Wrong school uniform trousers GCSE debacle

[rarebite]

My daughter went to sit her Maths GCSE and was told she could not because she was not in the complete school uniform.

She had on a school T-shirt but the teacher said she must wear a jumbper and she had to squeeze into a year 7/8 jumper which made her feel hot and sweaty.

She was wearing black trousers which the teacher thought too narrow. She told the teacher none of the trousers would fit but was made to try and change in the unisex toilets. Three times she tried 3 different pairs.

When she came out the last time the teacher had gone, the exam room door was closed and my daughter came home in floods of tears.

Was this an appropriate way to handle a possible breach of school uniform policy? I am feeling very upset as she spent hours revising for the exam and I feel a detention more appropriate. She didn't intend to flout the policy - that is why she tried to get into the second hand clothes. She wasn't the only child forced into too small clothes but she was the only one who could find nothing to fit. Now she doesnt feel like going back to school.

Rarebite - are you going to take it up with the head in the morning?

thumbwitch

I complained to the Governors last week but they didn't follow the complaints procedure. They should have explained that the school investigates first. Instead they copied my complaint to the head teacher and the deputy head began an investigation without my being aware this was Stage One of the Complaints Procedure.

I rang the LEA last week who said they could do nothing but told me I could complain to the Local Government Ombudsman so I have complained to LGO.

hope you get some answers OP. It's such a ridiculously petty thing to do to a child. Schools need to get their priorities right sometimes.

I also hope you get a good result from this rarebite and that something is done to make sure such an event never happens again! still can't get over the abject pettiness of it.

Am I right in saying that no member of staff, when the exam started, knew where your DD was, and your DD did not enter the exam room nor let any staff know what had happened?

In which case you cannot blame the teachers here. The teacher did not say, after there was no suitable alternative uniform, that your DD could not enter the exam.

Interesting inspiredance. DD was told she could not do the exam unless in full uniform and so she was forbidden to enter. DD told the teacher the first pair of trousers were too small and the other pairs were smaller. So I think the teacher failed to act rationally when the clothes didn't fit.

An adult would have entered and a cheeky boy might have. Most girls would have gone to reception and cried - but DD is not big on crying to someone. She doesn't expect people to rescue her - not even me.

The year group head received permission from the maths teacher in charge of entering the children into the exam to carry out a uniform check. She was responsible for the children pulled out of line. I think she failed in this when she went off to teach knowing DD was not in the exam room. She left DD to cope - hence the tight band of pain around her head.

Quick update. All exam boards operate special circumstances. So if your child is bereaved the morning of her exam, her exam centre can ask for this procedure to be invoked. They consider each case on its merit but they are more likely to say no if there is a resit opportunity.

In many countries children do perfectly well without uniforms.
However, I do agree that our schools have uniform rules and they should be enforced. But for heaven's sake, on an exam day? They should be looking out for her best interests not spoiling her chances with exams. I think a detention would have been more appropriate.

I would be more concerned about the lack of dignity afforded to her. Unisex toilets ridiculous for teenage girls, when one in five will be menstruating at any given time.

Why 13 GCSEs? Seems excessive. I did nine, that was normal back then and I got a degree from a top ten university. How on earth do they have time to teach 13 subjects properly?

So is your DD's school going to request that your DD is considered for special circumstances? Presumably you can't do it yourself.

How is she, btw - did she go back to school ok with no trauma?

Thanks for asking how DD is. She is still on roll but doesn't want to go back to school even though just told she has scored B grades in February Triple Science exams. I have asked school to look at special circumstances but doubt DD will return to school.

I too am not happy about the lack of dignity of being forced to squeeze into too small old clothes. Dyspraxics hate tight clothes and she couldn't have performed even in the too small jumper. I only found out about the toilets now - inappropriate for teens.

13 GCSEs is imposed because kids timetabled and not allowed to drop any as this would require supervision. DD wants to do triple science and could drop one science GCSE. Science DDs best subjects - has to do third science after school! Same if want to do two languages.

DD is considering being referred by school to go to college full-time to do a BTEC Level 2. This can be made up to 5 GCSE equivalents but will not have maths and english GCSE which could affect her going to university (although BTEC is a route) or joining a profession (e.g. teaching).

I am also looking at home tutoring but very difficult because of controlled assessments. Have to begin again with IGCSEs. Distance learning costs about £350 per GCSE then have to find and pay for an exam centre £120 administration fee and £35 per exam. DD up for home tutoring - not sure I am - but if only alternative I will give it a go.

School are considering a medical referral - she can't stay on roll without being in school and can't be at home without home tutoring. GP is involved and not pushing for a solution yet.

Trying to keep DD positive as she does suffer from mood swings (common in dyspraxic children). She has never identified herself as dyspraxic but is now looking at the dyspraxic teen forum where kids discuss things like hating too tight clothes and finding it hard to be organised in the morning. I think she is finding it helpful - as she doesn't feel so alone.

what about some form of redress against the teacher's unreasonable behaviour - what has the school said about that?

So :( that she is having such problems with it all at such a difficult time in her education - it's things like this that have the potential to ruin the way her life runs from now on.

Thanks for empathy thumbwitch. Not sure school think teachers behaviour unreasonable.

Just had back school survey on new school uniform. It says: 'we have listened to your requsts to be very clear, about which trousers and skirts are, and are not, acceptable'. So I was not alone in finding the lack of clarity hard.

rarebite - sympathies also from me .
Could she do the b tech with english and maths GSCE's alongside ?
Can you speak to the college for advice ?
Look on mumsnet Home Ed section ?

Poor you and her - but she's lucky to have you fighting her corner .

By the way ,has she been asessed for dyspraxia ?
How did you get that done ?
( thinking of DS emoticon )

gingeroots - thank you. Yes I am looking at adding GCSEs to the BTEC. She is a clever girl - so could do 3 days at college (which is full-time) and some GCSEs.

Have you looked at Dyspraxia Foundation website - they list signs of dyspraxia. DD fine motor skills most affected. Reception teacher first said DD 'odd' but looking back DD was slow on milestones - health visitor said DD may not have weight bearing legs!!

I found EP by website because didn't think school would test - looked for dyspraxia specialist. Luck found someone who was good. But schools have always ignored report. Hard to get EP reports through schools but at least school might do what EP says.

I shouldn't have let DD go to current school as not caring environment. It is all about league tables.

Im guessing this was not the first time her uniform issue has been raised - all kids are told that unless they are in full correct uniform they will not be allowed to sit their exams. I am betting that your daughter knew this and she was bending school rules yet again. The rule will have been made clear to all pupils prior to the exam (and I am guessing at other times too) it sounds like it will be a modular exam which she can sit at another time.
next time ensure she obeys school rules!

Oh maddy68 what a world that would be if our kids always obeyed rules: would there be any end to conformity? Hoorah for the rebels - you need them - without them other kids would not look so very proper.

But DD is not a rebel. I repeat the school uniform survey: 'we have listened to your requsts to be very clear, about which trousers and skirts are, and are not, acceptable'.

the fact that you quote the uniform survey does not change the fact that her uniform was not acceptable (and your child will have know this) they made an example of her - get her to learn from this and conform - she can rebel later when she is in the workplace and then get fired for her lack of conformity, then she can blame the school for not showing her a good example

It all seems a huge fuss about nothing much! I wouldn't waste the energy-just make sure it is the correct uniform-it isn't for much longer anyway.

There will, maddy68, always be the child who can't limbo dance low enough to avoid the bullying teacher and for this reason the procedures for excluding a child from an education activity have to be fair and not arbitrary. Authority can get it wrong.

I agree exoticfruit I could to tell DD to put up and insist the school is 100% clear about the uniform procedures in future. I have told DD to put up and shut up before but I think it would be damaging to do so this time.

I feel she needs a different environment despite the energy it is taking me to find a new route. I trust my judgement- the school environment is too oppressive and if a child is too unhappy they can not perform.

Just tell her to tackle it from a different angle

1.she has nearly finished with school uniform.
2.she will want a good reference from the school for college, job, personal statement etc

Why rock the boat? Best just to grit her teeth and get on with it-it isn't a big enough issue to risk alienation.

I was banned from taking higher maths, because, even though I was in top set, they only covered the syllabus after school. I was in detention every night, not for bad behavior, but for forgetting things, messy handwriting, taking too long to get changed for pe, taking too long to eat and making a mess while I did it (I'm dyspraxic). I offered to teach the syllabus to myself, but it was refused. I got a B- the top mark I could get at intermediate, and it still annoys me. I can't really count, but I was very good at the higher syllabus stuff- algebra and so on, but I never got the chance to excel.

On the bright side, it has never restricted me in any way - in fact, for various reasons, I was taken out of a lot of lessons and gcses entirely, and so only got 8 middling gcses (an A, 3 Bs and 4 Cs) and it has never really come up - as long as you have 5, with at least a C in maths and English, nobody seems to care.

Wow- I hadn't seen that she is dyspraxic before I posted.

Have you been over to the Home Education forum on here, or been in touch with education otherwise?

For example, you don't need to pay for GCSE tutoring, you can do it yourself. She could also do open university for free at home, and brick universities love that.

Also - "she can't stay at home without home tutoring" - the school is telling you rubbish Im afraid. She needs to be educated, but that doesn't mean that you can't do it, and it doesn't have to be aiming at GCSEs, although you can if you like. It doesn't have to even be sat down at a table - she can learn about whatever she likes, however she likes, or you might decide to make it as like school as possible, up to you.

You might want to look into flexi school as well.

This is a DD right at the end of compulsory schooling! Just make sure that she is correctly dressed for the next few months.

Surely, if you take out Easter, she has about 5 weeks before study leave and then the actual exam days.After that she will never have to wear uniform again!

Are schools really this fussy about uniform for exams.

Last school I worked in (before I got out of school based education, hopefully for ever!) we had a no-uniform policy for exams - was more important for the pupils to be comfortable in the exam room than "properly" dressed.

Worked a treat - as long as they didn't wear football colours or anything offensive, they sat the exams - mainly in jeans, hoodies and trainers!