover and apply last night. They even offered to pay for hair dye to cover it. After using a colour remover, it is a coppery sort of colour and she was allowed back to classes today.

They bang on and on about how important learning is, but she sat for 2 days without her proper lessons all because of a hair colour. I didn't think it was that bad so hadn't given it any thought. They said she would get her normal work, she didn't.

Meanwhile, the girls wearing skirts that barely cover their arse, are still walking around with nothing being done about it, despite that being against the rules. At least 2 other pupils have red hair and have not been put in isolation.

It should be the same rules applied to all

School are in the right, their school their rules.
I think we may be from the same area as we've had this exact thing.
At least 40 denier tights, but can wear socks in hot weather, like the last couple of days, or can wear PE kit.
The school has been trying to tackle the skirt length for years, a lot of the girls barely have their bums covered and wear thigh high socks, I would think the tights are more comfortable than the socks!
There's a fair few stairs in the school and boys are forced to look down or risk being branded a pervert.
Everyone I have seen causing a fuss on social media are the ones I could predict, with the children who seem to go to school to argue with the teachers anyway.
Another local high school haven't even had the PE kit option the last couple of days so the boys are having to wear trousers.

My school was tights all year round. It was an all girls school and every year we requested to wear trousers but always refused. Tights are horrible, uncomfortable and snag so easily. Meanwhile the PE uniform was a skirt the size of a postage stamp and ankle socks so your arse was flapping out during hockey. No logic there at all.

If the school wants legs covered then they need to think about a) why - if the male students (and teachers!) are being “distracted” then they need better PSHE lessons about respect. B) how - if you don’t want legs and arses on display then trousers are much more logical, not as form fitting as tights so the pervs boys and teachers don’t have anything to stare at

The tights rule is utterly ridiculous and the parents should tell the school NO. I hate tights and haven’t worn them in years. Nothing wrong with socks.

In my opinion, the uniform rules should be very basic and simple to apply and only apply sanctions for extreme breaches of uniform.

Black footwear regardless of type. If kids want to wear trainers, then let them.

Cheap supermarket jumpers rather than ridiculous £50 wool based jumpers with a crest on them, that are a nightmare to wash and dry. 😤

Luckily, apart from the jumpers, our school is pretty low key on uniform and kids can have earrings, minimal make-up, trainers and any hairstyle.

Ultimately though, the parents chose to send their kids to that school, they were made aware of the rules (whether or not they think the rules are stupid) and they should stick to them.

But it’s not teaching the kids anything about being professional, most office workers can wear what they want and offices certainly cannot dictate tights and shoes to their staff!

That's weird, so technically they don't mind someone dying their hair, just not certain colours? My hair is naturally red.

I can't stand all this nonsense and am so glad that they don't do this at my DD's school. Her uniform is a skirt or trousers, socks or tights as she wishes, an open neck blouse and jumper. She can remove the jumper whenever she wants. She is happy and ready to learn. Her best friend has to wear a black blazer to school and hasn't been allowed to take it off in the heat. She hates her school, isn't ready to learn and just hasn't gone into school yesterday and today as it's too hot.

I think all uniform is antiquated and pointless. Kids seem to learn at college, and indeed throughout schooling in just about every other western country, without uniform.

It's high time we got rid of it. It's not the social leveller people make it out to be, quite the opposite in fact.

Christ it sounds like my kids school.

The girls aren't allowed belts.

Also to a Pp docs aren't allowed either.

Shoes - neither are right. I understand the logic of the school and they gave plenty of notice, but I really fail to see how it impacts learning.

Tights is stupid. It's hot. Why can't they wear trainer socks with shoes?

Now banning ballet pumps, fully support. They should be banned in general 😂