Calling all anti school uniform people! Help me stop my primary school making uniform compulsory!

[mousiemousie]

My dd's primary have optional uniform which almost nobody wears. A few wear the school sweatshirt sometimes. The chairman of the governors is pro uniform and wants to make it compulsory.

I am anti uniform and do not want other parents to dictate that how I spend my money and clothe my child. They are free to put their child in uniform now if they want to.

Can anyone advise me how to avoid the uniform being made compulsory?

as would the concept that not wearing a uniform would improve dh's flying of a £100,000,000 jet

MM I would be careful about using a line of argument that assumes that teachers are the equal and direct eqivalent of primary children btw. Unlikely to help you to win friends and influnence people in the school I think.

where I teach behaviour always improves when we have a push on tidying up school uniform.

and we are expected to dress smartly in school. At home I wear jeans, in school I do not.

I do remember reading that Nigella Lawson wears what she terms a 'morale-boosting matching bra and pants' for her work, which I suppose does count as a uniform, doesn't it

And as ever, I'd like to stress the difference between mud-stained seven year olds and fag-stained 16 year olds!

far go.

But then can you imagine all the darling mummies on MN, 'But why can't she wear what she likes into secondary? She was so good at primary? and a mini skirt is such a nice look on a young girl. And the black bra looks so good on her under that oh so tight blouse'

God yes, MI, I feel such pity for the poor kids in nasty teflon trousers and polyester sweatshirts.
In answer to OP, I suppose ask for a meeting with the head to express your worries both about uniform and the possibly non-democratic way it seems to be being introduced. Ask if a poll of all parents is really a good use of limited school resources. Ask why these people want it introduced. Point out the additional costs for parents, especially poorer ones with more than one child in the school. If the school has a good record on behaviour, point out that there isn't actually a problem, so why are people looking for a (spurious) solution. Ask how much staff time a proper ballot of all parents would take up and how much it would cost.

Well, when I was a kid school uniform only existed at secondary level. I don't know any secondaries that don't have a (hideous) uniform. This primary does not, so why should it change?

Mousie, haven't read the entire thread but we are in the middle of the same debate at DC's primary. Like you we are non-uniform altho there is an optional teeshirt/sweatshirt that a few kids in KS1 wear - no-one up the school tho. It was explained to us that the school debates the issue every few years, then there was an open meeting for parents to put together for and against arguments, followed by a ballot of the parents. Ultimately the governors will make the decision. I am hopeful that status quo will win out, but in our case the pro-uniform pressure has come from some vocal parents rather than Chair of Governors/Head, so there is more hope htan your situ I think.

I would expect a full consultation with the parents at very least - for many people the lack of uniform may have been one of the factors that made them choose the school for example. If the head thought uniform would lead to falling rolls he/she may think again...

It is actually some parents on the PTFA who are persuing this, not the governors, I hadn't properly realised the distinction

I think there is a governors' vote tonight after some methodologically flawed PTFA consultation attempts. So the die may already be cast

Spotted a type

"Thanks to all the anti-uniform sympathisers who have posted - also to the anti-uniform people - I MEANT THE PRO UNIFORM PEOPLE! who have been generous enough to share their suggestions on how to avoid compulsory uniform at my school. "

When all is said and done, a state primary school cannot make uniform compulsary. Therfore, you can't be forced to dress your child in it.

As a teacher I have found that uniforms really come into their own on school trips. When there's numerous other schools at the venue, they're invaluable for helping you spot who's 'yours'.

small children in school uniform look delectable

my teflon-coated darling behaves impeccably

Baaaa. Baaaa.

Tall poppy!

I love to see the children in school uniforms. no competing for who has the best top/trousers etc as they are all dressed the same the only difference being their shoe style but they are all always black shoes/boots. In my sons school this is the case and also they are only allowed to wear the choice of 2 hats....the school baseball cap or the school wooley hat. All the children look the same and look smart. Even their p.e kit is uniform and choir uniform oh and dance class has a different uniform. Ok so we have to pay out BUT they all always look good.

Oh and they are primary age as well.

One small point, MM- you say the school already has a uniform but few parents avail themselves of it (or should I say, their children). Whilst you say this can be seen as proof that it's not popular, I'd tend to disagree. I think you might be surprised at how many parents shrugged and went out and bought the uniform if it were to become compulsory. At present, I think there might be the fear of looking all swotty, keen and teacher's pet-y if you wear uniform as it isn't compulsory. I remember that from my secondary school, a girls' GS with as strict a uniform policy as could be gotten away with: there was an 'optional' boater and that was the one item only 2 girls out of a thousand were forced to wear by their private-school dreaming parents! God, they got stick! Similarly, my Dss school with a well adhered to (and reasonably smart) uniform has the option of a school poloshirt (white) with the badge embroidered (as well as the 'compulsory' sweatshirt). The middle-class kids show up in those in R and Yr 1 but once they've grown out of them, it's Asda along with everyone else!

The trick is that if it looks as if you'll be defeated, try and get a NICE uniform instigated!

YAY!

The governors rejected uniform!

Thanks to everyone who helped!

amicissima, that is interesting, to have had experience of both!

what was it that made you change your mind?