Why does my DD's coat have to be Black or Navy?

[firsttimemama]

My DC's primary school has a Navy/Grey school uniform. I abide by the school uniform rules. In the past couple of years they have stated that coats's must also be Black or Navy. DD is Yr 6 I cannot see the sense in this. Given their expense I do not want to buy two winter coats I want to buy a coat that my DD will want to wear and therefore not look for every excuse under the sun not to wear it. I have bought a dark green winter coat for her. I am loathed to purchase another one for the last few winter months at this school. AIBU?

[golfbuggy]

It won't be a problem next year as unless OP's child is very different to every secondary school child I know, she won't be wearing a coat to school. Which is probably the solution for this year as well if the school will otherwise kick up a fuss.

[sirfredfredgeorge]

Reflector strips don't meet the uniform policy, the policy is for a black or navy coat, you cannot do reflector that is black or navy. A mid-grey perhaps.

The policy is ludicrous.

[cuibozo]

Sometimes, school uniform infringements are because of bad parenting with uncontrollable kids.

Other times they are petty beyond all reason.

This is one of those times/

[NellWilsonsWhiteHair]

We are blessed with a school with a flexible sensible uniform policy. Logo or non logo. Trousers for girls if they want. Any shoes are fine. Trainers are fine too esp on PE days. Boots are fine in winter. Any white tshirt and dark shorts or in fact any other is fine for PE. Got a child that refuses to wear x colour clothes? Never mind, not an issue.
Very high performing state school. Lots of high performing state schools don't have obsessive strict uniform.
Maybe that's why I don't get the total obsession with identikit kids by some schools.

Same here. It's almost like they think other things are more important.

[jamdonut]

I do think they should've contacted you themselves, rather than telling your daughter she needs a new coat by Monday!
Then you could have cleared this all up.
Our school has a reasonable uniform policy, that is, it doesn't have to come from a particular shop, but they do prefer a logoed sweatshirt, and black or brown shoes. ( To stop the brightly coloured trainers being worn - though some people continually flout this - they don't mind for PE though.)
Coats are better off being different, we recognise coats ! High vis jackets are worn when we are on trips.

I'm a little surprised that some schools don't allow girls to wear trousers....I thought that was all done with years ago?!? (My son's mixed secondary school don't allow skirts - all pupils have to wear logoed trousers!)

[Palomb]

This is one rule is happily ignore.

[firsttimemama]

Well she has worn said coat Monday and today and no further commments so far - perhaps she has avoided the Deputy Head. It is a nuisance. Incidentally I did actually look for a Navy or black coat for her but they weren't available in her size and the weather took quite a turn last week so I went with the green which was available and would keep her warm and dry. She has a jacket that is Navy but it doesn't have a hood and is more lightweight. She wears this in the spring and September/October.

[BossWitch]

A school I used to work on had a navy blue coat rule. It was scrapped after a child was hit by a car, wearing her uniform navy coat which rendered her nigh on invisible crossing the road in the dark on her way home. She was OK thankfully. But it did highlight that it was a stupid policy that had no justification other than 'the school uniform is navy and it all looks so smart when they match'. Total bullocks.

[RockyBird]

I would have thought a black coat would be far trendier for a girl that age than dark green anyone who wore green in my school at that age was called Bogie

My kids school had the same rule, then changed it to navy only. Trouble was I still had a black coat to hand down from DD1 to DD2. I used it anyway and no one said anything.

[RockyBird]

I got my DD this coat this year (with 30% off)

It is so fab I wish they did them in my size

m.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_232020702143_-1

[firsttimemama]

It was this one coat

[RockyBird]

It's lovely

[woodsies1975]

I am fairly certain that primary school uniform is not legally enforcable. The Governing Body are ultimately responsible for the implementation of a uniform policy and any breach of that policy would be dealt with in line with the behaviour policy. Check both of them out - the administrator should be able to provide copies if they are not on the website. There should also be the complaints policy on there which explains how to put in a complaint.

[woodsies1975]

Someone earlier up the thread suggested going via the PTA - not sure why as they wouldn't normally represent parents to the school.

[Inertia]

I would just tell the school that the shops you vested didn't have black or navy coats in her size, so you went with the closest possible sensible winter coat.

[SemiNormal]

Agree with what AuntieStella said. If you don't like the rules then by all means challenge them, but do it the right way - not by simply ignoring them.
As for the visibility issue you can buy high vis velcro bands that can go around arms.

[SemiNormal]

Strips like this www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Set-of-4-high-visibility-reflective-velcro-safety-bands-Cycling-motorcycling-/371288919026?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368

or with the LEDs inside www.pkgreenshop.co.uk/set-of-2-high-vis-led-safety-bands.html?fee=6&fep=330&gclid=CjwKEAiAgavBBRCA7ZbggrLSkUcSJACWDexAJrSvRhKpvYUSVvGIcFRZG5HCJ13tBwGcFHVvJys3ARoCI5zw_wcB

[jayisforjessica]

Oh good, another "the rules are inconvenient to me so I just won't follow them" thread. Because there isn't enough bullheaded, bloody minded, entitledness on this forum already.

The policy would have been made clear when you signed your child up, when you first bought her uniform. I don't see that you have a leg to stand on. You knew the rules, you chose to break them, and now it's going to cost you to buy another coat.

And as for "she won't wear a navy/black coat" well, who is the parent letting her be so precious? It wouldn't fly in this house. At Y6 age she's old enough to understand both that there's a rule necessitating the purchase of the navy/black coat, and that there isn't enough money to buy two.

[lalalemon]

Won't her secondary school have a coat colour rule too?! Even if it doesn't, a black coat is still going to be fine for school next year as well!

[SerendipityPhenomenon]

Have you clocked what the other children are wearing? Ideally you need a number of parents who think the way you do - there's a limit to how much of a fuss a school will make if it means fighting with several sets of parents.

[CauliflowerSqueeze]

Why did you go out and buy the wrong coat colour when you knew the rule? Why put your child in a position whereby she is having to dodge the teacher or try and defend the indefensible?
Odd.

[EverySongbirdSays]

This is weird.

I remember in my school years, late primary, late 80s

A LOT of emphasis was placed on kids being visible in the dark and making your kids as visible as possible to cars in the winter months

Those yellow reflective stickers were all the go.

Surely black is the worst choice of coat for a child walking home from school in winter?

And no, schools shouldn't dictate coats and it's weird that they are trying YANBU OP

Certainly never heard of this round here, a lot of the schools I'm familiar with know that they have more important issues to focus on, kids suffering because of poverty etc

[zoemaguire]

"you signed your child up"

I don't know where you live but definitely not urban southern England in recent years if you think you 'sign' your child up to a school. You get the school you are given, ridiculous uniform policy or no.

And as for 'entitledness', god how I hate that word. Entitled to what? If it's to ignoring ridiculous rules that have precisely zero impact on anything or anyone, then yes, of course OP should be entitled to that. As should the rest of us. It's really your own loss if you think it's the ethically correct thing to do to blindly assent to total idiocy.

[EweAreHere]

I would fight the rule.

Suggest she'll tank her year 6 SATs if they wind her up enough.

[SemiNormal]

Get a grip zoemaguire It's really your own loss if you think it's the ethically correct thing to do to blindly assent to total idiocy. you do realise this is about a coat don't you?!