Sensible uniform policy

[MinervaMcGonagallsCat]

For once the Scottish Government has done something sensible and issued policy guidance to headteachers to be sensible, sustainable and inclusive their school uniform policies.

Schools issued with uniform guidelines to cut costs for families www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg5gxe5zd1o

When you read the shite that English families have to put up with on school uniforms I'm sure they can only hope that the Labour Government does something similar too.

If they really, really want a uniform a school should supply it for free

Low income families get grants to buy school uniform.

Having flicked through the guidance, I just wonder what the hell the Scottish government think they are doing. They have spent considerable time and effort producing this absolute shite - honestly, as AI to summarise it and if will come up with nothing. It’s just 42 pages of blah, blah, blah while violence rises and educational standards fall, while the inequality gap gets even bigger. What are they doing?

Exactly 42 pages of bla bla, honestly I feel for the staff that actually need to read it and make sense of it.

The easiest way is to say this is the school uniform but you don't need to wear it.

So does it say what the plan is for those families? Will they get money to just buy general clothes or will children from low income families be in uniform and potentially stand out?

No idea how the grants work and if they can already buy any clothes with the money or if they are tied to uniform suppliers though.

It is a grant. They get money.

That's okay then, at least it should allow for the purchase of clothes that can be used for anything including school.

But it is for uniform so it is not clear what happens if there is no uniform. Will it continue? Probably enough to buy one Nike hoodie.

Very true.

I guess I just think back to when I was a child and nothing like this existed. My mum would have been so grateful and taken the opportunity to kit us out and would have been sensible.

There wasn't the same competition for labels in my area back then and no one had the resources to indulge that anyway.

I guess I just think back to when I was a child and nothing like this existed

I was curious about this. It seems clothing grants existed in 1976 and so did many of the same arguments about uniforms as now:

https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1976/oct/26/school-uniform-grants

Wow. I'm old, I would have been in late primary in 1976. I think we would have been entitled to grants given our financial circumstances but I don't believe we had them. My mum either made what we needed or took out provident loans by forging my dad's signature initially (as women generally couldn't get credit without a man's signature until mid/late 70s) and then latterly on her own and then pay it up. Having said that, I rarely wore uniform in primary or secondary.

My kids don’t have school uniform, we’re in Shetland. It looks bloody awful in school photos and costs an absolute arm and leg. My son today to high school wore about £300 worth of clothes. The right trackies, hoody, tea shirt and trainers. I would love school uniforms, even the blazer that I wore at a mainland Scotland school.

I don’t get why the government wasted time publishing this when it’s already the fact that schools and local authorities set their own rules?

@MrsAmaretto
I can quite believe that schools without uniform it all becomes labels.
Not so much primary but it's the way my secondary went in the early 90s.

They relaunched the uniform with slight difference a couple of years after l left.

Dd went to Hyndland, no demands for labels, anything branded was bought for Christmas/Birthdays/Ebay, mixed with high street stuff.
Never had any issues.

Ugh, it's not letting me edit, but I got a clothing grant and FSM for Dd right the way through school.

I'm wondering if I teach at this school 🤣

We used to have no uniform, really.

New policy this August. Black bottoms, black outer layer (hoodie, jumper, cardigan), can have white or black t-shirt/polo shirt/shirt. No logos other than school hoodies.

We get a variety of ensembles, but the majority are looking very smart. Some in joggers and hoodies, which I can't care about if they're working hard. Lots of black hoodies and shorts amongst senior boys. Girls wearing leggings but they are not see-through. Skirts genuinely all appropriate.

@Needanewname42 and @Livinginaclock Im hoping it might be easier and cheaper with DD at high school as girls seem to be less “branded”, it’s just leggings etc. I wonder if one of the issues with teen boys is where do the shop after the wee boy Boden/next stage? All there is are sports shops full of brands, anywhere else is dad shops!

Dd said the boys wore jeans/hoodies/DMs/Converse mainly, as did the girls!
She had a mixed friendship group and all of the ones I met were dressed like that.
It's much like when they go to college or Uni.

Dd said the boys wore jeans/hoodies/DMs/Converse mainly, as did the girls!

So brands…

"Just leggings" could very easily become Nike Pros at £40 a pair.

Honestly don't think because it's girls they'll be immune to the pressure of labels.

She wore those out of school anyway, they were birthday/Christmas gifts as I said, and as footwear goes they are pretty sensible and long lasting.
Surely other parents have to buy similar and school shoes.

DM boots are £170, their shoes £140. They might be practical but they are also very expensive brands. Especially on growing feet.

Dd didn't ask for those, and if she did the word no is quite helpful.
I couldn't have afforded them as a parent on disability benefits.
There honestly was no pressure or bullying for expensive clothing, and let's face it, most of the families at Hyndland probably can afford it, the kids just weren't that bothered.

This sounds brilliant to me. It can only be beneficial if schools have to focus on teaching and learning rather than enforcing pointless uniform rules. Far too many new academy heads think the way to make their mark is to force everyone to change to an expensive new uniform and then impose draconian penalties for not getting every item exactly right.

If they want brands, they will pester for them for out of school wear. If you buy them, at least it won't be additional to expensive school shoes and you will get your money's worth out of them.

I think many on this thread have problems with comprehension, nowhere does it say they have to wear joggers etc, the option should be there and no child excluded or punished for their clothing.
Discouraging of brands so for the numpties saying my son only fits £110 nike joggers, he can find an alternate trouser that's not branded.
I'm in Scotland and every girl is either in tiny skirt or leggings, your clothing doesn't hamper your ability to learn.
Many countries across the world do not have uniform, England seen beyond rigid with the mad posts you see on MN, they're not mini bank managers.