Our approach as a school is that the blazer, tie and jumper are what are unique to our school. We subsidise the cost so these three items can be purchased for a total cost of around £60. As long as trousers are black it doesn't matter where they are bought from. We allow plain black trainers as part of the uniform so that parents aren't buying a pair of school shoes and trainers for PE. We are very much aware of the cost and do what we can to help but feel a school uniform is important for some of the reasons highlighted on this thread already. The difference in financial stability of our families is marked so it does mean this isn't a glaring daily issue. We are considering not having 'own clothes' days at the end of terms as we know some students really dread having to come to school in non uniform. We have termly sales of returned or unclaimed uniform and more and more families are donating blazers etc when their child leaves the school or they no longer fit. Uniform does bring a sense of identity, belonging and community to a school and I think if students feel they can personalise it a little with badges etc then they are fairly happy to wear it.
Do you have a method whereby non teachers police the uniform so that teachers can concentrate on trying to teach?
Staff are on duty at the school gate and will check and during form time tutors will check also. To be honest it isn't a big issue - it's the same as the approach to most rules; 90% get it right, 5% attempt to rebel and the others, on occasion, will forget an item or have lost it.
Thank you.
I have noticed how secondary school students don’t seem to like wearing uniforms. Girls will roll up the waistband of skirts, shirts hanging out, ties awry, a range of footwear. That is before you get to hair and make up.
What I am interested in is the impact of teaching and learning with all this stuff. It is bad enough that the modern curriculum is becoming increasingly irrelevant and has little practical use, without schools as institutions doubling down on control freakery.
Uniforms and adherence to it are hardly a new thing.
I agree. But ought uniform enforcement be a thing to concern teachers? The modern world of technology is a new thing compared to my day of, for example, log books and slide rules. Things change over time in education. As long as decency is observed what does it matter what school students look like? Why is such a desire to control not in effect in most sixth forms?
Social and emotional awareness, which includes why it’s important to follow rules, should absolutely concern any half decent teacher.
Our school uniform was black trousers, shoes, and black blazer. The badge which my mum would gave to sew onto the blazer cost peanuts and the rank tie the same, they were the only things that were bespoke. And yes it did stop a lot of bullying before it started but even then I realised very early on a pair of kickers or Chelsea boots were essential additions and amazingly a Ben sherman white shirt, which I found out later my dad got a load of from someone down the pub. I had no idea Ben Sherman was a thing when I was 11 but it was alarming in hindsight how many 11 year olds did.
The less window you give the arsehole kids of arsehole parents to be pricks to other kids the better, a big part of that is a uniform. I don’t believe they should be weird or bespoke to the point it would be cheaper buying your child a new 3 piece tailored suit every term but a badge and tie, yeah by all means.
As I got older the girls modifying their uniform was an ongoing battle between them, teachers and probably parents given how little some of the scummier girls would wear. Me and the boys appreciated the efforts they were making though and so did the local nonces who would pick them up after school as the years progressed in a vauxhall nova with a bass bin.
Always think that, looking back - how was 17 years old girls having 25 year old boyfriends etc not considered more weird a few decades ago?!
Almost seemed like it was an unwritten rule that the really fit girls in your year would have older boyfriends and the rest would be left to slum it with kids their own age.
Now I'm old, I'd think any earth 20s chav picking up his girlfriend from school (unless she works there) is a massive wrong un.
Or teachers , going out with the kids.
I mean, there's a few I wouldn't have been delighted to go out with, but funnily enough they didn't seem that interested in a chubby, spotty 15 year old trying to cover up stale sweat from lunchtime football with Lynx Atlantis.
The cost is a fucking joke. My daughter started Bexleyheath Academy in September, think uniform came to about £400. They have to wear a PE skirt with the badge on….60 quid. Then, they had the bollocks to tell us the school is changing its name to Lift Academy in September this year, so we gotta buy it all again with the new logo. How are some families gonna afford that??
I have a real problem with schools and teachers.
That’s absolutely ridiculous, to the point where it feels like it should be illegal.
They’ve told people that they have a year to change over to the new stuff, but any kid that comes in with the old badge on is open to bullying for not having the new gear. It’s a disgrace.
There is debate in the news about school uniforms and the costs, and there is argument that it is essential.
As someone who never wore a school uniform, having attended from 76-88 (it wasn't required), I question the need for a uniform and in particular logo items. If the debate is about uniformity, isn't trousers and shirt (white, blue, grey etc) enough (my girls wore trousers).
I've worked in professional roles for around 35 years and even when asked by management, I've never worn a tie. I've only ever bought a suit to get married. I even refused to wear an NHS issue uniform, when introduced, as it looked like a prison suit.
I went into my bank SEB (Sweden) to open an account last year and the bank manager was wearing jeans, trainers and a smart t-shirt, not a logo or tie in sight. This is a far cry from my dad having to wear a suit and tie during his own career as a bank manager at Midlands Bank / HSBC, which he absolutely hated, and has almost never worn one in the 30 years since retiring, only now for weddings and funerals.
Is formal wear when it isn't a formal occasion really necessary?
If you were a junior and refused to wear a tie when requested by management I'd think you were a bit of a brat.
Though I think it just winds me up looking at some of the lawyers these days, some of them have gone too far the other way.
Whilst I wasn't a fan of uniform when I was at school, I do understand the need for it and, as a parent, I'm happy for my kids to wear school uniform. What I'm not happy with however, is the blatant gouging of parents with individually embroidered items, multiple sports kits (many of which are never used) etc, etc. There should be a very limited number of items such as a blazer, tie and jumper, which are individual to the school. Everything else, trousers/skirt, shorts, shirts etc should just be of a particular colour and leave parents to buy from wherever they want/can afford.
Uniforms are becoming a thing of the past in the real world and I think similar needs to happen in school. However there's reasons for it to stay, such as identifying kids trying to play truant/causing mayhem and mischief on their way to/from school, on things like school trips, creating an impression of belonging/being part of a wider group, being able to hide gaps in wealth/class of kids and families, and a certain level of responsibility associated with wearing a uniform.
I think the ridiculous pricing needs to go away, and schools need to rethink some of the more outlandish uniform choices that made them hard to get. For instance my primary school was red jumper, navy bottoms, white shirt/polo shirt with just the jumper having a badge, which you could purchase separately and stitch on.
When I got to secondary school the tie was purple, white and black, the blazer (£75!) had an embroidered badge that couldn't be bought separately, the PE uniform was a white vest with a coloured chest band according to which house you were in, the rugby kit was unique and mandatory, and the school jumper was a dark grey with a wide purple stripe around the neck (again unique and expensive) all in I think my parents spent about 400/500 quid on my uniform, and by year 9 I had grown 4/5 inches and everything was chucked and bought again
Our approach as a school is that the blazer, tie and jumper are what are unique to our school. We subsidise the cost so these three items can be purchased for a total cost of around £60. As long as trousers are black it doesn't matter where they are bought from. We allow plain black trainers as part of the uniform so that parents aren't buying a pair of school shoes and trainers for PE. We are very much aware of the cost and do what we can to help but feel a school uniform is important for some of the reasons highlighted on this thread already. The difference in financial stability of our families is marked so it does mean this isn't a glaring daily issue. We are considering not having 'own clothes' days at the end of terms as we know some students really dread having to come to school in non uniform. We have termly sales of returned or unclaimed uniform and more and more families are donating blazers etc when their child leaves the school or they no longer fit. Uniform does bring a sense of identity, belonging and community to a school and I think if students feel they can personalise it a little with badges etc then they are fairly happy to wear it.
Do you have a method whereby non teachers police the uniform so that teachers can concentrate on trying to teach?
Staff are on duty at the school gate and will check and during form time tutors will check also. To be honest it isn't a big issue - it's the same as the approach to most rules; 90% get it right, 5% attempt to rebel and the others, on occasion, will forget an item or have lost it.
Thank you.
I have noticed how secondary school students don’t seem to like wearing uniforms. Girls will roll up the waistband of skirts, shirts hanging out, ties awry, a range of footwear. That is before you get to hair and make up.
What I am interested in is the impact of teaching and learning with all this stuff. It is bad enough that the modern curriculum is becoming increasingly irrelevant and has little practical use, without schools as institutions doubling down on control freakery.
Uniforms and adherence to it are hardly a new thing.
I agree. But ought uniform enforcement be a thing to concern teachers? The modern world of technology is a new thing compared to my day of, for example, log books and slide rules. Things change over time in education. As long as decency is observed what does it matter what school students look like? Why is such a desire to control not in effect in most sixth forms?
Social and emotional awareness, which includes why it’s important to follow rules, should absolutely concern any half decent teacher.
As should individualism and thinking and reasoning independently, because any half decent teacher will realise that students are not clones of each other.
Our approach as a school is that the blazer, tie and jumper are what are unique to our school. We subsidise the cost so these three items can be purchased for a total cost of around £60. As long as trousers are black it doesn't matter where they are bought from. We allow plain black trainers as part of the uniform so that parents aren't buying a pair of school shoes and trainers for PE. We are very much aware of the cost and do what we can to help but feel a school uniform is important for some of the reasons highlighted on this thread already. The difference in financial stability of our families is marked so it does mean this isn't a glaring daily issue. We are considering not having 'own clothes' days at the end of terms as we know some students really dread having to come to school in non uniform. We have termly sales of returned or unclaimed uniform and more and more families are donating blazers etc when their child leaves the school or they no longer fit. Uniform does bring a sense of identity, belonging and community to a school and I think if students feel they can personalise it a little with badges etc then they are fairly happy to wear it.
Do you have a method whereby non teachers police the uniform so that teachers can concentrate on trying to teach?
Staff are on duty at the school gate and will check and during form time tutors will check also. To be honest it isn't a big issue - it's the same as the approach to most rules; 90% get it right, 5% attempt to rebel and the others, on occasion, will forget an item or have lost it.
Thank you.
I have noticed how secondary school students don’t seem to like wearing uniforms. Girls will roll up the waistband of skirts, shirts hanging out, ties awry, a range of footwear. That is before you get to hair and make up.
What I am interested in is the impact of teaching and learning with all this stuff. It is bad enough that the modern curriculum is becoming increasingly irrelevant and has little practical use, without schools as institutions doubling down on control freakery.
Uniforms and adherence to it are hardly a new thing.
I agree. But ought uniform enforcement be a thing to concern teachers? The modern world of technology is a new thing compared to my day of, for example, log books and slide rules. Things change over time in education. As long as decency is observed what does it matter what school students look like? Why is such a desire to control not in effect in most sixth forms?
My kids had to wear business attire in 6th form ie a suit.
It is ironic that the law requires (for the most part) people to send their children to school. So in year six parents are required to list six preferences of secondary school, hoping for the first choice, dreading having to accept the sixth choice. So if you have a scenario where the rules oblige you to ‘send’ your children to a school you and your child don’t want to go to, simply refuse to follow the school uniform, hair, make up and other rules and see what the local authority does then.
Our approach as a school is that the blazer, tie and jumper are what are unique to our school. We subsidise the cost so these three items can be purchased for a total cost of around £60. As long as trousers are black it doesn't matter where they are bought from. We allow plain black trainers as part of the uniform so that parents aren't buying a pair of school shoes and trainers for PE. We are very much aware of the cost and do what we can to help but feel a school uniform is important for some of the reasons highlighted on this thread already. The difference in financial stability of our families is marked so it does mean this isn't a glaring daily issue. We are considering not having 'own clothes' days at the end of terms as we know some students really dread having to come to school in non uniform. We have termly sales of returned or unclaimed uniform and more and more families are donating blazers etc when their child leaves the school or they no longer fit. Uniform does bring a sense of identity, belonging and community to a school and I think if students feel they can personalise it a little with badges etc then they are fairly happy to wear it.
Do you have a method whereby non teachers police the uniform so that teachers can concentrate on trying to teach?
Staff are on duty at the school gate and will check and during form time tutors will check also. To be honest it isn't a big issue - it's the same as the approach to most rules; 90% get it right, 5% attempt to rebel and the others, on occasion, will forget an item or have lost it.
Thank you.
I have noticed how secondary school students don’t seem to like wearing uniforms. Girls will roll up the waistband of skirts, shirts hanging out, ties awry, a range of footwear. That is before you get to hair and make up.
What I am interested in is the impact of teaching and learning with all this stuff. It is bad enough that the modern curriculum is becoming increasingly irrelevant and has little practical use, without schools as institutions doubling down on control freakery.
Uniforms and adherence to it are hardly a new thing.
I agree. But ought uniform enforcement be a thing to concern teachers? The modern world of technology is a new thing compared to my day of, for example, log books and slide rules. Things change over time in education. As long as decency is observed what does it matter what school students look like? Why is such a desire to control not in effect in most sixth forms?
Social and emotional awareness, which includes why it’s important to follow rules, should absolutely concern any half decent teacher.
As should individualism and thinking and reasoning independently, because any half decent teacher will realise that students are not clones of each other.
I agree entirely and whilst a uniform can inhibit individualism，especially as students get older, I think the benefits far outweigh that one issue that uniforms cause.
It is ironic that the law requires (for the most part) people to send their children to school. So in year six parents are required to list six preferences of secondary school, hoping for the first choice, dreading having to accept the sixth choice. So if you have a scenario where the rules oblige you to ‘send’ your children to a school you and your child don’t want to go to, simply refuse to follow the school uniform, hair, make up and other rules and see what the local authority does then.
So you advocate rebellion because you don’t get your first choice ?
Strange line of logic linking these separate aspects.
It is ironic that the law requires (for the most part) people to send their children to school. So in year six parents are required to list six preferences of secondary school, hoping for the first choice, dreading having to accept the sixth choice. So if you have a scenario where the rules oblige you to ‘send’ your children to a school you and your child don’t want to go to, simply refuse to follow the school uniform, hair, make up and other rules and see what the local authority does then.
It is ironic that the law requires (for the most part) people to send their children to school. So in year six parents are required to list six preferences of secondary school, hoping for the first choice, dreading having to accept the sixth choice. So if you have a scenario where the rules oblige you to ‘send’ your children to a school you and your child don’t want to go to, simply refuse to follow the school uniform, hair, make up and other rules and see what the local authority does then.
So you advocate rebellion because you don’t get your first choice ?
Strange line of logic linking these separate aspects.
I can kind of see where he's coming from. We were fortunate that our son got his first choice secondary school. If he'd got his sixth choice, I am genuinely not sure what we would have done as there is no way in hell I was sending him to that dumpster fire of a 'school'.
Whilst I wasn't a fan of uniform when I was at school, I do understand the need for it and, as a parent, I'm happy for my kids to wear school uniform. What I'm not happy with however, is the blatant gouging of parents with individually embroidered items, multiple sports kits (many of which are never used) etc, etc. There should be a very limited number of items such as a blazer, tie and jumper, which are individual to the school. Everything else, trousers/skirt, shorts, shirts etc should just be of a particular colour and leave parents to buy from wherever they want/can afford.
Very good post! Same for me, I didn't like it at the time but came around to it when my kids went to school.
Two particular things I remember. The way we rebelled against wearing a tie was to make the knot as big as possible so that it almost looked like a cravat. In my first year of seniors, everyone had loads of kit from a 'recommended' list, with separate football, rugby and athletics shirts. By year two, no-one bothered and everyone just had a plain t-shirt, except for poor old Stinky who just used to roll up his shirt sleeves.
It is ironic that the law requires (for the most part) people to send their children to school. So in year six parents are required to list six preferences of secondary school, hoping for the first choice, dreading having to accept the sixth choice. So if you have a scenario where the rules oblige you to ‘send’ your children to a school you and your child don’t want to go to, simply refuse to follow the school uniform, hair, make up and other rules and see what the local authority does then.
So you advocate rebellion because you don’t get your first choice ?
Strange line of logic linking these separate aspects.
I can kind of see where he's coming from. We were fortunate that our son got his first choice secondary school. If he'd got his sixth choice, I am genuinely not sure what we would have done as there is no way in hell I was sending him to that dumpster fire of a 'school'.
Quite. But not wearing the required uniform is untelated. You won’t get your preference because you make your child stand out as a rebel. Available spaces is horribly complex and a lottery but a place won’t appear through non adherence to uniform elsewhere.
Posting without reading... the costs are not an issue because the clothes are all expensive, the costs come in when schools demand logos/school emblems and only have 1 compamy selling them.
You can find trousers/blazers etc very cheap if they can be plain.
Our school uniform was black trousers, shoes, and black blazer. The badge which my mum would gave to sew onto the blazer cost peanuts and the rank tie the same, they were the only things that were bespoke. And yes it did stop a lot of bullying before it started but even then I realised very early on a pair of kickers or Chelsea boots were essential additions and amazingly a Ben sherman white shirt, which I found out later my dad got a load of from someone down the pub. I had no idea Ben Sherman was a thing when I was 11 but it was alarming in hindsight how many 11 year olds did.
The less window you give the arsehole kids of arsehole parents to be pricks to other kids the better, a big part of that is a uniform. I don’t believe they should be weird or bespoke to the point it would be cheaper buying your child a new 3 piece tailored suit every term but a badge and tie, yeah by all means.
As I got older the girls modifying their uniform was an ongoing battle between them, teachers and probably parents given how little some of the scummier girls would wear. Me and the boys appreciated the efforts they were making though and so did the local nonces who would pick them up after school as the years progressed in a vauxhall nova with a bass bin.
Always think that, looking back - how was 17 years old girls having 25 year old boyfriends etc not considered more weird a few decades ago?!
Almost seemed like it was an unwritten rule that the really fit girls in your year would have older boyfriends and the rest would be left to slum it with kids their own age.
Now I'm old, I'd think any earth 20s chav picking up his girlfriend from school (unless she works there) is a massive wrong un.
That was rife at my school. None of the 20 somethings turned up for the leaving party though...
It is ironic that the law requires (for the most part) people to send their children to school. So in year six parents are required to list six preferences of secondary school, hoping for the first choice, dreading having to accept the sixth choice. So if you have a scenario where the rules oblige you to ‘send’ your children to a school you and your child don’t want to go to, simply refuse to follow the school uniform, hair, make up and other rules and see what the local authority does then.
It is ironic that the law requires (for the most part) people to send their children to school. So in year six parents are required to list six preferences of secondary school, hoping for the first choice, dreading having to accept the sixth choice. So if you have a scenario where the rules oblige you to ‘send’ your children to a school you and your child don’t want to go to, simply refuse to follow the school uniform, hair, make up and other rules and see what the local authority does then.
So you advocate rebellion because you don’t get your first choice ?
Strange line of logic linking these separate aspects.
Is it that strange for parents to not be slung into their sixth choice? Seems to me in those circumstances rebellion is a kind of logic.
It is ironic that the law requires (for the most part) people to send their children to school. So in year six parents are required to list six preferences of secondary school, hoping for the first choice, dreading having to accept the sixth choice. So if you have a scenario where the rules oblige you to ‘send’ your children to a school you and your child don’t want to go to, simply refuse to follow the school uniform, hair, make up and other rules and see what the local authority does then.
So you advocate rebellion because you don’t get your first choice ?
Strange line of logic linking these separate aspects.
I can kind of see where he's coming from. We were fortunate that our son got his first choice secondary school. If he'd got his sixth choice, I am genuinely not sure what we would have done as there is no way in hell I was sending him to that dumpster fire of a 'school'.
Quite. But not wearing the required uniform is untelated. You won’t get your preference because you make your child stand out as a rebel. Available spaces is horribly complex and a lottery but a place won’t appear through non adherence to uniform elsewhere.
It is ironic that the law requires (for the most part) people to send their children to school. So in year six parents are required to list six preferences of secondary school, hoping for the first choice, dreading having to accept the sixth choice. So if you have a scenario where the rules oblige you to ‘send’ your children to a school you and your child don’t want to go to, simply refuse to follow the school uniform, hair, make up and other rules and see what the local authority does then.
So you advocate rebellion because you don’t get your first choice ?
Strange line of logic linking these separate aspects.
I can kind of see where he's coming from. We were fortunate that our son got his first choice secondary school. If he'd got his sixth choice, I am genuinely not sure what we would have done as there is no way in hell I was sending him to that dumpster fire of a 'school'.
Quite. But not wearing the required uniform is untelated. You won’t get your preference because you make your child stand out as a rebel. Available spaces is horribly complex and a lottery but a place won’t appear through non adherence to uniform elsewhere.
I agree about the complexity. I am however interested in what schools do if an allocated child never wears the school uniform. Should the school expel the child?
It is ironic that the law requires (for the most part) people to send their children to school. So in year six parents are required to list six preferences of secondary school, hoping for the first choice, dreading having to accept the sixth choice. So if you have a scenario where the rules oblige you to ‘send’ your children to a school you and your child don’t want to go to, simply refuse to follow the school uniform, hair, make up and other rules and see what the local authority does then.
So you advocate rebellion because you don’t get your first choice ?
Strange line of logic linking these separate aspects.
I can kind of see where he's coming from. We were fortunate that our son got his first choice secondary school. If he'd got his sixth choice, I am genuinely not sure what we would have done as there is no way in hell I was sending him to that dumpster fire of a 'school'.
Quite. But not wearing the required uniform is untelated. You won’t get your preference because you make your child stand out as a rebel. Available spaces is horribly complex and a lottery but a place won’t appear through non adherence to uniform elsewhere.
It is ironic that the law requires (for the most part) people to send their children to school. So in year six parents are required to list six preferences of secondary school, hoping for the first choice, dreading having to accept the sixth choice. So if you have a scenario where the rules oblige you to ‘send’ your children to a school you and your child don’t want to go to, simply refuse to follow the school uniform, hair, make up and other rules and see what the local authority does then.
So you advocate rebellion because you don’t get your first choice ?
Strange line of logic linking these separate aspects.
I can kind of see where he's coming from. We were fortunate that our son got his first choice secondary school. If he'd got his sixth choice, I am genuinely not sure what we would have done as there is no way in hell I was sending him to that dumpster fire of a 'school'.
Quite. But not wearing the required uniform is untelated. You won’t get your preference because you make your child stand out as a rebel. Available spaces is horribly complex and a lottery but a place won’t appear through non adherence to uniform elsewhere.
I agree about the complexity. I am however interested in what schools do if an allocated child never wears the school uniform. Should the school expel the child?
At the school 2 of my grandchildren attend. Darrick Wood secondary. If they turn up without the proper uniform they will get a detention. If this continues I would ( as their primary carer) ,be told to attend the school for a meeting. There's not a chance the school would change its stance as its very strict when it comes to uniforms being worn. So I would imagine that if I refused the kids would probably be excluded and possibly expelled. As it's a very good school it's not a hill I'm prepared to die on.
School uniform was obligatory up to the 5th year - including PE gear.
My parents were low income at one stage so I got School Uniform vouchers up until about 1985.
My mum made a grave mistake one year in packing me off to Whitehall Clothiers in Lewisham with about £200 quids worth of vouchers to get my full school uniform.
Imagine my delight when I got there and realised that they also sold all of the casual gear….and also accepted the vouchers for these.
My mum was not impressed when I bowled in with 2 Pringle Jumpers and a Lacoste roll-neck….and no school uniform whatsoever.
What a little arse’ole.
I think my uncle ended up putting his hand on his pocket to get the school uniform for me.
lot's of jobs will be lost from the school uniform shops and embroiders if this get's pushed through, in the past it was so everyone looked the same and you couldn't tell the wealth side of families apart. Times have changed I suppose but this will have a wider impact.
I know that's your game (maybe its not, but i know primting is), but it's really not fair for millions of families to pay mental prices on clothes just to keep a few embroiderers in business.
I think school uniforms are a good thing. Stops some kids rocking up in Dior while others wear Primark. Levels the playing field a bit. Gives a sense of purpose while at school. Don’t see need for school logos other than a blazer badge. If the school colour is eg blue then clothing bought from George, M&S or Sainsbury’s should be fine.
Was also at Eltham green from ‘81 and the reversible PE tops they made us get were horrendous. Basically reversible as there was a white band on the inside so you could get put on a green team or white banded team. When it rained it was like wearing a lead weighted rucksack on your shoulders. They must’ve relaxed the rules while I was there as remember any white or green top was allowed when I outgrew mine.
My daughter's school has a blazer with different embroidery indicating house, and year started. Almost certainly no reason for this other than to prevent hand-me-downs. Of course, there is a market for people who can unstitch and re-colour the embroidery. Bear in mind this is a comprehensive and not a private school... it's the same one I went to 30 years ago, and back then you got to wear those cheap-ass acrylic jumpers that electrocuted you when you took them off. Nothing against uniform per se, but there's really no need for every single item being branded.
It is ironic that the law requires (for the most part) people to send their children to school. So in year six parents are required to list six preferences of secondary school, hoping for the first choice, dreading having to accept the sixth choice. So if you have a scenario where the rules oblige you to ‘send’ your children to a school you and your child don’t want to go to, simply refuse to follow the school uniform, hair, make up and other rules and see what the local authority does then.
So you advocate rebellion because you don’t get your first choice ?
Strange line of logic linking these separate aspects.
I can kind of see where he's coming from. We were fortunate that our son got his first choice secondary school. If he'd got his sixth choice, I am genuinely not sure what we would have done as there is no way in hell I was sending him to that dumpster fire of a 'school'.
Quite. But not wearing the required uniform is untelated. You won’t get your preference because you make your child stand out as a rebel. Available spaces is horribly complex and a lottery but a place won’t appear through non adherence to uniform elsewhere.
It is ironic that the law requires (for the most part) people to send their children to school. So in year six parents are required to list six preferences of secondary school, hoping for the first choice, dreading having to accept the sixth choice. So if you have a scenario where the rules oblige you to ‘send’ your children to a school you and your child don’t want to go to, simply refuse to follow the school uniform, hair, make up and other rules and see what the local authority does then.
So you advocate rebellion because you don’t get your first choice ?
Strange line of logic linking these separate aspects.
I can kind of see where he's coming from. We were fortunate that our son got his first choice secondary school. If he'd got his sixth choice, I am genuinely not sure what we would have done as there is no way in hell I was sending him to that dumpster fire of a 'school'.
Quite. But not wearing the required uniform is untelated. You won’t get your preference because you make your child stand out as a rebel. Available spaces is horribly complex and a lottery but a place won’t appear through non adherence to uniform elsewhere.
I agree about the complexity. I am however interested in what schools do if an allocated child never wears the school uniform. Should the school expel the child?
At the school 2 of my grandchildren attend. Darrick Wood secondary. If they turn up without the proper uniform they will get a detention. If this continues I would ( as their primary carer) ,be told to attend the school for a meeting. There's not a chance the school would change its stance as its very strict when it comes to uniforms being worn. So I would imagine that if I refused the kids would probably be excluded and possibly expelled. As it's a very good school it's not a hill I'm prepared to die on.
Was also at Eltham green from ‘81 and the reversible PE tops they made us get were horrendous. Basically reversible as there was a white band on the inside so you could get put on a green team or white banded team. When it rained it was like wearing a lead weighted rucksack on your shoulders. They must’ve relaxed the rules while I was there as remember any white or green top was allowed when I outgrew mine.
It is ironic that the law requires (for the most part) people to send their children to school. So in year six parents are required to list six preferences of secondary school, hoping for the first choice, dreading having to accept the sixth choice. So if you have a scenario where the rules oblige you to ‘send’ your children to a school you and your child don’t want to go to, simply refuse to follow the school uniform, hair, make up and other rules and see what the local authority does then.
You can just deregister?
Then the issue is where the child goes to school,
The sixth choice school or nowhere/online/home schooling.
Not ideal, but I'm saying you don't have to send them if you're not happy with the choice. You're not obliged to as you said.
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If you were a junior and refused to wear a tie when requested by management I'd think you were a bit of a brat.
Though I think it just winds me up looking at some of the lawyers these days, some of them have gone too far the other way.
I think the ridiculous pricing needs to go away, and schools need to rethink some of the more outlandish uniform choices that made them hard to get. For instance my primary school was red jumper, navy bottoms, white shirt/polo shirt with just the jumper having a badge, which you could purchase separately and stitch on.
When I got to secondary school the tie was purple, white and black, the blazer (£75!) had an embroidered badge that couldn't be bought separately, the PE uniform was a white vest with a coloured chest band according to which house you were in, the rugby kit was unique and mandatory, and the school jumper was a dark grey with a wide purple stripe around the neck (again unique and expensive) all in I think my parents spent about 400/500 quid on my uniform, and by year 9 I had grown 4/5 inches and everything was chucked and bought again
So in year six parents are required to list six preferences of secondary school, hoping for the first choice, dreading having to accept the sixth choice.
So if you have a scenario where the rules oblige you to ‘send’ your children to a school you and your child don’t want to go to, simply refuse to follow the school uniform, hair, make up and other rules and see what the local authority does then.
Strange line of logic linking these separate aspects.
Two particular things I remember. The way we rebelled against wearing a tie was to make the knot as big as possible so that it almost looked like a cravat. In my first year of seniors, everyone had loads of kit from a 'recommended' list, with separate football, rugby and athletics shirts. By year two, no-one bothered and everyone just had a plain t-shirt, except for poor old Stinky who just used to roll up his shirt sleeves.
You can find trousers/blazers etc very cheap if they can be plain.
Seems to me in those circumstances rebellion is a kind of logic.
Should the school expel the child?
Darrick Wood secondary.
If they turn up without the proper uniform they will get a detention.
If this continues I would ( as their primary carer) ,be told to attend the school for a meeting.
There's not a chance the school would change its stance as its very strict when it comes to uniforms being worn.
So I would imagine that if I refused the kids would probably be excluded and possibly expelled.
As it's a very good school it's not a hill I'm prepared to die on.
When it rained it was like wearing a lead weighted rucksack on your shoulders.
They must’ve relaxed the rules while I was there as remember any white or green top was allowed when I outgrew mine.
Not ideal, but I'm saying you don't have to send them if you're not happy with the choice. You're not obliged to as you said.