Do you think schools should relax uniforms policies re hot weather

[Cozc]

Going to be 26-31c for the rest of the month. My friend’s DD’s academy has told pupils and parents that they are not allowed to remove blazers in lessons (bar PE).

This is ridiculous. Bet the female teachers are wearing light floaty dresses, skirts and short sleeve tops. Male teachers - short sleeve shirts and a lighter coloured trousers.

Why do schools expect the pupils to wear a blazer?

Many years ago, when I was around 5 or 6, I remember my headteacher apologising profusely in an assembly for taking his blazer off in the heat. I was utterly bemused by his apology at the time, because it seemed to me blindingly obvious that you should not wear a blazer if you're really hot, and that nobody would care in the slightest if you took it off.

I remain utterly bemused that schools are not just using their common sense on this. It is ridiculous to make kids wear unnecessary layers of clothing in hot weather, and I can't see how being uncomfortably hot and sweaty is likely to be in any way conducive to their learning.

No blazers this week where I teach - they can leave them at home.

No blazers until end of term for DD except for the whole school photo which seems fair enough and weekly chapel which is also fine because that’s at 9am and in a cold building. Jumpers/cardigans are never mandatory and the older girls who don’t wear the summer dress can do a skirt, short sleeved open neck blouse and ankle socks.

What on earth is the point of forcing the kids to swelter? It’s hardly going to be good for learning and just seems archaic since most workplaces are a lot more relaxed these days and then even if you work at Foxtons they’ll have air conditioning. Nowhere would an adult be expected to sit in a 30+ degree room in a suit, tie and jumper. How is it ok to do that to school kids?

My kids school is crazy strict on uniform (eg tights are different for ks3/4 and tights/ankle socks (white)/knee socks (blue) are timetabled through the year) - they wear PE kit when it’s hot.

Teacher - secondary. Where I work blazers and jumpers are optional during the summer term. Blazing heat = PE kit if you want.

I don't mind school uniform but it should be practical and comfortable.

My sons secondary school wear blue v neck jumpers and short sleeve shirt with clip on tie. They have to wear their jumper and tie until they are in the doors, then they can be removed until they leave the external doors again. So uniform is just for show then 🤣 I’m glad for them as it used to be they’d have to leave both on all day, but come on, where’s the duty of care 🤷🏻‍♀️

It's madness. If I'm hot I take off my jumper/blazer. If I'm cold I put them on. This is how layers work. Shirt, jumper and blazer are all uniform so what's the problem? Why would I need permission?

Both of my sons’ schools allow blazers off while seated anyway.
They now also don’t have to wear ties, can have top button open and no blazers at all. So oldest wears grey cotton trousers and a shortsleeved cotton shirt, youngest grey cotton shorts and a cotton shortsleeved shirt.
Everyone happy

When I was teaching I used to let the kids take off blazers and jumpers (regardless of the school rules!) I wasn’t having kids passing out on my watch!

Dc school says they can remove blazers

Same!

makes no sense to wear blazers and jumpers, no adults are going to work wearing blazers and jumpers in this heat!

Mine can wear PE kit all summer term, it looks nicer than the balzer/trousers combo to me wish they had a winter version with joggers and jumper.

Thankfully my DC school is very sensible and the jumper is not compulsory at all other than for photos.

But if a school tried to enforce warm clothing on my DC when it was due to be 26 degrees plus I'd keep them home on the basis that it's a health and safety concern.

We are on hot weather dress now until the end of term. If wished, no blazers, ties, socks for girls not tights, jumpers always optional. Private school. Teachers need not wear full suits or ties either.
I wish we were like Australia and had a (age appropriate) summer dress even for senior pupils (and so does my daughter).

When I hear the ridiculousness of some schools I’m aghast. We move to and from hot weather dress throughout the summer term. There’s even a category on the uniform rules about it.

School uniform is so out dated. I don't have a problem with it as a concept but it needs to be modernised. For example black, grey or navy joggers and sweatshirt with a polo shirt with school logo or in school colours. This should be standard at primary schools and would be my preference for secondary too, but I'd also be ok with smarter trousers and shirts if a school wants to be more formal. There is no need for ties and blazers nowadays, even the most corporate city firms don't dress so formerly any more. Let kids be kids.

Where I live, schools have dress codes rather than uniforms and coats/jackets have to be taken off in class from a health and safety/social etiquette perspective (there are more issues in winter than summer with this due to cold classrooms!).

I don't get why blazers would ever have to be kept on in a classroom?! It can't be comfortable to work in one, especially the thicker ones if you've grown a bit recently. They're a nonsense up with us anyway - you've got kids standing at the end of farm tracks waiting a long time for buses in all weathers and they need to be wearing a proper winter jacket with a hood (even in June sometimes!) not something serving only a decorative function.

I'm not a fan of uniform but if I had to enforce one I'd put all teenagers in a permanent PE type uniform (easy wash school tshirt, joggers, trainers with jumper as required by the pupil). That way they're comfortable, ready for anything in any subject throughout the school day and might even feel like a bit of a kick about at football, basketball or jumping on the swings at a breaktime - which we especially want given the low participation rates of teenage girls in sport.

The school my DH teaches at has short sleeved summer shirts for summer and blazers can be removed in lessons (only have to be worn walking around the campus).

I think they should bin off uniform all together maybe p.e kits comfortable clothes all year around.

Dd's school (junior) and ds's (secondary) are both very sensible. Summer uniform, no jumper, for dd (and long term they've ditched ties from the winter uniform altogether). Polo shirt and trousers for boys, no jumper requirement of ties, no blazers.

Sounds like that school was much more sensible. Some of the girls rebelled and wore socks but mine wouldn't because she didn't want to get in trouble 😔

My kids school has said no jumpers so that good, but my DD insists on still taking her coat in everyday, as it’s official uniform and the school didn’t say not to bring that in. Bless her 🥵

If my child were at a school like this I would enter an official complaint and take it to the governors if necessary. I'd also consider noting it as a safeguarding risk with the council.

Blazers are impractical for so many reasons. Too hot in summer, yet impractical for rainy weather.

It's also rotten that kids have exams during what is usually the best of our very short summer. By the time term finishes, the best of the summer is usually long gone.

Schools are nuts to do this! It should always be weather appropriate as how can kids learn when they are uncomfortable and overheating?

My ex told me his brother was incessant home for not wearing a blazer. It was freezing and he had a ski jacket in that he couldn’t fit his blazer under. The whole blazer thing is madness. When I was at school we could wear a polo shirt in summer which was much better than a normal school shirt (it had to be the right shade of yellow yuck). We did fight for the right for females to wear trousers especially as we live on the west coast of Scotland and winter could be brutal.