Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Secondary education

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

Sent a note with daughter and coat still got confiscated

325 replies

Lionness2020 · 09/09/2017 12:25

My daughter started in Year 7 BullersWood on Wed 6th Sept.
She came home after her first day excited to show me her new books and weekly planner. We sat down together to read through it, I had to sign parent/teacher contract and then we went on to read the school policies and rules.
Whilst reading I came to realize that now I need to buy my daughter a black coat! This isn't an issue....I will buy a black coat ( I just need some time to do this).
She left for school on Thursday with her current coat (purple I might add, I know its bright, but it was that or pink!) and I sent a note with her explaining the situation to giver to her teacher, my daughter got to the school gates and took her coat off and put it in her bag and never gave the note in I found out later that evening....my assumption here is that she was scared she may get disciplined or that it was a hot day and she didn't need a coat.
Come Friday morning, its raining and daughter decides she's going to wear the purple coat as it's waterproof (it was raining most of the day on Fri, I think i saw the sun come out around 3oClock), so again I wrote a note for her to hand to the teacher.
Now this is info I have managed to gather from my DD.......She was going into morning registration, as they were filing into class, the headteacher of Yr7 has stopped her about her coat (according to my daughter her office is opposite her form room). So, daughter says she has a note, hands it over, head of year reads it and say "how sweet, I will have to confiscate your coat and you can have it back at the end of the day, as it's breaking school rules".
I was absolutely astounded by this, I can't believe my daughter had no coat to wear during break/lunch on a cold/rainy day!
Where was the health, safety and well-being of my child?
Not a happy mum!
I will be making an appointment to see the headteacher.

OP posts:
ChaChaChaCh4nges · 09/09/2017 12:27

Were you not given a uniform list before she started? Does the school not publish its uniform list on the website?

JustMumNowNotMe · 09/09/2017 12:28

Surely you had a copy of the uniform policy before she started?!

I'm sorry but I'm with the school, if they bend the rules for you, whats tbr point of having them?

You are at fault here for not buying the correct uniform.

Crispbutty · 09/09/2017 12:29

Was she actually made to go out in the rain?

Lionness2020 · 09/09/2017 12:31

yes she was

OP posts:
Floralnomad · 09/09/2017 12:33

Perfectly normal , the coat requirement would have been on the uniform list and I assume you sent her in the rest of the uniform .

SuzukiLi · 09/09/2017 12:34

I would be furious if my daughter was made to go outside in the rain with no coat.

AnguaResurgam · 09/09/2017 12:38

You need to buy a cheap black cagoule (if you supermarket shop online, you can probably add one to your next order)

If course they can't have a pupil in a coloured coat wandering round during the day. And I'm sure there will have been plenty of places under some sort of cover.

It really should not be astounding that schools that require black coats enforce the rule.

Lionness2020 · 09/09/2017 12:39

I didn't have a copy to hand until she came home with weekly planner. I did not check schools website for uniform policy.
I did go uniform shop and got her bits before the summer hols, I asked the assistant in the shop to show me everything they have for bullers wood and no coat was shown to me, so I thought I had everything.
This is my fault for not checking their website, not my daughters.

OP posts:
KindleBueno · 09/09/2017 12:42

Well if you know it's your fault why would you be making a complaint to the head?

Branleuse · 09/09/2017 12:42

bloody stupid that you have to have uniform coats now as well as normal uniform. Could the coat be dyed?

Judgementalmuch · 09/09/2017 12:42

The school is unreasonable. Your note was explaining that you would be buying one - all they had to do was it allow it for that one day and hopefully you would have bought it over the weekend !
I bet they won't be happy if she takes a few days off school because she's caught a cold, due to not having a coat !

LIZS · 09/09/2017 12:45

Umbrella would have been preferable. Or a cheap cag in a bag. I'm afraid both of you have learnt the hard way what secondary discipline is like.

Lionness2020 · 09/09/2017 12:47

My complaint is I sent a not in explaining the situation and it was completely disregarded.
If I send a note tomorrow saying he ankle hurts, can she be excused from PE.....will they disregard that too? Hmm

OP posts:
Floralnomad · 09/09/2017 12:48

The shop assistant wouldn't have shown you a coat because most secondary school pupils don't wear them .

itsbetterthanabox · 09/09/2017 12:50

Pathetic of the school.
Why are people sticking up for this? So what if there's a kid in a purple coat. She'll get one.
An 11 year old can't buy her own coat. Why punish her and make her cold and uncomfortable because her parents haven't had a chance to buy her another colour coat.
Coat isn't even uniform!

HarrietSchulenberg · 09/09/2017 12:51

Sorry but your daughter paid the price for you not reading the uniform list properly. Get her a black coat and there's the end of it.

And I'm highly suspicious of the claim that the kids were made to stay outside in the rain at break and lunch. Maybe a quick trip across a yard to a lesson at most. Schools don't force kids to huddle outdoors in downpours although there's a large number of over-excited teens who belt outside to arse about in the puddles, ignoring wet weather rooms on the way.

Wolfiefan · 09/09/2017 12:54

You didn't check the uniform policy before your child started school? YAB COMPLETELY U

Cavender · 09/09/2017 12:54

If course they can't have a pupil in a coloured coat wandering round during the day

I'm sorry but what nonsense!

The school's purpose is to educate their students. Exactly what disastrous consequence will ensue because one child has a purple coat in the first week of term?

Uniform is traditional. It it serves no other purpose.

Perfectly1mperfect · 09/09/2017 12:54

Did it state black coat on the uniform list ?

My child's school states dark coloured coats only. It's fine at the moment as my child has chosen a black coat but I do find it a ridiculous policy. If my child chose a different colour coat I would let them have it. I do t think our school is strict on the issue though as there are lots of kids with different coloured coats on.

I also think it's strange to say dark coats only when the children are walking home in winter and it getting darker earlier.

hidinginthenightgarden · 09/09/2017 12:55

The school is ridiculous! Why are coats suddenly part of the uniform??

NoProblemForMe · 09/09/2017 12:55

You are really outing yourself here OP by saying the name of the school, the fact your daughter has just started and also wears a purple coat against school policy Hmm

Perfectly1mperfect · 09/09/2017 12:56
  • Don't think
QuestionableMouse · 09/09/2017 12:56

I think black coats for school kids is completely stupid. They're a terrible idea when it gets dark at 3pm on the winter nights.

GahBuggerit · 09/09/2017 12:57

Yanbu, can't believe they left her without a coat. You're right to go in and complain op, schools shoukdnt take the easy option and punish the kids for the parents mistakes, shitbags

Caprianna · 09/09/2017 12:58

I now have 3 children in secondary school and it always amases me what the school/teacher focus on. They are not able to handle behavioural issues and bullying, but if a pupil has the wrong colour socks its detention straight away. I suppose this is an easy target.

When teachers complain about being overworked I now roll my eyes as I know they spend lots of time focusing on ridiculous things. In most countries children learn perfectly well at school without ever wearing uniforms its just an odd British thing.

Swipe left for the next trending thread