School Uniform Policy In Scotland

[aedcur]

Hi everyone, I'm new here.

Because of my husbands work commitments we've had to move from Ireland to Scotland recently. Our daughter (17yo) started at her new school last week and is in S6. Thing seem to be going ok with her so far but I had a major shock over her new uniform and was wondering if anyone could help me rationalize it.

Back in Ireland her uniform skirt was an ankle length tartan kilt with jumper and shirt. Imagine my amazement when I saw her on the morning of the first day. Tiny, tight black micro skirt shorter than the blazer with long black socks pulled up over the knee (she says she will tights in winter), and tie hanging loose over a too tight blouse with doc martin boots. And a face full of makeup to boot. Apparently her new friends took her shopping the previous weekend and told her what to wear to school. It doesn't look like a proper school uniform! HELP!!

I dropped her off at school and noticed nearly every girl had a skirt on that could be described as bordering on indecent. A friend (a teacher in fact) of mine here says other schools in the district are the same, one in particular is actually worse which I can hardly take in. She says nearly all schools in Scotland are relaxed about uniform, as long as it's the school tie, white shirt and everything else in black then anything goes.

I don't want to contact the school as we're new here so I don't want to rock the boat but it looks awful to my conservative fashion eye (she thinks it's so cool and her friends in Ireland are so jealous it seems) but I can't understand how what are in some cases revealing fashion outfits are allowed in class. I want her to fit in but I suppose hoping the school might do the hard work for me is beyond hope I'd expect. If only for a quiet life!

Thanks in advance for any insights.

Its standard for my area, uniform rules are lax. Even some Primary school girls are wearing the short skirts. Your DD's previous school uniform does sound quite extreme in the opposite direction though.

Yep, sounds about right for round here. Our school's logic seems to be they wanted a uniform policy people would actually comply with, so it's fairly relaxed. Complete contrast to my niece in England. But in England there seem to be actual consequences for non-compliance whereas the worst that will happen here is a phone call home, which only makes any difference if the parents want to force the issue.

Hope your daughter is settling in well.

Yep. Where I am it's a black hoodie with the school logo and black leggings or tiny black skirts. High top converse too. Lots of make up. I went to a local high school with no uniform policy at all so it feels better than that to be honest as I hated the brand culture and bullying that caused. At least they can look the part on a budget I suppose.

My DS goes to a private school where they obvs have a different stricter uniform policy but ankle length skirts are extreme. DS can wear sports gear to school on PE/games days.

Yep, am Irish and Scotland based. Uniform like that here.

Has she missed Highers completely? (Off topic I know) Or is she doing Highers/advanced Highers.

My 15 year old started here at 5 and I've scared the bejaysus out of him talking about the Leaving Cert, Peig and mounds of homework...

Don't worry about it-
I think it's good when schools don't get too involved in policing clothing. If it is a good school and she is settling in happily that is so so much more important.

(I went to an amazing school in the USA with no uniform policy, which is normal here. Going to school in punk clothes with a full mohawk, didn't stop my classmates from getting into Harvard and doing all sorts of amazing things in their lives...)

My dd wore a skater skirt rather than the tight pencil skirt. It was a bit longer and less indecent than the latter. She wore long black socks with it.

As long as they wore the tie and blazer and black skirts/trousers with a white shirt then they complied with the uniform policy.

Parents in England are quite jealous of the Scottish relaxed attitude!

Sounds similar to our area too. I got used to the bum freezer skirts and makeup. If its any consolation now my DD is at uni her clothes have got more conservative and she only has her full face on for clubbing. Managed to get her to wear a skater skirt and opaque tights and loose the platform docs for a work placement in 4th year (finance).

Two of mine stay in areas where secondary schools have no uniform (Hyndland and Gillespie's and the kids are more casually dressed so wish there was a no uniform thing at all).

Glad your DD embraced the dress code in advance. Friend of DD who came from Ireland into S1 told everyone they were hooers and would go to hell. The nuns had done a good job on her.

If my DDs ever complain about their English school skirts, I know have some pictures of Irish ones, as I was in a bit of disbelief about ankle length kilts!

I saw my neighbours daughter leave today and was shocked at what she was wearing. Knee high socks and tiny skirts should be banned. Our local school does insist on shirt tie and blazer so the top half is decent at least.

DD wore a pleated skirt just above the knee, as she didn’t want to wear an excessively short one, and trousers in winter, so you don’t have to wear the bum-skimming ones. They were not allowed to have bare legs though, it had to be black tights if wearing a skirt. I don’t really have an issue with the short skirt/opaque tights combination.
Personally, I hate long skirts so I would not insist on anyone wearing one - the extra material flapping around is annoying.

I didn't have an ankle length kilt in Ireland - we had a pinafore to the knee which was really comfortable. But that was the 80s...

My daughter had ankle length navy pleated skirt for Y8 - Y10 then grey ankle length from Y11 - Y14. She loved it and wore pj bottoms under it in the winter

Sounds fairly standard! Plenty of girls round here wear trousers but if it’s skirts it’s usually minis with tights. Many of the private schools will be more prescriptive.

I'm eternally grateful for the lax uniform standards. When I hear what friends in England have to spend on school uniform, I simply could not afford it and it sounds awful having to wear blazers in the heat or heavy rain and not being permitted to remove them. I also can't imagine ankle length kilts being particularly practical, surely they get horribly wet and heavy when walking in the rain? DD wears shorts under her mini skirt and I hadn't realised long socks were back, I only see the more alternative dc wearing those round here but whatever, as long as they are doing their best in class who cares. At least they are comfortable which surely helps them

You might be glad you didn't move to my area @aedcur, there is no uniform* *at all. They have brought in guidance rules regarding shortness, tightness etc of clothing. We are in Scotland but many European countries also don't have a uniform.
My school uniform was Dr Martens, thick black tights, black mini skirt, fitted white blouse, tie (and a jumper in winter), jacket (nobody wore a blazer past S1).

The bottom sounds decent too, just not to your taste.

Uniform is not legally enforced in Scotland you can't deprive anyone from education for non compliance so in theory jeans and hoodies are fine most wear something like the uniform the only thing banned is any form of sectarian clothing ie football colours clothes. There are many things wrong with Scottish education but uniform policy is not one of them it's affordable with no silly and expensive pe kits etc. Uniform should not cost 100's

Almost all the girls here wear black trousers, and a fairly loose black top. The ones with skirts, it’s skater and tights with leg warmers too (Highlands 😂).
Your uniform choices have no bearing on your work ethic, it’s just young girls trying to understand the minefield of adulthood and I’d rather they did that within the safety of a school day than in town at 2am.

Pretty Standard OP. At our school it’s black tights, short skirt, black jumper or hoodie and a white shirt. Complete with black and white converse high tops. Boys are usually in black jeans or joggers and again with trainers.

our school does have a tie and blazer but the head will not enforce it. She does on paper but never face to face.

Very standard across Glasgow too and I'm grateful they have the freedom to do it tbh.

A child in Scotland can't be sent home or miss classes due to not wearing correct uniform, it's unlawful, and when I read the ridiculous stories about uniform in England I'm glad we've taken a common sense approach.

My older kids went to a high school with no uniform at all and it hasn't turned them into reprobates . There's not a single argument that will convince me that a strict uniform policy is appropriate.

It's funny, I get the impression from the news that Scottish uniforms are quite posh. Blazers aren't that common at primary school in England

https://www.inverclyde.gov.uk/news/2023/aug/second-highest-twins-count-set-for-twinverclyde

https://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk/news/24530690.readers-pictures-pupils-heading-back-school/

Sounds normal for Edinburgh state schools, in fact, if she was wearing a blazer and leather boots she'd be a heck of a lot smarter than most of them!! I think it's localised @SusieSussex Glasgow schools seem to be a lot smarter than Edinburgh ones.