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Secondary education

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

Original poster

What is the issue with the coats?

179 replies

Leffeandolives · 23/01/2023 21:37

I have heard to be prepared for my DC not to wear her coat from next year that she will go to a secondary school. At the moment she does, so I don't understand what would change next year!

Is it true? Do secondary schools advise kids not to wear coats in winter?

If there are no lockers are there no pegs too?

Could they not place them at the back of their chairs as we do at work?

Apologies but I am not originally from the UK, have not attended a British school and I don't know how it works.

When I went at school, we had pegs in each classroom or put them at the back of our chairs (most of the times). And we always wore them during the breaks that we had to be outside at the playground. Actually we could wear them whenever we wanted to wear them!

Help please!

OP posts:
DumpedByText · 23/01/2023 23:28

I work in a high school, they do not wear coats. They lose them and I could start a shop with the amount in our lost property, they only bring them as their parents convince them to!

ShimmyYaYaYay · 23/01/2023 23:29

DS15 doesn't wear coat unless forced then 'forgets' to take it off in the building so gets regular detentions for not wearing uniform correctly.

Apparently coats are too heavy to carry all day...

Drywhitefruitycidergin · 23/01/2023 23:31

Dd1 started secondary in Sept.
Hates wearing her coat - apparently i bought it too big. Too long, too bulky, cba to carry it around. She has a blazer, jumper, rain jacketwhich stays in her bag and gets the bus there and back.
I'm taking the pick your battles approach of suggesting but not insisting!

ClaryFairchild · 24/01/2023 00:24

No brain no pain.... lol. Mine won't wear trousers in winter, shorts all year round. Do you really think I'd have any luck with a coat?

Fortunately the winters aren't cold enough for snow here in Australia but damn the wind is icy and mornings are frosty in winter.

Youdoyoubabe · 24/01/2023 00:27

They will wear Northface coats…..but maybe not for long as they lose them or they get nicked.

JemimaTiggywinkles · 24/01/2023 01:25

My school have accessible lockers to store coats in their common rooms (private school), are allowed to wear them around school (lots of different buildings) and the only rule is that they need to be predominantly dark coloured (no rules on branding or anything). They still will not wear coats.

They also whinge about the cold while not wearing a coat. The boys refuse jumpers but moan about the cold. The girls wear ridiculous ballet shoes that aren't waterproof and moan that their feet are wet. Even when it's snowy and we relax shoes rules to allow any flat footwear. Walking boots, wellies, trainers, ankle boots etc all allowed when it snows, but 90% of girls are in open ballet shoes sitting on radiators because they're cold.

My 15yo nephew (different school) spent £190 of birthday money on a warm coat he adores and won't wear it for school. He wears it out with friends on a weekend or when at the rugby with family. But apparently he doesn't need it for school.

They're teenagers being contrary in a relatively harmless way. And as a teacher I have better things to do than force them to wear coats. That's on them / their parents imo.

JemimaTiggywinkles · 24/01/2023 01:27

Oh, and it was the same when I was at school. I didn't want or need a coat. I don't remember feeling cold, and have no long term ill effects.

MrsMiddleMother · 24/01/2023 02:03

2 teenage stepdaughters both wear coats, as do all of their friends. They put them on the back of their chairs in class

Jowak1 · 24/01/2023 02:08

My son (15) wears a coat and is very practical wouldn't dream of not wearing a coat. My daughter (12) total opposite rarely wears a coat, on the odd occasion she does she never comes home in it. It's in someone's locker, left at a friends house, in a friends bag 🙈how can they be so different lol 😂

MrsTerryPratchett · 24/01/2023 02:31

Omg, this is absolutely crazy! Was it like that forever when you were kids too or is this a modern thing?

The only acceptable way to wear a coat in the 80/90s was on your arm but off your shoulders. And then only a puffy coat. Think Salt-n-Pepa.

I still don't like wearing coats because I'm wicked cool.

sashh · 24/01/2023 02:45

Leffeandolives · 23/01/2023 21:48

Omg, this is absolutely crazy! Was it like that forever when you were kids too or is this a modern thing?

This has to do with their health & safety though, their teachers should make them wear coats!

I mean imagine if they decide to turn up to school without shoes one day, just because it's cool. It's nonsense....

And they are still kids, not adults. Surely parents should be more strict? No? What do you think?

A coat was part of my school uniform so yes I wore one.

But I had to wear a knee length skirt and opaque tights had not been invented. We had to wear uniform to and from school so you needed a coat long enough to cover your knees. We also had places to keep a coat and we didn't wear blazers in winter.

Most school uniforms are made of polyester and therefore are quite warm.

dcbc1234 · 24/01/2023 02:53

You are correct that it is absolutely crazy. In my day UK state schools used to have cloakrooms with coat hooks but the Scottish Senior School my DC attended insisted once you were in the building that your coat was in your bag, so that only uniform was on view I think. This effectively meant my kids usually just chose to go without and froze. I did query the weird bonkers policy but just received a 'party line' dismissive reply from the Head.

Ericaequites · 24/01/2023 05:20

I went to a Quaker all girls school. We were allowed boots in poor weather, but had to change into uniform shoes to attend class. Coats were allowed, but it was umbrellas my headmistress hated. I still never carry one. The girls now wear pelmet skirts with sweats underneath, a peculiarly unattractive look that should be forbidden.

piefacedClique · 24/01/2023 06:30

I’ve never heard of a school advising pupils not to wear a coat! I know some advice they have to be a particular colour. Our school has blazers and it’s those we can’t get them to wear (no surprise!) their coats however seem fused to their skin and we can’t get them to take them off!!! With their hoods up too!

Oblomov22 · 24/01/2023 06:32

All of the kids wear coats here. Only on MN is it cool to not wear a coat.

BuddhaAtSea · 24/01/2023 06:39

😂😂😂 my DD wore the same ensemble in 26 and -6 degrees for years. Short sleeve white shirt, blazer, skirt, socks and shoes. No idea how she did it. And yes, she did have jumpers, coats, scarves, hats, you know, like normal people. On the days I picked her up, I would wrap my scarf around her neck cause I couldn’t bear it.

Nowadays though, hehe…

MushMonster · 24/01/2023 06:43

Leffeandolives · 23/01/2023 21:56

Are there no pegs too?

I can't understand that when someone is at primary wears coat but from Y7 to university don't and then when they start uni they start wearing coats again until retirement.

Surely something is not right?

Imagine someone not wearing shoes from Y7 to adulthood and then back shoes on again!

You do not understand it because it makes no sense, whatsoever.
I had to tell mine to wear her coat in primary though. She is never cold, or so she says.
She will only wear her coat, opened at the front, in freezing conditions.
Why? I have stoped asking ....

MushMonster · 24/01/2023 06:44

BuddhaAtSea · 24/01/2023 06:39

😂😂😂 my DD wore the same ensemble in 26 and -6 degrees for years. Short sleeve white shirt, blazer, skirt, socks and shoes. No idea how she did it. And yes, she did have jumpers, coats, scarves, hats, you know, like normal people. On the days I picked her up, I would wrap my scarf around her neck cause I couldn’t bear it.

Nowadays though, hehe…

Copy cut to mine!
Also, immune to rain. No need of a rain coat either!

Saturdaynoon · 24/01/2023 06:45

Oblomov22 · 24/01/2023 06:32

All of the kids wear coats here. Only on MN is it cool to not wear a coat.

Same here. My dcs wear coats, and I drive past seven school runs (lots pf schools atojnd here) on my way to work and everyone wears coats.

TheWildRumpyPumpus · 24/01/2023 06:47

Most of the kids at our school wear coats in this weather - they have to be black and most choose some form of puffer jacket. My youngest often refuses to wear his (because he can’t be bothered carrying it around) but after a couple of days of freezing to death he comes around!

milkysmum · 24/01/2023 06:53

My 14 year old dd has started wearing one again, as have most of her friends. It's cold, she's not stupid in this weather...
To be fair though it was a huge challenge in years 7 and 8 as they seemed more worried about not looking cool, year 9 now and she would rather be warm waiting for the bus!

turkeyboots · 24/01/2023 06:56

We had a no coat on school property rule, so we all just wore our blazer year round. Our 100%wool blazer, in the heat and rain. We stank year round.

DC school in Ireland has a school coat, a fleece lined rain coat which they mostly all wear.

wigywhoo · 24/01/2023 06:58

ThrowawaySecondarySchool · 23/01/2023 21:47

The kids at our school wear coats! They go on the back of chairs or on the floor with the bags during lessons. Science and DT have spaces for bags and coats in the classroom.

Thank goodness we're not completely alone - my DS14 wears a blue Barbour to school. His classmates Year a variety of NorthFace type coats. They have lockers but he puts it on the back of his chair.

It is a private school if that makes a difference. English Midlands.

Fallulah · 24/01/2023 06:59

You’ve been misinformed, OP. As a form tutor I spend so much time encouraging students to come to school in a coat, having chats with those who don’t appear to have them and phoning home to offer support (often the shoes and the coat are the sign that something could be wrong).

They are not allowed to wear their coats to sit in the classroom (they were during covid when we had all the windows open but I only have a couple of windows cracked open now during lessons and it’s perfectly comfortable in the classroom) so the coats go on the backs of chairs with their bags. At all other times we encourage them to put their coats on when it’s cold.

To say that schools do all they can to discourage coat wearing is a bit… weird!

JimJamJolly · 24/01/2023 07:00

My teen wears a coat (blazer underneath). He's even taken my gloves to wear (plain black!) although I think he only wears them in our village while waiting for the bus!

Jumpers under blazers, however, are not cool!