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Secondary education

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

School uniforms!

20 replies

Abbreviation · 13/07/2012 09:01

I know we have all moaned in the past about school uniforms, whether they are practical, necessary etc. Our school have just issued a new school uniform policy which is basically the same but mentions things such as no coloured scarves to be worn in winter, school jumpers not being necessary etc. One thing is really bugging me. The majority of the uniform has to be brought from one of only 2 suppliers. This is mainly due to the school logo being on the items. But of course this means that with a blazer for example you are paying sometimes £10+ extra than M&S. Most of us put up with this because we have to. They have now stipulated that the only trousers to be worn by girls are the plain black trutex trousers for boys. (This is to avoid the situation of some girls wearing trousers that are too tight or unsuitable material. At the 2 suppliers these trousers start at £17.95 for the smallest size. The ones we need are £19.95! Now at M&S I have found a style that are almost identical to the trutex brand; not tight fitting, not bootcut and in suitable material. They are currently £13 for 2 pairs! I have mentioned this to the governors and they do not accept this and have told me any girl (who chooses to wear trousers) and is found not to be wearing trutex will face a range of punishments starting with detentions and eventually leading to being sent home. I don't know how they plan to enforce this, by daily label checks maybe! I'm sure we all try to encourage our kids to follow the uniform policy but this bit has made me very angry! Also why not coloured scarves, and why do they consider straight skirts with slit at the back circa 1970 smart and practical!!

OP posts:
Peaksandtroughs · 13/07/2012 11:29

DD tried on a pair of DS's old school trousers the other day. They do not fit properly because she is a girl and has a girl's body. Her hips/bum don't fit into the trousers properly and would be very uncomfortable to wear. It is ridiculous to insist girls wear boys' trousers.

goingtoofast · 13/07/2012 11:33

It's very strange they haven't given you the option of girls trousers - maybe they want girls to just wear skirts.
I do understand why they are specifying certain trousers as so many secondary school kids wear awful looking tight trousers!

GrimmaTheNome · 13/07/2012 11:39

Confused Have any of these governors ever seen a secondary-age girl?
Boys' trousers will for many manage to be too loose and too tight.

DD's school has only one trouser option (Banner 3832) which isn't cheap either but at least it's cut for girls. Perhaps you could suggest this - or find if Trutex do a girl's version.

ibizagirl · 14/07/2012 08:35

How is a girl expected to wear boys trousers? If it was me i would just buy whatever fit and looked good. Dd's school has a one pair of trousers rule for girls and i ignore it like a lot of others. For a start off they are cheap and nasty looking although they are £18 from school shop. Secondly they only go up to a certain size and as my daughter is "big" she would never get anywhere near them. One friend is slim and she can hardly fit into any and she says they shrink after first wash.Do what you think is right OP. If anything is said then mention it to local paper or mp or whatever - that usually does the trick!

NoComet · 14/07/2012 19:18

Get some smart M&S ones, unless its a private school they won't care less.

NoComet · 14/07/2012 19:20

come to think of it I know private school girls who wear Trutex blouses because they are 1/2 the price of their identical official ones.

sashh · 15/07/2012 03:40

They are breaking the sex discrimination act, forcing a female to wear male clothes (or the other way round) is illegal.

Abbreviation · 15/07/2012 10:26

Thanks for all of your replies. Do you know I hadn't even thought about the fit of boys trousers on teenage girls! I think I know why they have tried to stipulate a certain trouser as some of the ones the older girls wear are very tight! BUT there are perfectly adequate loose fitting 'proper' girls trousers which would be suitable. I have found several makes now. I think if they at least listed several cheaper alternatives then it wouldn't be so bad. The strange thing is that they have asked for boys to wear black school trousers 'smart suit style, with a waistband but they have not specified a make!

OP posts:
littleducks · 15/07/2012 10:30

I would just buy marks ones and cut labels out (obv because they are it itchy Wink).

I do commend the school for doing something to address girls in skintight trousers though.

happygardening · 15/07/2012 12:59

It's the idea of punishing the children that amazes me. I doubt few yr 7- 11's pay for their own school uniform so if a child turns in the wrong uniform it's the parents who are at fault they have either failed to read the instruction or chosen to ignore them punishing the child just seems unfair.
For the record at my DS's independent school and probably considered by many rather posh they can wear any dark trousers any coloured shirt/ tie providing its a sober design and any jacket/blazer I buy the whole lot from JL so not all independent schools insist on ridiculous expensive uniform.

CecilyP · 15/07/2012 14:10

If they really do look similar, no-one is likely to notice. As littleducks said, cut the labels out, and tell DD, if anyone asks (not that they are likely to) to say, 'Don't know, mum bought them'.

BackforGood · 15/07/2012 15:42

I agree with the others- if they look the same, then no-one is going to start a label hunt. What they are doing, is trying to stop the unsuitable ones being worn.
Anyway, thanks for the pointer to M&S, I've just been on their website and picked up a 2 pack of trousers for each of my dds, free delivery, plus an automatic discount on school uniform at the moment, so that's 4 pairs of school trousers for £20.80. FAR better than paying Clive Marks prices !

minesawine · 15/07/2012 19:35

I went to the official school shop and a pair of trousers for my 11 year old DS were £17.99. I nearly fell over when I heard. I then went to ASDA and found an identical pair for £5.50. I bought them and am taking the expensive pair back. I hope he does not get caught out, but it is so frustrating and I am so angry with the school for making us have this unnecessary expense when times are hard.

tiggytape · 17/07/2012 12:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

marriedinwhite · 17/07/2012 22:19

This will be unfashionable to say but if your dd doesn't want to wear boys' trousers, could she not wear a skirt? DD doesn't have a trouser option and I am very pleased.

BackforGood · 17/07/2012 22:28

I would not be impressed with a school uniform that didn't offer a trouser option. What decade are the working in ? Shock

BackforGood · 17/07/2012 22:28

the they

tiggytape · 17/07/2012 23:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Abbreviation · 18/07/2012 10:10

My dd does wear a skirt most of the time but on days when there is PE or whole school assemblies she wears trousers. For PE because of the '30 seconds' they have to change, she has found it quicker to pull on/off a pair of trousers and socks rather than skirt and tights. On assembly days, when there are hundreds of pupils in the hall, all having to sit on the floor, she finds it less embarrassing to sit crossed legged on the floor in trousers than in the stupid tight skirts with slit at the back! Dd has always been very good with uniform and has never gone for the rolled over skirt or tight trouser option but I'll be damned if I'm going to pay that amount for specific trousers. As other posters have said I think we'll be safe with the M&S ones as they are loose fitting and smart. I think there was a school in our area that didn't allow trousers for girls but then got into trouble because of discrimination (gender) I think.
Still can't quite get my head around why they can't wear coloured scarves to and from school in the winter though!

OP posts:
EdithWeston · 19/07/2012 06:48

It's wrong to specify a boys' tailored item for girls in secondary school as they just won't fit (waist/hip ratios).

Perhaps the next step is to send DD's measurements in alongside a trutex boys' size chart, and ask which size will a) fit at all and b) fit adequately comfortably to avoid constant wriggling to adjust/hold up at waist?

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