Insane school uniform rules

[Incredulousme]

I have two DC's at secondary school. My DD is year 10 and DS year 8. It's a great school all round (outstanding Ofsted) apart from their insane rules regarding school uniform.

Uniform for girls

White short sleeved shirt with tie, scotch plaid pleated skirt (only allowed slightly above knee) and jumper. Thick black tights (must be plain and not see-through) Girls have the option to wear grey trousers.

Uniform for boys

White short sleeved shirt with tie, grey trousers and jumper.

My argument is this, two complaints if you like. Girls are not allowed to wear ankle socks or indeed any kind of socks with the skirts and have to wear ridiculously thick tights (thick because thin are see-through which is against rules) all year round. Great in winter but on very hot days you can only imagine how horrible this is and how sweaty and sore they can get.

My second gripe is that neither boys or girls are allowed to take their jumpers off when walking around (inside) school. They are to be kept on at all times when moving between lessons, queuing for lunch and in the dining hall. They are also to be worn in the library. If they are too hot in class they must ask permission to remove it but must put it back on before leaving that particular classroom. They are allowed to remove them outside at break.

AIBU to think this is insane? With regards to the 'tights rule' for girls I have asked on several occasions about the possibility of socks with skirts but told that this is out of the question as sometimes the children are required to sit on the floor. I agree my DD could wear the trousers but why should she have to?

They both came home yesterday melting (yes I know it's lovely sunshine) having worn jumpers most of the day. It's a very busy school and the corridors are packed at lesson change times yet they are forced to wear jumpers!!!! It's mad surely???

The library is a great place for revision but I'm sure having to sit in a jumper on hot days does not make it a very comfortable experience. And yes, I do believe in rules and more than happy to adhere to most but sometimes a little common sense is needed.

Dd13 wears ankle socks with black cycling shorts under her skirt. Not sure why really. She says it's more comfortable. Her choice

Girls have been told off for wearing hold up type stockings as these are not allowed and have been spotted at PE times.

I think someone mentioned upthread that it might be something to do with logo being on the jumpers and I hadn't thought of that as it isn't on the shirts and they don't wear blazers.

Agreed that girls get a choice between tights or trousers and boys get no choice but surely this isn't sexist?

My friend's daughter was given a pair of long socks because her trousers were deemed too short and there was ankle showing.

I will write to the governors as it really is bonkers. I have phoned school this morning and awaiting a call.

Aircon in limited areas only such as computing etc. What annoys me though is that there is no rule about hair being tied up except for PE and girls wear so much make-up. They could really pick better battles IMO.

Every single female in the school should phone in sick on the same day because they have got infections in their 'lady area' *. All the boys should do the same because they are all suffering from heat stroke!!
*if the head teacher is male use this description to make him cringe!!

My school 12 years ago was the same about jumpers. We were 'representing the school' son in the worst if heatwaves there we all were in thick jumpers. They even said we should be wearing them on the way home. Girls passing out all over the place in summer. It was just ridiculous.

Seems so stupid, they want children to make independent decisions and behave like adults yet need permission to do things like go to the toilet and regulate their own temperature 😂

They don't sound that bad tbh

I hate ties personally but other than that they are only at school for a short part of the day

I agree ankle socks should be allowed, that is odd.

I have never understood the jumpers and blazers thing.

ds school has the same, not allowed to remove blazers without teachers permission.
Such a waste of time!
And it is so basic
child one has just been playing football at break time and is boiling. An hour later he has cooled off.
At 11, 12, 13 etc surely they are capable of removing and adding clothing as required.

It is nonsense. At least blazers are not as hot as jumpers though.

Who imposes these rules, is it the teachers or governors ?

Op what would the school do if every girl went to school with ankle socks instead of tights?

Get the parents together and vote with your feet as it were.

It's the head generally, and ratified by governors. A full scale uniform change (eg after academisation or when a new head arrives) will usually have some sort of consultation : but things like tights don't really get noticed as a problem until hot weather and, therefore, often aren't queried.

An 'interfering' chair of governors might get more involved but it is unlikely. I have been a governor for five years and never been in a uniform debate!

Uniform is often the easiest way for a new

If a school chooses to have a strict uniform policy, it has a responsibility to ensure that that strict policy is fit for purpose - so there have to be reasonable adjustments that can be made, to account for normally occurring weather.

So, whilst it would not be reasonable to expect a school to predict the sort of severe snow we had this year, it is entirely reasonable for them to have a uniform that will allow the children to be comfortable in hot weather and cold weather - because it is a pretty sure thing that we are going to get both of these during the school year!

My DD's secondary school do not allow girls or boys to wear anything other than trousers.

There's just no need is there

Dd cant wear tights and we haven't yet found trousers that fit and if she couldn't remove her blazer or jumper when she's too warm she's going to be bleeding and sore by the end if the day.

It's rules for rules sake

you do wonder dont you. I mean when these HT's were training to be teachers, did they really get keen on their day's work involving checking whether teenage girls were wearing stockings or not?
fucking weirdos.

I'm not a big fan of school uniform in general, but I actually think schools should stop having uniform skirts at all. It would save a lot of nonsense. Trousers for all, generic shirt, school jumper with badge/emblem etc (jumper to be removed when student wants!). Teachers and students hate the endless, boring, time-wasting rows over correct uniform, so why not make it cheap and simple fgs?!

It's bad enough when I have relatives telling me I know better than DD whether she's hot or cold , I only make her wear her jumper in winter because all the parents have had texts about it. I can't wait for secondary school.

I hate these crazy rules, one of the reasons I prefer FE.

If I was teaching this week I would be welcoming children at the door with, if you want to take of your jumper / blazer please don't ask it is a hot day you all have permission.

Well for those of you (a few) who think it's isn't 'that bad' I would just like to say that it's 23 degrees here today and whilst that isn't scorching, would you honestly wear a jumper today, over a shirt.

They have no cloak rooms either so whatever they take into school they carry from class to class, such as school bag, PE kit etc. lumbering this lot around corridors congested with kids all wearing their jumpers!!!!! First thing DD does when she gets into the car is rip off her thick tights.

Our comp switches from shirt tie jumper and blazer to polo and blazer in the summer. Very civilised.

If I was teaching this week I would be welcoming children at the door with, if you want to take of your jumper / blazer please don't ask it is a hot day you all have permission.

I’m glad that in HE I don’t have to concern myself with what the students are wearing (unless giving advice for some sort of visit that might require particular clothing - which doesn’t happen often). If I had to work within a stupid ‘seek permission to remove jumpers’ institution, I’d put up a sign giving all students in my class blanket permission to remove their jumpers at their own discretion. Why waste my time with giving permission for it?

I can understand in a primary school that you might have to remind/suggest to children that they might be more comfortable with their jumpers/coats on/off in certain situations. DS2, for example, will sometimes keep his jumper on all day despite being far too hot because he ‘forgot’ he could take it off (note: it’s certainly not his teacher’s fault if he ignores her advice based on the temperature of the classroom). But at secondary school I think the students can be trusted to make their own decisions about how many layers they need. And to deal with the consequences of making a bad choice too.

Maybe the jumpers rule is to stop them leaving their jumpers all over the place, and generating a lot of work in reuniting them with their owners? If she doesn’t like tights, why not just wear trousers?

Was the OP aware of the rules before she elected to send her children to this school? If so, she has no reason to moan. Children in general need to appreciate that there will always be rules in life that they dislike and they just need to suck it up and get on with it.

My DTDs are at a school where they have to ditch the shirt tie and wear an open necked blouse, but not until 1st May which seems utterly arbitrary. So they've gone in today in shirt, tie and blazer. It's 25 degrees. No doubt by 1st May it'll be back down to 12.

They do at least get to chose tights/socks/trousers/skirt.

Why do people assume there's a choice

I'd have chosen some where else had there been a choice.

Walkable crap one bus crap or two buses crap is about the only "choice " Round here

Actually, the girls have more choice as they can ware the fgrey trousers, same as the boys if they want to so I really don't think it is sexism exactly, just ridiculous for all concerned.

At DS's school they also have to wear their blazer at all times (including break/outside) (school jumpers are optionl at least). They can take them off in lessons, if the teacher allows them to. It is pretty annoying when a teacher in short sleeves and cool clothes refuses them permission to remove blazers in a lesson on a hot day This does happen occasionally.