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.

I wonder how many pupils have passed out from the heat

I'm gonna guess....none. It's not actually very warm.

It's why Blazers are better than jumpers, much easier to take off and put on. Although when it gets very warm my DCs school has "shirt sleeve" orders - no Blazer and summer polo shirt may be worn.

Thank you XPC. I am fully aware that children need to follow rules and that they just cannot do what they want all the time. However are you telling me that you would not moan and be completely happy with wearing a shirt and jumper to work in the height of summer? Whether the rule was in place before or not, that you would not say one word? I just cannot believe that, especially with barely any aircon.

Oh and no, the jumper rule was not in place when I elected to send them there. The tights policy was but we were told the uniform was changing imminently and everyone hoped the tights rule would be dropped.

Always rely on someone on MN to be deliberately provocative

My son's school have ridiculous hair rules.
The boys hair has to be of uniform length. My son gets told off as he has a short back and sides, with a longer top.
But the girls are allowed a fringe with long hair. Not a uniform length at all.
He's also been told off for dying his hair. He hasn't, the tips of his hair got a bit bleached in the sun.
All ridiculous.

Really Slieve

No it isn't very warm today if you're dressed appropriately, yawn

Its the UK. Nobodies in a dead faint from wearing a bloody jumper indoors out of the sun

It's set to be 27 degrees by 3 pm where i am south of London

So as I said, not warm enough to leave legions of teens passing out from the heat then.

Its the UK. Nobodies in a dead faint from wearing a bloody jumper indoors out of the sun hmm

This.

Do you wear a thick polyester jumper in 27 degree heat then slieve?

I've just spent 2 hours outside working wearing a thin fleece jumper. It was hot, but I didn't collapse, despite doing heavy manual labour whilst wearing it. It's going to go colder and rain next week, they can cope for 2 days

You choose to wear a fleece in 27 degrees while doing heavy manual labour? Of course you do.

Hi aha I most definitely did!!

If you want the back story... I grabbed the first long sleeve top I could find that I could wear over the t-shirt I had on, so that the t-shirt didn't get hay and horse slobber all over it so that I could then rip off the fleece and go shopping in a vaguely clean top.

It was hot, yes, but not debilitating!

Thank God dd's school is more sensible

Ridiculous about the tights but I had the same rules about jumpers. Never saw a problem with it. Uniform is far too sloppy these days in my opinion. I'd rather have trousers for girls as solves all this skirt length malarkey. As a nurse in dresses we had to wear tights no matter the weather. M&S do those body sensor tights that supposedly respond to body heat and keep you warm or cool.

It is ridiculous. DS goes to an independent school and the girls’ uniform is a kilt in winter but summer term it changes to a long cotton skirt. Looks very Amish but at least it’s cool. Short sleeved blouse and the school jumper. School jumpers are required to be worn but the head can (and does) let them take jumpers off. They declare hot weather or something.

Boys wear trousers and shirt and jumper and tie but if it’s hot they can remove jumper and tie. Again head has to give permission but that is school wide.

Agree that uniforms are far too sloppy these days but really what is sloppy about a crisp white short sleeved shirt and tie because that is what they are wearing under their polyester jumpers.

Primark do thicker black tights that are warm in the winter but cool in the summer

DD tells me there is a new school rule that 'girls' socks must be of appropriate length if worn with a skirt.'

We and the rest of the girls wait with bated breath to find out whether this means 'longer than everyone's usual socks' or 'shorter than everyone's usual socks'.

Incredulous I meant in general, not this uniform. Sounds very laid back to me compared to some.

This is why I'm so pleased my children go to a secondary school where they seem able to utilise their common sense. On particularly hot or cold days a message is sent out advising that the children can come in comfortable clothes. During our last hot spell they handed out bottles of water to the children. During the snow they had a mass snowball fight. My children's behaviour and education doesn't appear to have suffered as a result.
A school in the next town only allows the girls to wear a specific skirt. No trousers at all. That makes me so angry. There has been research showing that it's a myth that uniform has any impact on attainment. My upper school didn't have a uniform and I still managed to go to university.

Jesus. My DS still a preschooler, but I'm not looking forward to this crap at all.

On a power trip much? This would absolutely infuriate me.

There is a very nasty authoritarian attitude behind this IMO. Completely pointless.

I agree with those who are saying this isn't that bad really, doesn't sound like the uniform itself is unreasonable. The rule about wearing jumpers is weird though, does sound rather uncomfortable wearing a jumper indoors for no obvious reason. As you say the rest of the uniform sounds smart enough as it is.

Power trip? Authoritarian?

Overreact much?!

Dd2 wears a knee length kilt at school all year round. No trouser option. She's not died from it and it's fine. (Fwiw it cost 38 quid as well and it's lasted three years so far - private school)