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?

Absolutely insane. We live overseas and kids have no uniform; the world still ticks on. Blazers/ ties are so Victorian in my opinion; a relaxed PE style uniform ought to be adequate.

When I was at secondary school, we had a light cotton dress which was the same colours (pale blue and navy) as the winter gym slip and long sleeve blouses that we wore. Children can't learn properly if they are either too hot or too cold.

I’m all for uniform (grew up in a non uniform
country, and that fashion show in school was horrendous, especially if you couldn’t afford 5+ different sets of fashionable branded clothes several time a year),
However, insisting on blazers and ties in the hear is awful. Trousers or skirt + shirt is perfectly acceptable both in terms of weather and formality

Totally agree and given more frequent higher temperatures schools need to be including proper summer clothing in their uniforms.

Ridiculous to expect children to learn it they are too warm

there's one of the school here locally that have turned their PE kit into their school uniform full time

Kids will be in tracksuit bottoms, collared tshirts and jumpers the whole time.

It's much more comfortable/practical as uniform these days.

And then they wonder why so many of the pupils feel ill, can't concentrate, get headaches etc.
DS secondary sent out an email saying jumpers/blazers are to be worn into school but can be taken off once there. Which means they still need to cart it around all day in their already ridiculously overweight backpacks plus PE bag, DT supplies etc.
They are still expected to wear their tie and tuck their shirt in.

My DCs school (traditional Blazer and tie) introduced House t-shirts which are used when hot (and often after summer half term).

My school has relaxed Blazers this week. We have gone to PE kit in the past. Perfectly sensible.

I would be 100% against removing the uniforms though and permanently going to PE kit or similar.

We had a message on Friday to say no blazers or ties this week. They have even introduced shorts this year for the boys, but unfortunately the boys don't think they are cool so don't wear them 🙄

For those with very strict schools, perhaps send the head a link to this thread. I think heads believe that parents love very strict uniform rules, it might make them more confident to relax them a bit if they see that parents are in favour of it.

That's a brilliant idea!

And teachers complain about lack of respect.

I'd venture in any school that expected blazer, collar, tie, socks and closed in shoes that cover the foot that all staff should follow the same rules at all times.

I made the point in about 2000 when five year old DS was expected to wear a collar and tie as the needle hit 80°. Shall I say that the school secretary, wearing a cotton skirt, tee shirt and open toe sandals, was a bit pissy about it. I also wrote to the chair of governors.

The following Monday the female staff had abandoned their bare shoulders and flip flops and the men were back in long trousers with shirts. Rules were ame ded to: If Mr X removes his tie, so may the children.

We had a uniform cotton summer dress in the 1960's...not gingham either....Why and when did that change?

Very similar to DC’s school - they have had ‘house’ polo shirts for many years, which can be worn instead of shirt and tie all summer term. Shirts can also be short, 3/4 or long sleeved.

DS school has been no blazers since Monday. It used to be a bit of a fight but now they just do it.
One of the reasons the school gave was that many students (including my DS) used their blazer as a pencil case and when they left it at home, they forgot pens, calculators, homework, sandwiches, you name it!
Their PE kit is plastic and super uncomfortable and smelly for all day wear.
I'd support a polo shirt, but people may complain that that's another thing to buy.

But not being allowed to take off blazers in class, regardless of time of year, is crazy

Ours is always sensible - this week they’ve been told they can leave blazers and ties at home (jumpers aren’t really a thing they wear, and are optional). If it gets hotter they usually say they can wear PE kit.

Our primary school is no ties all summer term (summer dresses for girls). And secondary is polo shirts only, no jumpers the rest of the week. They have enough behavioural problems as it is, so they must realise that keeping them boiling doesn’t help.

Dd’s school has given them permission to not take a blazer at all with them this week!

she’s cuffed to bits! And so am I tbh.

We’ve not had anything through yet re uniform. My school used to have no ties after the end of May half term, we didn’t have blazers.

The school have said that the children don't have to wear their blazers in to school for the next week.

utterly batshit.

Workplaces aren't schools. And while there are exceptions, i have never ever worked anywhere except the army where people were sanctioned for taking off a jacket or tie or jumper.

Why would standards of behaviour plummet? IME behaviour would become "worse" because sensible children would be taking off the blazer and jumper and possibly the tie, and girls wouldn't wear tights. Any teacher that didn't allow this is an idiot, regardless of what their head says.

Traditional uniform that looks like 80s business wear is outdated bollocks and should be scrapped. A logo polo shirt and jumper/cardigan should be all that is required by any school in any weather. Let them wear whatever they like on the bottom half - as long as no one has their bum cheeks out who cares?!
Local state secondaries round here seem to be the worst offenders for not allowing common sense when it’s hot and stick to their OTT policies. The private school kids all get the option of going in PE kit/leaving blazers and jumpers at home

Secondary school uniforms are bonkers nowadays. When I was at school we had summer uniform from after Easter to October uniform. It was a short sleeved blouse with rêvers, navy skirt with white/black/navy socks. No one was expected to wear a blazer or jumper. We used to freeze weak orange squash as well in big bottles so we could drink that at break time to keep us cool.

in primary school there was no uniform so it was T-shirt and shorts for all of the summer term.

Our school used to be like that but changed to PE kits after May half term which makes much more sense.

Unfortunately it’s a sad fact that some school staff (definitely not all - there are great Teachers) have their heads stuck up their backsides.
These tend to be the ones that seriously believe they work harder than everyone else for instance - that they ‘deserve’ their lengthy holidays because of the fact that they do work harder than everyone else.
That’s not to say that they don’t work hard - but so do many professions (and harder in many cases without the holidays)!

My son’s school have said no blazers. He wears short sleeve shirts all year round as dislikes the feeling of cuffs and none of them wear jumpers.