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Primary education

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Original poster

Girls must have their hair tied up

117 replies

nothappymummy2014 · 20/10/2014 18:41

Our daughter's school has now said all girls must wear their hair tied up. I think this is ridiculous and just wondered if this was a rule in other primary schools?

Our DD hates her hair being tied up and her hair is only just about shoulder length. Getting more and more fed up of parental and child choice being taken away over trivial matters.

OP posts:
Yardarm · 20/10/2014 21:29

Not a rule at our school. Many girls choose to tie hair back but not all.

Unlike others on this thread, I find DD gets nits more easily when her hair is tied up than when it is down. More appealing to them (warm and cosy) when tied back perhaps??

DeWee · 20/10/2014 21:46

All hair that touches the collar must be tied back.
I remember when the rule was introduced. There was a very sudden spate of haircutting among the year 6 boys over the weekend. Grin

I think it's very sensible.

However you could go and speak to them about your dd's hearing aid. I was at a secondary which was very strict about tying the hair back, but there was one girl in the year below who always had her hair loose and no one said anything about it, which was slightly puzzling. One time I had to go into a science class and she had tied it back, and she had a hearing aid.
Talking to her one time she mentioned that she'd been given permission as long as she tied it back for sport and science, which was surprisingly sensible and thoughtful considering how strict they were usually on uniform.

nonicknameseemsavailable · 20/10/2014 23:05

plaits or low bunches could cover hearing aids couldn't they, a low ponytail with the hair swept down over the ears would do the same.

Bemused33 · 21/10/2014 08:59

Am I being daft or stupid. Would you consider this to be indicative of bullying? A is a disruptive child and difficult to manage but he really has it in for my son. I have been up the school in a meeting but it has disintegrated again. The school refuse to call it bullying...why? I don't understand. My son has left beavers and will not go swimming anymore.

Spring of 2014
A shoved a tray into Bs neck. I spoke to the teacher about this and he was reprimanded. At the time I took it to be an isolated incident of physical aggression.

25th June 2014
A punched B in the stomach. This was again raised with the school.

8th July 2014
A altered B work when marking it.

Following my meeting there were no more incidents in this school year.

22nd September 2014
A accuses B of using his pens in Art Club. B is reprimanded for this even though he did not use A pens.

15th October 2014
B tells his teacher that A has a lollipop in his pencil case. A is rightfully reprimanded. I have told B not to report on A unless what he has done has a direct impact on him. A then tells B that he hates him.

20th October 2014
B was playing football and was in goal. A has come and pushed B twice to stop him playing in goal. B has left goal and A took the position of goalie. B has reported A to a dinner supervisor. She has reprimanded A and made him stop playing football. B has resumed playing in goal. When the children were in line to come back, A has left his place in the line and told B he hates him. Another children heard heard him.

All of these incidents have been reported to the school and I have spoken to and emailed the head teacher. They are investigating yesterdays incident today.

Bemused33 · 21/10/2014 09:00

sorry not sure why that posted here

ShelaghTurner · 21/10/2014 09:05

Is the rule at our school and wouldn't send DD1 in with loose hair even if it wasn't. Far too messy and distracting for a start. I'm 43 and it was the rule when I was in primary school so it's not new.

ElephantsNeverForgive · 21/10/2014 09:06

Nits live right up close to the scalp where they are warm and hidden. So I think tying up hair is a total red herring!

It's just another piece of school uniform, you will conform, control freaky.

I'm with the OPs DD tell them to bugger off.

tiggytape · 21/10/2014 09:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Only1scoop · 21/10/2014 09:09

It's a rule at dd school even if it wasn't I'd put her hair up for school.

redskybynight · 21/10/2014 09:14

I wouldn't be happy with a rule that said "girls must tie their hair up".

I would be fine (for reasons mentioned here) with a rule that said "long hair must be tied up".

(my DD has short hair that I'm not sure could be tied back, whereas a boy in her glass has hair below his shoulders)

FishWithABicycle · 21/10/2014 09:23

I agree you should insist that they reword the rule "any hair longer than X must be tied back" - it is not appropriate to reinforce the old stereotype that all girls have long hair and all boys have short hair.

Then go to a good kids hairdresser and find a style which meets the rules whilst covering her hearing aids.

Or see if you can turn the hearing aid into a fashion accessory e.g. listen-up.org/images/IMG_3770.jpg

Wolfbasher · 21/10/2014 09:24

I sympathise about the hearing aid issue. For a while at school, I wore my hair in plaits, with the plaits more or less covering my hearing aids.

The alternative is a shorter style, that covers the ears?

nappyaddict · 21/10/2014 09:53

those schools that say hair must be tied up do they allow hair styles where the top half is tied up and the bottom half is down or does it all have to be tied up?

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 21/10/2014 11:08

My DD's hair is in a longish bob and she doesn't have to have it tied back for school. At our school anyone with shoulder length hair or longer needs to be tied back. Clearly there are more girls than boys affected but it does apply to both equally. Similarly my DD is excused as her hair is shorter (although not as short as most boys).

QuillPen · 21/10/2014 11:20

Pretty sure the rule in my school is girls have to have long hair tied back... Boys are not allowed to have long hair.

MissYamabuki · 21/10/2014 11:29

Not a rule in dd's school. Can see the rationale but it sounds a bit totalitarian.

TalkinPeace · 21/10/2014 13:07

Emo year 6 boys with ribbons in their hair for PE is always worth it BTW Grin

Pooka · 21/10/2014 13:11

Dd hated having her hair tied back when she was younger.

She had a lovely chin length bob instead. Impossible to tie back and complied with sensible school rule.

Now she's grown it long and has got over her aversion to tying hair back.

BramwellBrown · 21/10/2014 13:47

Both my DC's schools have the rule that anyone with hair long enough to tie up should have it tied up. It's because long hair gets in the way and apparently it looks neater tied up.

RaisinBoys · 21/10/2014 13:55

"Getting more and more fed up of parental and child choice being taken away over trivial matters."

Home educate!

Only thing that is wrong with the directive is that you say it is aimed at the girls. I would be very surprised if it was worded thus - I suspect it said something along the lines of "...hair longer than collar length to be tied back." This would apply to both girls and boys.

Your wording makes a more controversial thread title though....

ChocolateWombat · 21/10/2014 17:24

It is entirely normal for long hair to be tied back and for it to be a requirement in schools. Of course, it is not possible to tie it up if is shorter than a certain length.
It helps with nits, but is mostly about general tidiness. Just as school uniform is to encourage tidiness, so is tying long hair back....otherwise is falls all over the work and is a hazard in PE.
Tbh I can't see any objection to it!

I'm afraid I don't have much sympathy for people who see this as a draconian rule. No doubt if you object to this, you object to lots of things about school and probably see it as trying to crush individuality. If this is the case, then possibly home education is the way forward.

I do have sympathy about the hearing aids and suspect the school would be a it later with your daughter, or there might be ways to just tie her hair partly up. But as a general principle for girls, I think it is a good one.

Original poster
nothappymummy2014 · 21/10/2014 18:13

There has been no correspondence from school about the new rule except for the Head telling us off at the school gate. So of course we are expected to be mind readers as well!

It was the Head's word that girls have to have their hair tied up. It is unclear exactly what the rules are.

OP posts:
SweetTeaVodka · 21/10/2014 18:40

It was the rule when I was at primary school! I'm actually surprised that it isn't at some schools. Secondary school we had to gave it tied back too, we were allowed it down in Sixth Form. My workplace requires all employees with hair touching their collars to have it tied back also.

Are you sure the rule change wasn't more widely communicated? Could you have missed it in a newsletter or not received a note home?

Original poster
nothappymummy2014 · 21/10/2014 18:55

No - I religiously look on the school website for letters and newsletters. There is nothing about this on there. This is typical of the school and it's many failings. Put it this way pretty much the whole teaching staff (Teachers and TA's) have left the school in the couple of years daughter has been there - and that is from the headteacher down.

OP posts:
ChocolateWombat · 21/10/2014 21:12

So, is this really about the hair, or about the school generally?

It seems a bit ott to be getting so stressed about the fact that you can't find a communication where a pretty usual and sensible rule is stated in black and white.

It is highly likely the rule applies to any long hair and not to the hair of all girls, but that was just the way it was expressed - not really a hanging offence.

If you have wider issues with the school, the. Definitely go in and discuss them. However, I don't think you want to be talking about the rules re hair, as that will sound a but ridiculous. Perhaps you need to pin down in your own mind what the real issues are.

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