The Forty Fifth Republic - Can I get a hair appointment before the summer term starts?

[StaffRepFeistyClub]

You are most welcome to this school staff support thread to get us through stressful times. It is meant for school staff only – a sort of room of requirement. Baiters, haters, goaders, and bashers can jog on somewhere else.

If you are NOT staff and just have a general education query please start your own thread.

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Other requirements for staff room entry include the ability to find the staff room, the ability to find a clean mug in the staff room, knowledge of the photocopier codes, and the ability to sniff out where the booze is stashed - Thirsty Tuesdays, Fizz Fridays now in operation. Do not sit on the chairs and do wear a mask

I tend to be in linen trousers or Chino type trousers and a lightweight shirt. I can't be doing with chub rub and my legs in dresses!

Secondary but very relaxed school on terms of dress code.

piggy Yup, that's my struggle too. The only grade profile I have is 2020. My results are skewed to the top because of the kids doing my subject. My data won't match the national picture. I predict many arguments with SLT.

@GuyFawkesDay

I tend to be in linen trousers or Chino type trousers and a lightweight shirt. I can't be doing with chub rub and my legs in dresses!

Secondary but very relaxed school on terms of dress code.

I would definitely get chub rub without tights, and my legs are ghostly white! I think trousers are my best bet. Secondary also here, and I like to be on the smarter side if poss

I wear dresses and bare legs in summer. Dresses over the knee length. No one has complained yet....

Can't you use maths results to back up your grades, Herc?

Yes noble, that will help my argument. I have a few that are stronger in stats and I worry for them, there will be pressure to down grade.

Maybe if you could isolate the results for the stats questions from any maths assessments? Do you do QLAs so you could show e.g. it's their algebra letting them down?

I wear the same as Herc
I have been known to wear flip flops with sparkles (flip flops are on the banned list... shhhhh)

Good shout noble. My tactic so far is to say that less than 20% of the stats content is taught in maths. Therefore stats needs to be treated as its own subject with the students assessment scores in stats counting. The maths results are available for us to see that the group we have is high achieving.

To be honest my summer wardrobe is mostly my winter wardrobe but without the cardigan. I like seasalt style dresses because I'm too lazy to be ironing. With flat sandals.

Ironing? Nope. Does not compute.

middle-aged, short, chubby, big-boobed folk?!

You called!?

I’m another who wears knee length dresses (Fat Face, White Stuff, Sea Salt, H+M, Next, Tu, Joules, Hush type stuff) and Birkenstocks. Or knee length A-line skirts and a little top/cardigan. We have a very relaxed dress code though-just no jeans or strappy tops. Bare legs definitely. I actually don’t mind my legs-they are a much better part of me than some other bits!

I have occasionally worn Birkenstock's in school but am much too scared for my toes to relax. It's the old, swinging forward on chair and then placing back legs down on teacher's toes that worries me.

Slight subject change sorry, but can I ask what kind of clothes you all wear to work in summer?
I tend to wear chiffon blouses or light weight tops with skirts or wide leg trousers, and have also been known to wear jumpsuits too. I tend to wear a lightweight blazer most days and take it off when I get warm.
In terms of female colleagues I would fall on the more formal end of the spectrum without entering power dressing territory.

I did once say a very rude word when Ben (who was my favourite student in years 10-13) rocked his chair back onto my toes (which were in closed shoes!)
He was so surprised that he tried to turn his chair round to see what I was screaming about. That caused more words.

My head would have apoplexy at a jump suit. Or offer you a promotion, depending...

Thanks all, all suggestions much appreciated! Footwear also needs to allow for legging it between Covid zones at the moment.

I think I’m going to have to go shopping - shudder! Not my favourite activity, even in normal times.

@9pmcouchnaps I'm a short, chubby, middle aged primary teacher. In winter I wear long sleeve dresses on the knee or just below with black tights.

In summer I either wear the same sort of dresses with 3/4 sleeves and thin tights, or longer dresses with bare legs (in reality, only the ankles are in view).

Shoes are usually Mary Janes (I have lots of different colours) as we are not allowed sandals

I have chub rub shorts which are an absolute godsend if I'm not wearing tights - I got mine from Snag tights online. They weren't cheap but I've had them for at least 3 years and they're still going strong, despite the fact that I chuck them in the washing machine rather than washing by hand as recommended.

I don't tend to wear trousers to work as our dress code forbids wide-leg, culotte-type trousers and they are the only kind I could contemplate with my figure. It's very tedious and every so often I complain about it, but SLT are predominantly male and/or younger and slimmer than me so they don't see my problem.

What on earth is their argument for banning wide leg trousers?

I only wear longer dresses because I sit on the floor, or kids sit on the carpet while I'm in a chair. I have fat enough legs for chub rub, but only get it when it's super hot/I'm walking miles. 10k steps s day at school doesn't equal chub rub. No idea why!

This year I'm going to wear some ankle grazer jersey trousers that i bought from m and s on potential chub rub days.

harriet how long are the shorts? They look like they're quite long...
I get most of my work clothes from Roman / they're pretty cheap, cheerful and happy to be slung in the washing machine and not ironed.

@noblegiraffe

What on earth is their argument for banning wide leg trousers?

A former HT disliked them. It's ridiculous. She sent a TA home to change for coming in to work in a pair of (very smart) wide leg trousers. The HT is long gone but the policy remains. Whenever I bring it up SLT just laugh nervously and shuffle away.

And yes, bare legs. I've got muscular legs and reasonable ankles, and fake tan is my friend.

What on earth is wrong with wide leg trousers? How very random! I’ve just been looking at some of those actually. Must double-check my school’s dress code

@MrsHamlet They are like cycling shorts but finish on the mid-thigh - certainly higher up than any hem I would ever contemplate! You can get all sorts of jazzy colours but I have stuck with boring ones in case a rogue gust of wind reveals more than I intended on playground duty!