To tell the school my child will NOT go to detention..

[Nataliaa]

DD year 7 has been given a 30 minute detention tomorrow afternoon, after school. Since starting secondary, she has received 2 detentions- 1 for forgetting her PE shorts and 1 for not completing homework.
I fully supported the school and the consequences DD had to face on these 2 occasions. She did learn from each time and since then, she has always been organised with PE kit and completing homework.
DD is well behaved, works hard and all school reports have been brilliant so we have no concerns.

Back to today… it is 31 degrees and the school allowed blazers to be left at home, but still expected the children to be in their shirt, ties and trousers (the school recently banned skirts, and does not allow shorts so all children are in trousers. All year round)

During lunch break, DD loosened her tie and untucked her shirt as she was so hot and sweaty… and then forgot to tuck in her shirt and redo tie before going back in.
She walked into English and straight away the teacher told her to tuck the shirt in and do tie, which she did.
Then whilst sat down she untucked the shirt again… she then got up for something and the teacher noticed the shirt untucked and as she had already been told once, she was given the detention.
DD tried to explain she was just so hot and sweaty, she felt she couldn’t concentrate and loosening the shirt helped.. she was then told off for answering back.

I do not agree with this detention at all. Other local schools have let kids go in wearing PE kits in this heat. The teacher was not wearing shirt and tie- she was wearing a floaty and cool summer dress.
I can’t think for the life of me how an untucked shirt would affect DD’s education, and why it’s more important to stick to a strict dress code rather than doing whatever is comfortable in this heat!!

I have never been in the position to disagree with the school, and not sure what would happen if I refuse to let DD go to this detention… also not sure if that’s setting the wrong message to DD, as I always encourage following school rules!!

Any advice? Is this a hill worth dying on? What would you do?

They are ridiculous. Schools should have a different uniform (i.e. no shirt and tie) for summer. The one I went to in the 90s/early 2000s did. It’s backwards for schools to insist on shirts and ties when it’s increasingly more common to see temperatures in the late 20s or above. We only had to wear a shirt and tie after October half term until Easter.
The fact it sounds like this teacher was dressed for the weather speaks volumes. Probably one of the sort who looked for an argument and disliked children.

I'd complain to governors about the uniform policy in general.

Welsh schools are the same. My dds school only grudgingly allowed blazers off when loads of parents kept their children off one day last week when the temp soared to the early 30s

I’m in edinburgh! Every school I know has a uniform.

30 kids all standing up for injustice in lesson time. 🤔

Falkirk. At the one of the only two not failing schools in the area. They aren’t uber strict but it features in every single communication from the head teacher, and there are consequences for not wearing the correct uniform.

For something as pathetic as untucking your shirt when it’s 31 degrees yes I expect children to answer back and I’d expect their parents to be backing them. I work in a school and wouldn’t ever enforce that within the class room. It’s about power, nothing else

The Health and Safety Executive recommends formal dress codes should be relaxed when it is hot: Temperature in the workplace: Managing workplace temperatures - HSE https://share.google/BEEzQ8JfW5m7tc9kw

@Nataliaa

I’ve always been baffled by ties being compulsory in so many schools. Why do they need to be dressed like they’re off to the office at 11 years old?

Ties aren't even "office attire" anymore in lots of firms, even professional firms are getting more and more casual. The whole "tie" thing is completely antiquated, both in schools and workplaces.

YABU - the detention is for going against what the teacher had asked she was let off the original offence on the condition that she rectified Although she did she then repeated it almost immediately.

This is completely separate to whether the schools hot weather uniform requirements are reasonable.

👏🏻 some people really need to crawl out of teachers arseholes

Offence 🤣🤣🙂

It sounds like this teacher is one of those who gives teachers a bad name. It’s boiling hot, who cares if a child’s shirt isn’t tucked in? I went to a similarly draconian secondary school and hated every minute of it, even though I was generally well behaved. I wouldn’t make her go to the detention and I’d be telling the school why.

Teachers don’t care how it affects children’s education when they are sending kids home/into isolation for incorrect uniform or unnatural hair colour. It’s absolutely about power

I just don't understand how there are so many adults willing to actually enforce this shite in general, but on a day like today, you have to be a really awful person to watch a child swelter and decide that you will punish them for trying to get comfortable.
Thank God there are parents who fight back against this kind of madness.

Unfortunately there’s also a lot of parents that wouldn’t going by this thread…

Oh everyone who is saying your DD is BU are being ridiculous. It's REALLY hot, most schools have allowed PE kits as it's ludicrously hot. I don't blame your DD for being irritable with the jobs worth teacher - whilst she was in a summer dress and they are sweltering. Our secondary schools have lost the plot.

a. No children are allowed in this ONE bedroom flat
b. what would be your advice here. https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/welsh-apartment-block-its-unbearable-24753259

and here...........https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5363851-temp-accommodation-unsafe-baby-overheating-what-can-i-do?page=6&reply=145353096

Oh get a grip, an untucked shirt is not an offence.

It is a slippery slope between untucked shirt and becoming a criminal.

Ive always been anti-uniform. Never seen a good argument to have them. It is just a power trip and a way to attempt to hide the incompetence. The more I read about these, the more ridiculous it gets. And don't get me started on the rules regarding accessories.

Same and I’m delighted not to have to whinge about skirts being rolled up far too far. A child walking away from me last week was displaying her butt cheeks, at least in PE kit, their shorts are pretty respectable, although I think their white normal shirts are probably cooler than their thick polos.

My son’s school has allowed them to go in Pe kits today, up until now they’ve been allowed to ditch their blazers. Ties have remained and shirts have to be tucked in, they are allowed to wear tailored shorts on year around if preferred.
Whilst I agree the school should have switched to pe kit the detention is for doing something she had been asked not to do (untucking her shirt) and then she probably was hot and grumpy and answered back.
If she was rude then really the detention should stand, I would be sending an email in for clarification.
I’ve explained to my son that I totally agree that some school rules are bonkers, however they are the school rules and that it’s his job to follow them because he chose the school he went to.
I tuck my shirt in for work, although we’re in summer mode we’re still expected to look professional.

I once watched a teacher bawl at a student for having untidy uniform while she stood there wearing a shapeless unironed skirt, a shapeless fleece, a shapeless untucked t-shirt and a pair of those godawful hiking sandals (I mean they're ok for actual hiking, but they look terrible with skirts and shouldn't be worn at work). It really was the height of hypocrisy.

This sounds like a health and safety issue. Children who are too hot in the classroom are at risk of dehydration and distress and discomfort. This school is imposing strict dress codes in unusual circumstances.

I think parents need to keep complaining about this during warm weather, it needs to be addressed as our summers get hotter for longer.

It seems like it would be an easy change to set a rule that means children can choose to wear their already existing PE Kits in June and July.