Teachers - esp secondary - your advice on work wardrobe is needed please

[Themumsnot]

I am starting a secondary PGCE in a couple of weeks and am having a bit of a wardrobe panic. I have approx £300 to spend on clothes and shoes and want to get the basics to see me through my first teaching practice. I own no formal skirts or trousers and I don't have a suit. I do have several smart knee-length dresses (Boden jersey numbers or similar). Would they be appropriate?
Also I live in flat knee-high boots in winter, and Converse the rest of the time. I cannot wear heels. I did a weeks teaching experience last term and was crippled after one day in quite moderate (2-inch) heels. Is there a way of wearing flat shoes and skirts that doesn't look too frumpy?
Can anyone suggest a sensible way of putting together an appropriate work wardrobe? I guess I need a suit of some kind but I'm hopeless with separates. I'm 47, size 14-16 and hourglass shaped, so it is a bit of a struggle to find trousers that fit well and blouse buttons tend to strain over my amplitudinous norkage, which is never a good look for a teacher.
All advice and suggestions much appreciated.

Three quarter length linen trousers would look hideously scruffy after just a few minutes, I would think.

@ Henry. I'll definitely try "Pom Bear anyone?" as an opening gambit in the staffroom.
I'm fascinated by the differing dress codes at everyone's schools. I should probably have said that my first placement (to my complete surprise) will be in a private school and looking at its website, I think it is fairly formal.

Our dress code is quite formal, even the kids have to have their blazers on if they're out of the classroom (and they have to have permission to take them off even then). It's not that unusual - you need to be prepared!

sorry, i meant 'one' needs to be prepared, that wasn't aimed at any particular poster! Plus don't forget you'll have two placements and the clothes will need to cover both - they could be very different schools (mine certainly were!)

Am following this with interest as I am starting my PGCE in a couple of weeks too. Wish I knew now what schools I will be at - am impressed you know already - it would make me feel able to better prepared at least as far as my wardrobe is concerned, if not anything else!

Most schools go for smart/formal but not generally suits for women as they are quite restrictive, so your Boden wrap dresses and flat boots would fit right in. And layers are the key, as you go from on duty outside, to heating on full/30 bodies in a room and energetic teaching can make you feel quite warm!

Yes yes to teaching making you feel hot - and I always feel sweaty and flustered if hot, so if you're at all like that then I would wear something cool and comfy with a really warm coat for outside duties.

And absolutely yes to checking that you can reach up/down without exposing any parts of your body that you would prefer to remain hidden.......

Just out of interest - a lot of you have mentioned outside duties - is this quite common in secondary schools? I know primary schools have to do lunchtime/break duties as well as PE, but what do secondary school teachers typically need to do outside their subject areas?

We have to do bus duty at mine, which is standing outside the bus stop getting cold for a bit. That's it really for me.

You might not have to do any if you are a PGCE student!

But you will have to when you qualify. Break duty is always everyone's subject area - especially when you are newly qualified it's good for the students to see you in as many positions as possible around the school (iykwim!) so your profile gets raised and you're not the 'new' teacher for long.

Yes, bus duty - morning and afternoon. Erm, also had to do my share of dining hall duty during morning breaktime (hot snacks etc available for kids but obviously no lunchtime supervisers until lunchtime) and general prowling-around-outside-looking-to-see-what's-going-on-type duties.

You cannot be compelled to do lunch duty though.

No indeed, lunch duty a different matter, although staff 'encouraged' to eat in dinner hall.

Hi, good luck for PGCE! Hope it all goes well.

I used to wear (before I got pregnant!):

Employed as classroom teacher: long linen skirts, below knee skirts, black trousers from supermarket or primark. Tops from here, there and everywhere but always checked to see if you could see anything when bent over. I never wear blouses without a vest underneath. Flat shoes!

Employed in more managerial role: wrap dresses from h&m, separates from coast, m&s, shift dresses from m&s and primark. Flat shoes if I'm teaching lots, heels if I'm in meetings & can sit down all day :)

I own 1 suit that I hate wearing with a passion as I feel I'm on interview. I tend to buy cheap shoes & replace often. I used to rip all my clothes at the hip as they'd catch on benches so I wouldn't wear anything too expensive until you know what your classrooms will be like.

If your school(s) are dead smart maybe have a suit jacket you wear in the corridors etc but that you can take off in the classroom.

Hope you don't end up in a school like the one near me where the female staff were encouraged to wear neck scarves, full make up & high heels to match the head! :)

We do 2 morning break duties a week and then have a rota for before and after school which can be inside or outside. I don't ask anyone to do one on their first placement but do put 1 duty a week into my pgce student's timetable for their long placement - last year I had 1 inside and 1 outside.

I wanted to add that getting easy to wash and wear items is good, as getting up so early gets increasingly harder throughout the term, so i find it helps to have something to throw on without faffing with an iron! (and find the odd thing that does need an iron NEVER gets worn!)
i have a long tall sally black linen shift dress which is great as can add tights/boots in winter or ballet flats in summer, works for every day with a jacket/cardi or evening with better shoes/belt.
ooh and a nice bright, large bag for throwing in pens/keys/lunch/diary/folders etc, cheers me up :)
I think as female teachers we can be more flexible than the guys, esp if they have to wear a tie!
Good Luck!

Sid - my college emailed me a few weeks ago with the names of my placement schools - but they did warn us that they are not set in stone yet.
I think there are quite a few MNetters doing PGCE this year - we should set up a support thread.

I am watching this thread with avid interest. I am starting work in a primary (based in year 6) as a TA next week and then hoping to start a secondary PGCE next year in the spring. I have not worked at a school before so am clueless as to what I should be wearing.
I have visited the school I will be working in from september and there seems to be quite a variation in what teachers wear. The reception teacher was very casual but the year 2 and 5 teachers were very smart (think smart skirts and jackets). It is a very small school and there is only 1 other TA who I have not met (panic).
I used to work in a nursery where the dress code was understandably very casual so I have bought some tunic dresses from next and dp to wear with thick leggings/ treggs with either boots or wedges I also have some black trousers but no tops to go with it yet. Do you think these will be ok?

I did break duty on my teaching observation

I agree with everyone else. Smart and comfortable, but not too formal. I used to wear suits but had too many wrecked by chewing gum. Dresses are great. I hate sloppy looking teachers though. I know it doesn't affect teaching, but we ask pupils to be smart in our school.

OK - have been to M&Co today armed with 25% off voucher and bought this and this. Both much nicer on than they look in the photos. My Year 7 and Year 10 DDs have approved them both as suitable.

oooh, I like them both but i LOVE the second one! I'll recognise you if you come to my school! hahaha

I was in m&co today too, eyeing up your first dress. I just couldn't part with £55....especially when so far I have bought a pair of trousers for £6 which gives you an indication of what I normally spend...

No low necklines, do practice in front of the mirror as you lean down.
As you are doing English you don't have to be too wary of stools (the ban of science/ DT teachers). Comfort in shoes is important too.

Wrap dresses need to be fake ones so they can't be undone.