Do all private schools require girls to wear skirts/dresses?

[mumofCR]

Hi, I'm thinking of sending my daugher to a local private school - with a pretty heavy heart. And when I went to look at it, during that freezing cold snap, realised that all the girls were wearing skirts. They even have to wear skirts over their gymn leggings! I've been informed that skirts are standard in ALL private schools in the UK. Is this true?

I thought this kind of thing disappeared in the 70s? Can't see the logic of demanding this, especially during cold periods. All that faff with tights which make your legs itch. Let alone the inconvenience when running or undertaking any kind of physical activity. The only benefit is for the boys who can spend infinate amounts of time looking up skirts. Or have a missed some great advantage?

My private school permitted girls who cycled to school to wear trousers, if they wished.
Lots of us cycled to school, but when I was there, I think there was only one person in the whole school who actually wore trousers.
So maybe the school you looked at allowed it too, just nobody wants to wear them.
(Our school also had the stupid rule about sports kit - they explained it by saying that the skirt was the uniform. The jogging bottoms were not proper uniform, but they magnanimously allowed us to wear them under our skirts to keep our legs warm

I really wouldn't worry about the cold it doesn't seem to be a problem most of the time dd won't put a cardigan on. Ds is in shorts year round, I thought it was going to be horrible but he really couldn't care less. There is private 5th and 6th form near us where the girls can wear trousers, very few of them do, they usually opt for minuscule skirts instead.

When I was at school (state school in Scotland) girls had to wear skirts from April to November, but could wear trousers in winter. However that was only secondary, primary was skirts.

The DCs are at a private school. DS wears shorts and socks all year round until P7, DD will wear a dress or tunic all year with tights or socks. Personally, having had experience of very cold winters I don't think trousers are warmer than a lined skirt/shorts plus a thick pair of socks.

I think tights are just as warm as trousers - perhaps warmer, as their close fit makes them better at trapping a layer of air next to the skin. If they itch, you probably need to try a different brand. HTH.

It's not just private schools which require girls to wear skirts and I'm really not sure it's worth you getting your knickers in a twist about- if you have an issue with the uniform how are you going to deal with the higher levels of discipline/ sanctions often found in the independent sector (and a massive selling point as far as I am concerned!!)

At my dd's independent secondary girls school they are allowed to wear either skirts with opaque tights or trousers. My dd was adamant she would be too cold in a skirt before she went there (she was previously at a state primary where she always wore trousers and she always refused to wear skirts or dresses outside of school). However...in practice very few girls wear trousers (I've seen one, dd says there are a handful). They all wear skirts (usually rolled up as short as they can get away with). My dd has trousers she could wear to school as she has them as part of an out of school choir uniform. She has never once worn them to school. It wasn't that cold this winter, but she was quite warm enough with tights (except when the year 7s decided to take their shoes off to walk in the snow but that is another story!)

that is they are allowed to wear skirts with opaque tights OR they are allowed to wear trousers...skirts with trousers isn't an option...

St Pauls Girls School has no uniform either, and is consistently one of the highest-achieving in the country in terms of examination success.

At least with an independent school, you have more choice (nit just a preference system dressed up as choice) and so will no find you DC allocated to a school whose uniform you find unacceptable.

Red dungarees a one private school. And I know a few with no uniform.

As exoticfruits says, uniform is very far down the list when choosing a school!
I utterly hate the uniform at my children's school, but it was the last consideration for us.

My son goes to a private school very traditional attitudes to lots of things and this year for the first time the girls are allowed to wear trousers, up to Easter I think.

But in fairness to boys, endlessly unfairly being slagged off, I don't think they spend an infinite amount of time looking up the girls' skirts, as you say in your op. Not clear what age your daughter is.

OP - I'm not sure private school would suit you as a parent. If you are irritated by the prospect of a skirts/dresses only uniform, then you may also be annoyed at other traditional aspects.

My old school (Alleyn's in London, I left in 2004) had trousers avaliable for the girls but I think I only ever saw one girl wearing them. The trousers were horrendous.

St Pauls Girls in West London doesn't have uniform, and my eldest niece used to wear jeans and sweatshirt. I know what you mean about equality and trousers, but the simple truth is most parents at private schools want a uniform, and IME the more traditional the better....which means skirts for girls...and often hats too!

I was only thinking yesterday afternoon as I walked around my local supermarket how smart a teenage girl looked in the upper half of her local state secondary school uniform, reasonably open necked blouse, short, fat tie (special 'girls tie'!) and smart blazer- and how her lower half destroyed 'the look'- skin tight black, drainpipe (and slightly shiny) trousers, bare feet/ballet pumps. No.

I almost chose this school for DS as, among a lot of other things, the uniform, worn properly, looks sharp, but in fact DS goes to a sweat'n'polo-shirt establishment, though, to be fair, they are strict about the uniform (which includes optional black trousers for the girls) and how it's worn. The supermarket girl would have been sent home form DS's school to change!

Doesn't Godolphin Prep in Salisbury require 12 year old girls to wear bright red over smocks, Polly-Anna stylee?!

I'm lucky I have boys and as may who post on this section will know almost have a phobia of what to my mind is ridiculous uniform; boaters, tail coats, wing collars, things hanging out of your socks etc etc. We send DS2 to an independent boys boarding school and one of the deciding factors was the uniform is for a school of this age and standing relatively normal tweed jacket or blazer short/tie any sensible colour and dark trousers suits for best. It obviously wasn't my first reason for choosing the school but I couldn't/wouldn't have even considered or chosen a school where tails and boaters were compulsory (no names). This may sound ridiculous to many but I live in the 21st century and work in a profession where many wear uniform and over the last 30 years we have woken up and got rid of the starch/frills/hats etc realising that the things are completely impractical do nothing to for anyone and in fact in many instances were a positive barrier to effective and safe working practices. Its time schools did the same. Many parents love all these ridiculous uniforms partly I believe because they like the fact that it tells the world that they have the money to pay for independent ed. or that Freddie goes to a certain school.

International schools and music schools have no uniform.

God more typing errors meant to say one of the deciding factors was the uniform which for a school of this age and standing.

The red dungarees is Knighton House uniform (Dorset prep). Bryanston has no uniform and the girls can wear trousers (though not jeans).

happy ye-e-e-s, but I think it's a bit odd seeing the 12 year old boys from your son's private boarding school attending medical appointments (with Matron) wearing a tweed suit, so it cuts both ways!

LittenTree re: Godolphin Prep in Salisbury your right just looked it up those smocks may look cute on 5 yr olds but completely ridiculous on 13 yrs olds!!! There's boaters as well God help us can someone out there tell me what is point of making children wear boaters? And schools that make children wear those things hanging out of your socks what is that point of that?

No tweed suits at my DS school! Least I haven't been asked to but one! Or a tweed jacket either just a bog standard dark blazer/dark trousers from John Lewis and M and S shirts!

Oh and I nearly forgot a charity shop tie for £1 although it was a brand new Gieves and Hawkes one!

"attending medical appointments (with Matron)" the last time my DS did that he wore jeans!