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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

PE Uniform

37 replies

rachyrob · 28/05/2011 17:25

DD is due to start year 9 in Sept and we've just had guidelines on the changes to the PE kit.

One thing that is bothering her is that there will be a requirement to do some indoor PE barefoot which is really bothering her.

Is it common for indoor PE at secondary school to be done with bare feet and is it unusual for teens to worry about that?

OP posts:

Original poster

rachyrob · 17/07/2011 17:49

I did speak to her - it was basically "I sympathise but you will have to go with the flow"

I'm hoping that it's going resolve itself over the summer but we shall see.....

One thing that also came out was that drama is also barefoot but in school uniform - this really does seem to be madness, if an activity needs bare feet then surely it needs a change of clothes as well!!

OP posts:

LauraClin · 17/07/2011 18:18

rachyrob, did you establish is she is upset about bare feet, or bare feet and PE kit? it may be that she dislikes shorts, leotards or whatever she wears, and bare feet are simply the final straw, so to speak. Is she ok wearing uniform in drama?

Original poster

rachyrob · 17/07/2011 18:36

It's the bare feet definitely - do you find this an issue with you classes?

OP posts:

LauraClin · 17/07/2011 19:37

It is an issue with some girls. I'm not sure I understand why this is though. The girls I teach are used to doing PE with bare feet, as they do all indoor lessons like that. I find that some 1st years dislike it, but then the problem tends to reappera in NC year 9 or 10.

LauraClin · 17/07/2011 19:41

I meant to add, is your daughter ok wih her PE kit more generally? What does she wear indoors? Often it is seen that when girls hit 13-14, they go through a phase of hating wearing shorts, gym knckers, leotards etc.

marriedinwhite · 17/07/2011 19:51

Laura Clin regrettably my daughter has been treated in exactly the same way as I was treated 40 years ago. I do not have a hatred of PE - in fact our son plays rugby and cricket for significant clubs and has been encouraged and has had no problems. My issue is the attitude towards those who cannot do the activity and the rough and uncaring manner in which PE mistresses chose to treat them. I could give you many examples but am not going to out myself. I actually feel desperately sorry for my DD because she is going through what I went through and I thought times had moved on. However, my mother allowed me to be bullied but it will not happen to dd because I shall not let it.

LauraClin · 17/07/2011 19:57

Quite right, marriedinwhite. If she is being bullied it is unacceptable and must be dealt with without delay and I wish you every success in your fight. What I do object to though is your generalisation of PE teachers; there are bad ones, but the vast majority are very good. Just as there are bad shop assistants, jornalists, lawyers, nurses and binmen.

GrimmaTheNome · 17/07/2011 20:02

I think the OPs response to her DD is sensible.

If the lesson in question was swimming rather than gym, it'd be a nobrainer, of course you do it barefoot, with veruccas being dealt with on a case by case basis if they arise (they aren't exactly the end of the world anyhow).

Hopefully she'll 'go with the flow' and stop being shy about her feet and then be able to enjoy all sorts of things more.

dramafluff · 20/07/2011 12:19

Slightly off topic - apologies if it is -

Why should PE be mandatory (and I always hated it by the way!) - because there are sadly people in the current young generation who are slothlike and very possibly the ONLY exercise they get is PE at school? You can't spend your life, and in MHO will do no good for children either, not supporting schools in their rules and regs and pandering to every whim children have.

Before I get completely shouted down - no, of course schools should not have cart blanche to make stupid and unreasonable demands upon children - appeal to the governors, appeal to the head, whatever you like if there is something damaging to your child. My daughter is quite a sensitive soul and has plenty of pre teen and teen hang ups - don't they all in the main. On the rare occasion something has stirred me enough to actually be worth complaining to the school about I have done it quietly without my girlies knowledge as I want to be seen to be backing up the authority the school has so she knows I will not just jump and complain about every little thing she doesn't like. I won't, however, complain to the school about things she just 'doesn't like' or doesn't want to do.

Life (and indeed school) just isn't like that and sometimes kids just have to get over things and do stuff they don't feel happy about.

Original poster

rachyrob · 27/08/2011 18:39

Didn't think this thread would cause such a debate!!!!

Only a week or so away now and it's still an issue I think - had encouraged her to have bare feet round the house during the summer (which she did a bit) in the hope that it would get her used to it but now she;'s saying she is still worried about pe...

roll on the fights......!!!

OP posts:

MrsRobertDuvall · 27/08/2011 19:32

You can't generalise marriedinwhite about all PE teachers.
It is unfortunate that you and your dd both have not had good experiences, but to say all PE teachers are like that is like saying they are all lesbians.

PE in school is limited, mainly due to budgets, but dd at her girls state school does hockey, netball, rounders, cricket, football, gym, dance, volleyball.
She was crap at PE at primary but is taking GCSE PE as a result of a fantastic PE dept who encourage and make it fun.
Let's face it, there are always girls desperate to skive off PE as it is not seen as a cool subject by some. I had the most erratic menstrual cycle going

I thought Laura's responses were good humoured and as a parent I would not take offence at them.

LauraClin · 03/11/2011 14:30

I was milling about online and came across this old thread! Whilst I certainly don't want to reopen some of the debate, I wonder if rachyrob could tell us what progress has been made in the half term just gone? Has your daughter adjusted to wearing nothing on her feet, or are there still problems?

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