School uniform correctness - gone mad!!!

[chubbleigh]

My son got pulled into the deputy heads office today to be told the new shoes he is wearing are not shoes but trainers - in disguise. And could he arrange for them to be replaced by Monday.

Start Rite think they are school shoes, and so do I. This is about pair no.17 and suddenly the are not OK. I need to speak to this pedantic Gove botherer in the morning, I'm not calm on the subject yet, but one thing is for sure, there is not going to be any replacements by Monday.

www.startriteshoes.com/boys-shoes/school-shoes/ethan-black-boys-riptape-school-shoes

T

Biscuits picture doesn't look canvas to be - besides the posting style is very different - much more eloquent.

Good God,theyre sensible black school shoes. Ds has work shoes like that since he was 6 and his schools have been really hot on uniform

I agree Balletgirl.

perhaps the schools should start specifying what makes are acceptable
and perhaps the teachers themselves should also wear a school uniform to set an example
no make up for school kids; no make up for teachers
no hair dye for school kids; no hair dye for teachers
same applies to jewellery
I wouldn't mind if the schools were as good at educating as they are at this over zealous uniform policing
I am for school uniform but it is getting ridiculous
schools are deflecting their poor performance

They are shoes, rock solid and hard as hell, this is the umpteenth pair. Last ones were virtually identical and not a word was said, now they are not OK. Don't get it.

Email the head with a start rite receipt and ask her what she suggests?

Just move to Scotland, there is a uniform but it's not enforceable. My DD used to ho to school in a pair of boots like these. End of year was approaching, her school shoes had disintegrated, no way was I forking out for more before summer.

They went very well with her school uniform.

They are definitely more like trainers than smart school shoes.

I must say, I looked at the link and they are trainers in my mind

The shoes are fine. They are there to learn for goodness sake, and those shoes will not effect that process. They are smart and practical. They will keep his feet warm and dry what more.do you or they want.

I think they look trainer-like, whilst DH says they're school shoes in a trainer style. They wouldn't be allowed at DS' school.

When you see the head, point out that they are able to be polished, which is the criterion applied by many schools. I'm not sure he'll buy it though.

Just tell the school you will buy him different ones when he grows out if these, you can't afford another pair

I can see why it makes you angry, though. A friend's DD was put in isolation for the day at her secondary because she had Clarks school shoes which had a tiny flower motif (DD is tiny so has to have children's shoes).
On the same day, she had seen staff turning a blind eye to girls beating up another in a corrider.

They are trainers, surely.

'School shoes' here are black, rigid leather with laces and thin, non-ridged soles.

No way would something with a tractor-style sole and Velcro straps pass as a school shoe.

**has had not work shoes. Bloody phone.

Can anyone explain to me the logic of these rigid uniform policies?

I can see why schools don't want children arriving in clothes covered in logos because (a) there is a lot of scope for bullying those with the 'wrong' or no logos and (b) if expensive stuff gets lost parents may kick off.

I can see why they have regulations about the general type of shoes that can be worn to make sure the children will be safe and comfortable as they move around the school and work in class.

I accept that most schools now have a uniform and if there is a rule it has to be enforced.

So far, so good.

But when it gets to the stage that senior staff members are wasting time deliberating whether perfectly sensible, black leather Start-rite shoes meet the exact letter of the uniform policy, something has gone badly wrong. How is this going to affect the OP's son's academic work in any way?

They look like the sort of shoes ds would wear. It's a pair of shoes fgs, how will wearing them affect their learning?? World's gone mad if they are policing shoes to that extent

They wouldn't pass for school shoes at ds2 school- his shoes have to be polish able leather, with laces and a heel.
Mind you at ds1 school they would have been fine

Why laces? Do they make you learn better than Velcro?

Laces are a bad idea at ds's school as they change shoes multiple times a day as they wear indoor shoes on the school premises. Velcro makes changing them much faster

They actually specify laces tantrums????

I've yet to find a pair of boys laced school shoes in a size 1

They are definitely trainer-like.

They look fine to me, and perfectly suitable for a primary school aged child, although fairly trainer-line in style. DS is really hard on his shoes so I always choose ones with a rubbery bit on the toe.

Koala, do all children really have to wear thin-soled lace-ups at school? Even the 4 year olds? I wouldn't be happy about my children having to wear shoes like that for running and climbing in.

They do specify laces but it's secondary school, in primary they could pretty much wear whatever covered their feet
Tbh I'd rather he could wear smart slip on shoes as they never tie the laces when they come undone and so the little plastic thing comes off and I end up buying loads of replacement laces :)