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?

[firsttimemama]

We are challenging it Wolfie, this is our challenge. I bought a coat that my dd could and would wear that would keep her dry and warm both on her way to and from school and at he weekend. The Navy option was not in store. My DD who is normally ultra compliant to school rules is wearing the coat of her own will. I am not forcing her to feel uncomfortable.

[Astro55]

There are so many school rules!

Why shouldn't we challenge rules? Bend them? Do we really want to churn out little complient children who can't think for themselves?

My children know that if they break X rule then the consequence is Y

That's how real life works

They also know that rules can be changed - and majority rules!

I think teachers should have much better things to do than worry about a 10 year olds green or otherwise winter coat!

My kids had bright coats so I knew where they were in a sea of black and navy -

Love how so many are bending over backward to be perfect parents in the eyes of 'The School'

[GrandMarmoset]

If it's part of the uniform, why would she refuse to wear it? I'm assuming she doesn't refuse to wear the rest of the uniform. Did you buy the coat before the rule was introduced? If not, was her potential refusal the reason for buying the wrong colour? I'm genuinely confused.

[jayisforjessica]

No one is advocating "churning out little complient [sic] children who can't think for themselves". What we are saying is, instead of teaching your child to simply ignore rules that she doesn't like/finds unfair/don't work for her, you should be teaching her to protest/challenge them in a constructive way.

I agree with a PP who said you're setting her up for more tellings off and potentially detentions and more because the teachers aren't going to see this as you taking a stand, they're going to care that she isn't following the rule that she - and you - know very well is in place.

Write a letter! Mount a protest! Get your member of parliament involved! But don't simply ignore the rule. It's an incredibly bad precedent to set.

[zoemaguire]

There's a place for active protest, but really - getting your MP involved in a fight over school coat colour rules?! That's not the hill I'd die on or indeed let my kids see me die on. Big protest for big issues. Petty and entirely pointless rules? Passive protest has a perfectly valid role in that, and in this case, that involves just wearing the wrong colour coat. It's not a bad precedent to set at all, it's an excellent one. There'll be no detentions, it's primary school.

[llangennith]

At school a teacher said I was a rebel without a cause because I wore a different coloured blue jumper than everyone else. Looking back it was a silly thing to do.
I made sure my DC knew that if school says you must wear a particular colour or type of clothing you just do it. You don't want to encourage your DD to flout school rules (whatever you may think of them) do you? So just buy another coat and save your energy for a cause that actually matters.

[jayisforjessica]

I was being facetious about the MP to illustrate how silly I think protesting this rule is.

OP at the end of the day you do you, but I feel sorry for the child in this. She's the one who will have to cop all the punishments that go with flouting a school rule while you sit at home refusing to buy her a coat that fits the dress code, not you. I certainly wouldn't dream of putting MY DS through that on "principle".

[SerendipityPhenomenon]

The school has a standard that it wishes to uphold.

Does it? Or does it simply want to impose pointless rules for no good reason?

[NoSunNoMoon]

Uniforms in primary school are ridiculous. Stick to your guns.

[VivienneWestwoodsKnickers]

YABU. You knew the uniform rules, deliberately bought something you knew wasn't within the rules, and now got are complaining that you're expected to follow the rules.

Get her a plain coat in Tesco or Primark.

[BoneyBackJefferson]

TheSnorkMaidenReturns

Hoodies are a pain in school, nothing to do with prison. They offer little or no weather protection, pupils often refuse to take them off in the classroom as they suddenly become 'indoor clothes', and often pupils will put the hoods up in the lessons.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Yanbu. Common sense seems to go out the window when it comes to school. Most MNETTERS have their heads so far up head teachers arses they re talking out their neck.

If a teacher said it was daily ritual to a bathe naked in mud then run four Laos round the village they'd be offered g to hold all the clothes.

If uniform was so vital then all those top performing schools without them would he closed by ofsted.

Funnily enough it's the failing schools that seem to think of they change the uniform it's going to make all better...result? Pissed off broke parents who's kids are being sent home for the Kickers red circle on the bottom of the shoe and a coat that not even worn in class fir being the wrong shade of black.

Ridiculous. And I'd not be buying another coat given the price of a decent one these days.

Is it warm? Dry? Is it free from.swear words or offensive slogans?

Then what more do they want ffs...

[Ragwort]

Most secondary schools have coat policies as well.

Really - I hardly know any secondary pupils who will wear a coat to school - even in pouring rain .

You can pick up a coat for a few pounds in a charity shop - just get a really cheap one if the school insists.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

And why is it 9 times out of ten there are harsher punishments fir uniform violation than anything else?

So kids have to continue to sit next to people who bully them or tear up their work.

They have to put up with being tripped up in the play ground.

The constant asking out and dumping by boys etc

All of which gets brushed under the carpet or half heartedly dealt with for show...

And you get sent home for a hair cut...

Talk about getting priorities wrong.

Uniform is just a way for I effectual head teachers to make their presence known without having to actually deal with anything

[SerendipityPhenomenon]

What Giles said.

Interestingly, recent studies demonstrate that the heads who go into failing academies with all guns blazing, making up and strictly enforcing uniform rules and excluding children all over the place, may bring about a short term rise in results, mainly because they take care to exclude the children who might harm the stats, but the improvement never lasts. It's pretty clear that you need a more sensible, low-key approach to make sustained improvements.

[UnicornMadeOfPinkGlitter]

Well must be in the minority around here then as the secondary school kids do wear coats. I have two teens myself who both wear coats. 14yr old ds2 stood next time with his plain black parka on over his blazer. And ds1 used to wear a black superdry coat.

[firsttimemama]

Currently my DD is wearing the coat. If it got to a point where she did not feel comfortable wearing the coat. I would not force her. So far there have been no punishments, if it came to that we may take a different approach. I was trying to gauge opinions on who was being unreasonable on this matter.

[firsttimemama]

Btw the said coat was a supermarket one Vivienne and it was £26.

[fleurdelacourt]

So you've bought a navy/black coat for the last 6 years and didn't manage to this year?

I had to buy a coat really quickly for ds (year 7) with the cold weather too - but there was loads of choice in navy/grey/black online and it arrived the next day.

I agree it's a daft rule, but it's one you knew about and have previously complied with. If your dd is happy with a dark green coat, she'd have been happy with navy or black too?

Good for you (and her) if you're prepared to fight over this one - but is it really worth your time and effort? Why not just buy a second coat on ebay for a quiet life? I know for sure that my dd would hate to be the one who stood out and broke the rule.

[firsttimemama]

No the rule has only been brought in in the last year. It is not a point of principle - that would have been the case if there had of been a navy or black coat available in the correct size that my DD wanted to wear and I still purchased something outside of the rules as a point of principle. Someone up thread suggested why I didn't flout other uniform rules. The reason is, that I am not against School Uniform per se, and the uniform was in place when we expressed a preference for this school (excluded coats) however I do think it goes too far to extend it to outdoor clothes. A decent winter coat needs to be used outside of school too and therefore I do not believe you should be forced to buy/acquire one that is not of one's choice. Again my DD is secure enough in herself to not be distressed about going to school in this coat - she likes it! If that changes we will have to have a think about other options.

[firsttimemama]

That's interesting about the Head and the logos Miaow as the new head has also introduced logo jumpers and cardigans and coats btw but they are not warm enough for winter. At least your head and seen sense and not introduced coats to the mix. Incidentally I would of been more miffed when my daughter was younger and she had numerous coats bought by doting grannies none of which were black or Navy. Would I have had to buy my 4 /5 year old another coat.

[smellyboot]

It seems that to turn a school around the HT has to get rid off all sensible rules re uniform and introduce more expensive version. Logo jumpers and T shirts, kilts, blazers and logo coats and rules on shoes ... seem to be flavour or the day. Emperors new clothes springs to mind.

[firsttimemama]

The school already had an Outstanding ofstead rating before the new head came. It was not failing and certainly not lacking for want of a uniformed coat or logo jumpers.