Post the most petty rule your school has for teachers

[MaryBerrysEyelashes]

That might explain the teacher recruitment shortage

I remember one school where the HT mused that perhaps staff should only use school branded ones, and pupils only school branded pens and pencils.

The bursar shot that down very very very quickly!

This thread has reminded me of the time I had a TA in my class who would wear range of French connection tee-shirts to work, back when they said FCUK on them.

Oh, those were quickly banned where I work!
Then any logos, any wording etc.

What else are they doing?

The people on this thread who are arguing teachers should be allowed to wear what they like … no.

Teaching is a profession and teachers should look like the professionals they are.

I once did some shadowing at our local comp and was shocked to see what teachers thought appropriate - spaghetti strap vests, sarong skirts, flip flops. It looked like they didn’t care, didn’t expect respect from the students, and didn’t themselves respect the school’s values.

It depends what you mean by professional clothing though. I think, for example that is ridiculous to ask Early Years and KS1 and probably even KS2 teachers to wear a formal business suit. It is really inappropriate for all the bending/stretching/squatting/kneeling etc that you have to do, as well as the way you are likely to end up covered in glue/ paint/snot (or worse - I once had a KS2 child throw up over my shoes). Whatever you wear has to be easily washable!

I do agree that teachers should look "neat and tidy" though and that clothes should not show underwear or be revealing when stretching or bending.

I've never taught anywhere like that, and genuinely don't know of schools without a dress code, but there are always outliers. I would personally always dress smartly, I tend to wear a shirt, jacket and trousers. However, I would really like to wear smart trainers. On my feet all day, up and down 3 flights of stairs.... I've never found shoes as good as trainers!

No visible tattoos.
No dyed hair ( unless a natural colour like brown).
No bare arms no matter how hot it got- and it did get very hot.
Knees to be covered at all times.
No excessive jewellery, one small earring in each ear.
No other piercings.
No high heels.
No sandals.
No boots.
No trainers.
No open toes or heels.
Men must wear a tie.
Men must wear a long sleeved shirt and suit trousers- preferably a suit but a suit was not absolutely compulsory.
No leggings.
Nothing low cut or remotely see- through.
Shoulders must be covered.
No shorts.
Also, no smoking whilst walking to/from school.
Went down like a lead balloon especially when you saw the state of some of the parents/pupils.

Oh and even the caretakers were encouraged to wear a suit!

I taught in a special school with severely autistic and learning disabled primary aged pupils. They're were no rules for what we wore, because we had to be able to move easily, and clothes would easily be ruined. So most of us wore jeans/stretch trousers and plain tee shirts/sweatshirts etc. Our HT always wore stylish above the knee skirts and dresses, but she avoided the kids wherever possible.

Dress codes are unheard of in Scottish schools. In 40 years I never came across this apart from the trousers nonsense.

Oh yes and on PE days staff had to change into a PE kit, not allowed to stay in their original clothes.

We're the staff doing the PE along with the kids? 🤣

This is probably outing

We had the department toilet taken off us.
It became a dedicated disabled toilet.
Fair enough you may think
BUT
They put a number lock on the door (wrong)
it had no adaptations for disabilities inside (wrong)
it was too small to be a disabled toilet (wrong)
they complained that we took the toiletries that we supplied out.
And finally (and I shit you not)
It was up a set of stairs so was inaccessible for lots of disabilities.

Ours is no jeans. That’s it.

Well, yes? Why is that funny? How do you think PE is taught?

Scottish schools have much worse educational outcomes than English ones. Maybe connected?

@Bernadinetta I taught my classes PE and never participated in it myself, nor did any of my colleagues so, yes, it does seem funny to me imagining teachers climbing up apparatus etc.
Anything I had to demonstrate didn't require me to be in a PE kit.

@PepforPM I don't think Scottish schools have that much worse results than English ones that could be caused by a lack of a teachers' dress code. Our school was full of excellent teachers who dressed smartly without being told what they could or couldn't wear.

"Much worse educational outcomes" would not fit with my own experience of Scottish education - I wonder what that's based on? Given different exams are taken, there's no SATS, bit like comparing apples and oranges?

Agreed. I don't know where these "facts" have come from. Certainly in my experience of primary teaching, English schools were far poorer. I left a P3 Scottish class to teach Y6 in England and couldn't believe the messiness of their presentation, using pens which made it even messier and the lack of structure in general.
Then when I returned to Scotland, any pupils we got from England were noticeably behind, especially in spelling.

@RaraRachael @Thatstheheatingon

OECD PISA measures of maths, science and literacy. Look them up. Scotland is worse than England on all three - and is actually declining, not closing the gap. Not a popular fact in Scottish quarters but that’s what a couple of decades of mismanagement by the SNP will do for you.

Oh, it's well known by everybody that the Scottish system is shit

I can't comment in secondary schools as au was primary. The Curriculum for Excellence is a heap of shit and many schools in Scotland are now doing play based learning so kids can basically choose to do nothing for 3 years so that won't improve matters.

However I don't think any drop in standards would be rectified by teachers having a strict dress code.

@RaraRachael On its own, probably no. However it’s a sign of the same root problems - “progressive” ideology and teachers’ unions being allowed to run the roost, rather than evidence-based approaches that have been rolled out in English schools over the last 20 years and have been very effective at lifting standards.

As someone else said, teachers shouldn’t need to be told to dress or act professionally but sadly some of them do need to be told.

Very grateful to teach in a (government, primary, in Australia) where we don't have a dress code or rules beyond being sun smart and wearing a broad-brimmed hat outdoors for most of the year. Which you'd be crazy not to do in Australia!

also glad kids can wear practical clothes to learn and play - a simple uniform of tracksuit pants / skort / shorts (no logo, so can be bought cheaply just in the school colour and a polo top and jumper / cardi. with any shoes that are comfortable to run around in - most wear trainers. As long as there's no flip flops, heels etc, any shoes are fine.

since being in Aus I can't understand British schools that insist on blazers / ties / ironed button-up shirts and formal shoes. Plus getting changed for PE then changed back again to run around for 45 minutes - but the lunch and break time running around are done in the uniform?! Seems very silly. I remember someone here saying they moved to the UK and described her 4 year old son looking like a 'miniature estate agent' in a little suit starting school. I love that in Australian schools, the kids are comfortable and don't waste time changing clothes for PE. Sensible, comfortable, sun smart and age appropriate.