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.

Do not give the staffroom password to non-staff as it attracts the wrong sort of crowd.

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

Banned are leggings, strappy tops, jeans, flip flops, visible underwear, trainers, visible tattoos, facial piercings, and "unnatural" hair colours.
The visible underwear one is fairly new.

Thanks @HarrietDVane. I've been contemplating them and I think you've convinced me :)

There's a story behind visible underwear I suspect.

I think we must be allowed visible tattoos, facial piercings and unnatural hair colours at my place as I can think of teachers with them. What is absolutely forbidden is men wearing shorts in the summer. Unless PE, of course.

No problem @MrsHamlet - I hope you get on with them. I think I bought mine on a 3 for 2 deal which softened the blow financially! I did worry that I would roast in them but they are surprisingly cool - unless it is utterly sweltering.

There is. The teacher in question is actually one of the chosen ones but the visible bright pink bra under a sheer cleavage-y blouse was the source of complaints.
Students are not allowed visible underwear and took exception to hers.

www.marksandspencer.com/woven-pumps/p/clp60139411?color=NUDEMIX#intid=prodColourId-60369715

I hate my toes so footwear has to cover them. Usually similar to the above, or caged toe sandals. The only ones I can find this year are monsoon kids range though in rose gold. May give those a miss.

MrsHamlet
I must be lucky to have worked with heads who took the promotion attitude
That or they just realised the smartness of an outfit is more than an individual garment so weren't paying that much attention.

There's a story behind visible underwear I suspect.

Whenever a new addition is made to our dress code we always try to work out who the criminal was! It's usually one of two people, and tbh I don't know why they don't just speak to them face to face rather than leaving a passive-aggressive 'Updated Dress Code' notice on the board with relevant parts highlighted.

The teacher in question is actually one of the chosen ones but the visible bright pink bra under a sheer cleavage-y blouse was the source of complaints
I can imagine. Surely she knew that first rule for sheer or lightweight blouses is that a nude camisole top is essential.

visible bright pink bra under a sheer cleavage-y blouse

Omg. You're not in an all girls school either are you. But. Teenage boys.

I think ours is ridiculously vague and people take the piss. Teach Firsters in crop tops wasn't even clamped down on. Female PE teachers wear the bum level shorts. One woman routinely flashed fanny in staff briefing and no one said anything. It's bizarre.

Blokes mostly in suits or at least a shirt/tie. SLT in suits for everything, even INSET which I find ridiculous.

Teenage boys indeed!

Herc
I've noticed the same.
Personally I think ours makes perfect sense of people deploy common sense. Roughly speaking it's business to business casual, so men wear suits, or smart trousers with shirt and tie. Some men wear non matching jackets, others jumpers or cardigans instead of a suit jacket. Women typically wear office type trousers, dresses and cardigans, some wear blazers, and there's generally a range of styles.
Then some female colleagues seem to think that once the sun comes out it's chilling in the garden attire.

We're not allowed to expose our toes - shoes must enclose them. Think it's health and safety rather than a strange foot fetish avoidance technique as we're relaxed about everything else it seems.

I mostly wear ankle grazer jersey/comfy trousers and short sleeves tops - like someone else said it's pretty much what I wear in winter but I take the cardigan and scarf and socks off. I like comfy clarks mary jane shoes in summer. I have a tattoo on my ankle so never 'sure' about skirts or not yet we had a ta covered in tats at one point so?

Haven't worn tights since the 90's I don't think. Have just looked at my last sentence in light of the conversation on dialects. I've started writing like I speak.

I'd say I'm at the more casual end of the spectrum at ours - and amongst female staff that is pretty damn casual.

"Common sense" is where it goes wrong in our place.
It seems fairly obvious to me that you don't show your underwear at work in a school. Or dress like you're going to the beach. Skin tight things are probably not wise in a school either.... and that applies to male staff too.

I tend to wear knee length jersey dresses in the summer. My favourites come from mountain warehouse as they have pockets as well as fitting all my other criteria such as neckline not too high but not showing cleavages, short sleeves, etc. I have seen some from popsy that I quite fancy but I think I've got enough dresses tbh. Maybe when some of these ones wear out/get holes/get too many stains.

Our dress code is pretty relaxed, just "office wear". People interpret that however they choose. Men wear shirts and ties (ties are allowed to be removed when the head decrees it to be "summer uniform" for the kids, which is no ties and top button undone). Women range from very, very smart through "wedding guest" to casual dresses/skirts/trousers. We (and the kids) are allowed whatever hair we like, including unnatural colours. Staff can have piercings and visible tattoos, kids can only have piercings with studs due to health and safety and no tattoos for the kids because they aren't old enough to get them obviously. We're pretty strict on uniform for the kids, but are remarkably relaxed about hair and piercings, not quite sure why.

I've never worked in a school with a (publicised) dress code. I have my own internalised one involving no denim, for example, and when I had a piercing I always took it out for school, but there is nothing in writing other than the expectation of professionalism (and health and safety).
Though I know back when I started there were still some heads who frowned upon women in trousers.

I think I've got enough dresses tbh

Does not compute.

(OK I can’t stay away 😆)

Maybe we should add ‘Teacher Catwalk, Pandemic Styling - SLT approved’ to our holiday activities.... well before we reach the dancing on the tables stage. Maybe as an adjunct to the cream tea I feel the afternoon could encompass? (Not sure how that would work in North Africa)

I have just bought a dress with pockets
Now I just need to lose a stone to be able to zip it up

^
All my dresses have pockets...^
^

DH often tries to claim that I have too many dresses. Possibly this is because I have annexed his wardrobe space. I remain unmoved.

I too only own dresses with pockets a la popsy

I tend to wear knee length or longer dresses in a variety of prints and fun colours. Bare legs over a certain temperature but I will wear bike shorts or lace shorts or ones like the snag ones mentioned above under any dress, just because of carpet time etc. For forest school I usually wear a tunic length top and athletic leggings. I wear either cute trainer/plimsoll type shoes or ballet flats. My school is pretty informal and some people wear athletic clothes etc every day. We just aren't allowed jeans or sandals.

One woman routinely flashed fanny in staff briefing

Er....no one else has picked up on this. What?

Popsy are pretty good (although one of my more recent dress purchases from there has gone very bobbly after its first wash ). I also like Joanie (but watch the lengths - they can be a bit short. As I'm only 5'3 it's not too bad but if you're lucky enough to be tall and leggy you might struggle!).