I want to question the school uniform...

[tiredteddy]

I’m building up to writing to my children’s school about the uniform choices. It’s very traditional. Trousers or shorts and a polo for boys. Skirt/ pinafore/ trousers and polo for girls and also the summer dress.

I feel that the girls options are restrictive to how children should be able to play. Skirts and dresses do not make it easy to climb. The school had a large climbing frame play area for reception children and the whole school have access to a wooded copse too.

In my head I want to question whether girls should be able to wear shorts too. To enable them to play and climb as much as the boys. My daughter has worn trousers for this reason all winter. She is hindered by the summer dress now though and complains she can’t do things like climb as it catches on the equipment. I am aware also that older girls stop playing as freely when they become conscious of showing their knickers. Some where cycling/ tight shorts underneath so they can continue to do cartwheels etc. I don’t know whether this is good, I wouldn’t want to where extra layers on a hot day.

What I’m hoping for with this thread is some arguments to present to the school for girls to wear shorts. With reasons. Hopefully worded better than what I’ve written!

Do the school actually complain if girls do wear shorts?
Our schools official uniform says that girls can't wear trousers in the summer term and also doesn't mention shorts or cullotes but I've sent dd in all 3 and nothing has ever been said.

I would just do it and see if anyone mentions it. And if they did I would say that i assumed that shorts were ok as trousers are. But I would buy "boys" school shorts rather than a non uniform type if you see what I mean

I grew up wearing skirts as the only option. In no way did they hinder physical movement (unlike tousers which prevent you from doing things like lungs/splits). Even our sports uniforms were skirts. Many sport specific uniforms akso involve skirts. Bike short were regularly worn, especially on hot days (grew up in Australia) to prevent thigh chaffing (girls schools so modesty wasn't a concern). You are seeing a problem where none exists. What is a problem however is your daughter not being able to play on play equipment in a skirt. Either the skirt is too long/too much fabric or the equipment is inherently unsafe with sharp bits for the fabric to get caught on.

Both my girls wore shorts or skorts and nobody batted an eyelid

I doubt your DD will have been the first.

You probably don’t need to argue about it...I suspect they’ve just forgotten to add it to the girls list, as trousers is already there.

I had to go to the governors to be able to get my DD in shorts

I'm always a bit bewildered at the "they hinder movement and you can see their knickers" arguement. It's school; how much of the school day is spent standing on their heads?
They all wear shorts for P.E.

Just send her in shorts and only fight the fight of you need to, which I doubt you will.

My son's school has also said that girls may wish to wear shorts under dresses.

I would send her in a skort and see if anyone notices.

as a lunch time supervisor Iamagrey - it is usually the full lunch hour doing cartwheels and such ....

You can buy culotte style skirts and summer dresses that look like dresses but are shorts

Thanks for quick replies.

The dresses we have been given do not have particularly full skirts so when she climbs the skirts get stuck on the frame work of the climbing frame. I’ve watched happen to all the girls not just her. I agree many sports like tennis netball wear skirts but school summer dresses tend to be knee length or below which is very different to those.

I wasn’t meaning to start a fight that didn’t exist. More that I was hoping to write to the school/ governors to get the policy updated to include shirts for girls. I just wanted to write and articulate letter to make the point really. I haven’t experienced the seeing knickers issue only heard friends saying this about their older daughters.

Same here, SprogletsMum. Ours says skirts/dresses but both DDs have worn playsuits as summer uniform since last year and skorts in autumn/winter. I expected trouble from the head but nothing has come of it. Loads of other girls now go through same.

I'd just try playsuits/skorts then take it from there, OP.

Our school uniform list is similar on paper but plenty of girls wear shorts or culottes or those playsuits in gingham. Another parent checked with the school last year and they're fine with it they just haven't bothered to update the list.

I'd raise it with the school- politely, but bring it to their attention and make clear your reasoning. More and more schools are becoming very aware that their traditional uniform policies are somewhat sexist and restricting, and are slowly changing towards allowing choice for both boys and girls.

Girls should not have to wear skirts at all- send her in shorts, but please also raise it with them so they can update the policy as they should do.

I would imagine it is actually an oversight since they already allow trousers. I must admit here to having written a school uniform policy and reading this made me realise I missed out shorts for girls
Try a short polite letter making hem aware of the oversight. I doubt it will be an issue. If it is, then you can get into the whys and the details.

Thanks I’ll do that. I’ll go ahead and send her in shorts/ pkaysuits etc and also write a polite letter!

OP our school didn't specify that girls could wear trousers and were v apologetic when it was mentioned. If your school already allows trousers hopefully it's just an oversight

A polite letter to the governors asking them to remove gendered language from the uniform policy should do it. I'm a governor and last year we rewrote our policy to simply include a list of acceptable items, without reference to whether they were for boys or girls

If you're unsure of how to word it, something like this would work...

Dear Head and Governors,

I'd like to request that you review and update your uniform policy to reflect that in this day and age girls should be forced to wear skirts if they don't want to. As I'm sure you are aware, many schools are making these changes and I strongly feel it is an important update to make.

Girls should be able to wear shorts just as much as boys, to enable them to play and climb as much as the boys. My daughter has worn trousers for this reason all winter. She is hindered by the summer dress now though and complains she can’t do things like climb as it catches on the equipment. I am aware also that older girls stop playing as freely when they become conscious of showing their underwear. Some wear cycling/ tight shorts underneath so they can continue to do cartwheels etc., which I feel is an unnecessary worry for them.

I'm sure you will agree that we should be encouraging girls to push themselves to their limits just as much as boys, and this includes in sport and play. A uniform that inhibits this, and seems to encourage girls to meekly sit at the sidelines watching boys run and climb, is exactly the opposite of what we should be teaching children.

I would like to suggest that the uniform is updated to allow choice, both for boys and girls. There is no reason to have such a distinction between girls and boys; grey shorts should be acceptable for either gender. Whilst I can understand you may chose to allow shorts without officially updating the policy, I think it is important to make public and official your stance on the matter by making the necessary changes to the policy and therefore allow all pupils the confidence to make the choice without fear of discipline.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the matter.

Best wishes,

tiredteddy

A polite letter to the governors asking them to remove gendered language from the uniform policy should do it. I'm a governor and last year we rewrote our policy to simply include a list of acceptable items, without reference to whether they were for boys or girls

This- if it were me sending the letter I'd definitely make this request clear, as I am very pro the idea that girls and boys can wear whatever the hell they like (as long as it's uniform!) regardless of what happens to be between their legs. I know some people are a bit more po-faced about the slight possibility of seeing a boy in a skirt though!

My DD was never allowed to wear shorts OR trousers in primary OR secondary. Both schools still have the same rule but trousers are allowed in the secondary for sixth form.

I was never aware of it being a problem TBH.

Where I work some girls do wear trousers and switch to shorts in the summer but our uniform list doesn’t specify girls/boys uniform. Just (colour) collared shirt or polo shirt, (colour) skirt, pinafore, or trousers, (colour) checked dress or (colour) shorts in the summer with the official school sweatshirt.