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!!

School make the rules, pupils should follow them. Our school is the same, also NE if it's the school I'm thinking of. It was made very clear several times at meetings for new starters, plus in letters, plus on their website. Plain, polishable black.shoes, no trainers. Girls must wear tights if choosing the skirt option. Blazers worn at all times unless a teacher says you can take off in a lesson. No jewellery apart from a watch, and no makeup, nails, lashes etc

I don't necessarily agree with all of it but I chose to send dd there so she'll adhere to the rules

As far as I can see the real purpose of uniform is to teach kids that sometimes in life you have to do as you’re told, regardless of your personal views on the matter. In an increasingly undisciplined world I can only see that as a good thing.

No issue with the shoes rule but the tights one is ludicrous! (Teacher here)

Plus tights = thrush increase-

my kids school only allow black, unbranded smart shoes. No canvas, no trainers, no boots.

I think the boots rule is dumb, but its not that hard to find shoes, so i think the parents are being stupid quite frankly.

However the socks/tights rule is awful and i would challenge that vociferously.

Yes

I don’t see the point in either rule. Smart ish black trainers should be fine for school. If a family is struggling financially a pair of black trainers can do for school and home and PE.

The tights rule for girls is surely sexist, I thought most schools had unisex school uniform policies now?

From my mind uniforms should be comfortable, fairly smart and affordable.

Have they actually isolated and excluded 100 odd kids?!

That was yes, they are allowed to wear trousers, for some reason the reply didn’t work

Actually a lot of children don't get places at a school their parents have chosen. Sometimes they submit 3 choices and get none of them. Parental choice is often very limited.

As a teacher and a parent I totally agree with @CaramelicedLatte , @Starlightstarbright2 and others.

My DS’s school allow black trainers and they are so much more comfortable and practical than formal shoes. Last year he had some Nike Air Force and they outlasted Clark’s, Geox etc.

Uniform is so outdated. When I worked in secondary schools, the amount of time wasted on checking kids were wearing their ties the right length and forcing them to wear blazers was ridiculous.

I wish this obsession with stuffy old fashioned uniform was put to bed. Kids learn so much better when they are comfortable and it would cut out so much unnecessary aggro for all concerned.

We have a duty to nurture young people to be themselves and embrace their uniqueness, but then we force them to all dress the same.

In my experience, strict uniform had naff all impact on bullying or behaviour either.

I totally agree with uniforms but I find the footwear rules crazy . Luckily none of the schools around here care too much about what shoes the children wear. My daughter is currently wearing converse hi tops. I never buy school specific shoes. That tights rule is also crazy.

New heads bring in new uniform rules as a way of stamping their 'authority'.

Office shoes are fine for an office, not fine for students walking to school in all weathers, playing football in break times etc etc.

Thick tights for girls? Really?

If children are walking a long way plain black trainers or trainer type boots are going to be more comfortable than leather brogue type shoes. I think the tights rule is also silly. Can't girls wear trousers?
Schools could be more flexible but can understand not allowing very short skirts and coloured branded trainers.
What I really disagreed with was a year 7 pupil being kept in a room on her own on her first day at secondary school for wearing ballet flats.
I agree that they aren't the most suitable shoe for school but it was OTT and was probably a bit frightening for her.
Contacting the parents to tell them lace up shoes were required would have been more proportionate.
I don't like the trend for dressing up kids like office workers or making schools like the army.
I prefer the more relaxed polo shirt and sweatshirt with plain black trousers. More comfortable.

Small town then you likely get no choice at all. We didn't.

We are in the NE, the tights issue is just madness.

The shoe issue is also however it’s the rules.

My issue is the children having to carry empty school bags, their books are kept in the school and they have lockers for their pencil cases…. However detentions are now being given for those not carrying school bags….

Resulting in the children now carrying a plastic disposable Lidl shopping bag 😂🙄

Heavy office shoes go against keeping young people active and healthy.

new heads bring in meaningless but enforceable rules when they feel the things that count (behaviour, results etc) are out of their control.

I really dislike the use of detention, isolation etc for punishing students for something which is likely completely out if their control.

I really dislike the use of detention, isolation etc for punishing students for something which is likely completely out if their control.

Teacher here, and I totally agree.

The girls aren't allowed belts? Is it an all-girls school or are boys allowed belts?!

Surely with the wide variety of waist to hip ratios which teenage girls have, making it difficult to find perfectly fitting skirts or trousers, girls are much more likely than boys to need belts. As a lot of secondary schools don't allow pinnafores, surely the no belts rule is just asking to have girls with trousers falling half down to show their bums- neither smart-looking nor adequately covered-up.

My daughter has sensory issues with some items of clothing. She wore socks all through school, even in snow. She would refuse to go to school if made to wear tights. It’s would cause a massive issue for her.

If it's anything like our local secondary school, the tights rule may have been bought in out of desperation.... to protect the girls' modesty.. The 'skirt roll over' frenzy is so extreme around here that you see more butt cheeks on the school run than you likely would at an annual naturist's convention.

I agree with you. But I also think the same about trainers. Enforcing strict uniform code is just petty control.

I thought the whole point of uniform was to ensure equal footing - brands cause issue, because it divides those that can afford e.g. Nike compared to those who will be wearing supermarket bought shoes.
However, unbranded (and whatever style) I'm not sure; maybe to ensure the 'street wise' can't differentiate from the 'nerd'....we all have our own style when it comes to clothes and shoes 🤷‍♂️

DS school does not allow any other style of shoes other than smart black shoes (trainer style, kickers etc aren't part of the uniform).

I do think people make much more noise now compared to 20 years ago. I had a sibling who was sent home as his hair was a 'little too long'- it barely reached his earlobes.

Absolutely

Absolutely. Both rules are silly.