Bonsoir wrt to your comment about council houses are you falling into the trap of thinking all council reszidents are non workers? Not so!
Apart from the obvious truth that those who are less able will fall into LA housing (disabled, carers, borderline LD, etc etc) a great many people on the estates work, even if low paid, or even own their own homes.
My dad had a decent career, manager in alrge factory, but never moved off the estate becuase that was home; most people just bought their houses when they could.
DS's first school served a very low income area; mostly rented or self owned but still very much an estate. Did people give a damn about thier appearance? Nope. there was a fab atmosphere though, happy kids. Whereas here they are all very well groomed, well off in the main and there simply isn't that sense of community and investment in the school.
Shame.
Why I am not sure; certainly the Mums here seem tot hink they 'deserve' a good school withouta sking- verbally abusing PTA ladies if funds are low, but rumnning to the gym and never the fundraiser.
As an outsier I see much more od a sense of entitlement from teh well off moums than the ones back home. We've earned / married well / so our school should be great without our input.
WHereas at home if you want something sone you do it yourself.
it's only a comparison of 2 schools lcearly but I find it very.... interesting.
Actually, ds3 attends an SNU class in a council estate. Tiny school, one class per year and SNU only.
I've never been there for drop off so have no idea (or care) how parents look, but I know I have neer been to such a welcoming, inclusive or effective school. DH walkd in with some cakes for a afyre and was asked whose parent he was; he said and staff came running out to say how glad they were to have ds3 there. comapred to aprents in MS complaining that the TA was used by him (funded just for him) and they had to fight for her attention (when he left there was no funding for replacement so they lost put didn't they?)
Clwearly tehre is a level of self respect in how you handle yourself and that you look clean, etc. But as for anything else- nah. A few eyars ago teh expensive manicures and haircuts might have turned my head (we're the only school I know where the GP opposite offers Botox!) and amde me think it's something above; experience has taught me otherwise. Kid s thrive in a welcoming happy environment, not where mums are competitive or more focussed on coffee and the local boutique than putting something in personally.
(And yes I do help out whenever I can, of course).