School Uniform?

jellyhead

Our school sent letters out to parents in the summer holidays about the new stricter uniform rules. It meant we knew what colour coat they needed before it got cold. Also, when they introduce things like a different logo on the jumper and tie they allow a year for people to wear their old ones.

I think it's unfair to introduce rules about coat and shoes after you have already bought them for this year

Uniform rules aside, the issue about gloves is important for your daughter, I hope you can get them to allow her to wear her fingerless gloves.

tooldle

My daughters school also does not allow boots. Could she wear tights with long socks over the top. This will give a double layer for the area that boots would cover. Might be worth a try.
I can see that fingerless gloves might be a problem from the H&S angle. Would very close fitting gloves be a compromise that the school could accept? I am thinking of cycling gloves, fingerless.

spidersandsprinkles

What is the uniform your daughter is expected to adhere to? Is she allowed to wear trousers for school? When I was in school I wore thick tights underneath my school trousers and often a white long sleeved top underneath my school shirt. This can really make a difference, especially when expected to wear flimsy shirts in poorly heated old classrooms.

barbiedoll

They clearly don't want "poor" families sending their kids to this school, do they?

I would absolutely do as Jojo said, I'm a supporter of school uniforms but the school are being completely unreasonable about this, especially in light of your daughter's condition. Health and safety may be a concern but if she cannot feel her fingers then surely that is a H&S concern if she cannot manage to hold (for instance) a test tube over a burner?

As for the pupils having "their own new school uniform", this is ridiculous and clearly discriminatory. There's absolutely no reason why pupils can't wear a second-hand blazer or coat, although if they are of poor quality anyway, I doubt that you'd find anything second-hand that you'd want your daughter to wear. And no doubt the school are getting a nice pay-off from the company who make/distribute the uniforms. :mad:

Is there any charity-type scheme which helps pupils from less priviledged backgrounds, running at the school? If not, ask why not. At my snooty girls school, there was help for those who could not afford school uniform, school trips, sports equipment etc etc, I was the beneficiary of a lovely second-hand blazer and a free trip to Calais, just because my mum was a single parent. This was quite unusual in the school (like yours, attended by wealthy types in an affluent area) and my mum would never have asked for help, the school knew our circumstances and they telephoned her and offered the help. Get in touch with the governors too, you may find that they are more sympathetic to your cause than the school staff.

thegirlintheattic

It's unusual the school is taking such a harsh line on this. Usually massive uniform changes are only applied after a long notice period and even in my school (very strict uniform policy - although you wouldn't know it looking at the kids sometimes!) there are two students who are allowed to wear coats inside due to medical conditions.

I would book an appointment with the head and take along the copy of the doctors letter. If that doesn't work go to the LEA and the governors.

As for cost, have you tried speaking to the receptionist? Often they are very helpful (even against policy) and know who might have second-hand uniform or even be able to provide lost items that have been sitting around for more than a term.

Try asking mums with older siblings or looking in local charity shops. The school doesn't have to know it's second hand.

Savvy_Sue

babyemily wrote: »

Seanymph: I have checked with the school re: secondhand school uniform but they do not allow it to be sold as they feel every child should have their own new school uniform.

This has been incensing me since I read it last night! They probably feel every child should have their own bedroom with a desk in it so they can do their homework in peace and quiet too! Not to mention the ability to shell out for school trips at any price at the drop of a hat!

Is there any chance of you getting involved in the PTA? Maybe you'd meet other parents in a similar position. After all, just because they live in nice houses doesn't mean they've got cash to splash.

And am I dreaming, or wasn't there some agreement that schools could no longer have a monopoly on school uniform supplies? or was that only for primary schools?

jellyhead

I don't know what happened with the school uniform thing, but what happens at my son's high school now is you can no longer buy it from the school office, but there is only 1 official supplier anyway. You can get in delivered in the school's bulk order, or you can pay to have it delivered to your home.

I assume the school is still getting a kickback on it.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

This has been incensing me since I read it last night! They probably feel every child should have their own bedroom with a desk in it so they can do their homework in peace and quiet too

DD1's Head Teacher said we may as well write our kids off as failures if we couldn't be bothered to do that one thing for them for their GCSEs. I put my hand up and asked very clearly where I should put her younger sister then. The answer? 'In the dining room, spare room or conservatory'. :cool:

The school was the scabbiest sink school in the borough, falling down, special measures, the previous troubleshooter headteacher had been fired, and the premises were surrounded by an estate in the most disrepair of the whole borough as it slipped through all the action zones and grants, etc.

She was most flustered when I asked if she had ever looked out of her office window and seen the local area.

VikkiiKawaii

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

DD1's Head Teacher said we may as well write our kids off as failures if we couldn't be bothered to do that one thing for them for their GCSEs. I put my hand up and asked very clearly where I should put her younger sister then. The answer? 'In the dining room, spare room or conservatory'. :cool:

That's complete rubbish! I didn't have my own room OR desk when I was doing my GCSEs and passed all of my subjects with Cs, Bs and As.

Humphrey10

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

They probably feel every child should have their own bedroom with a desk in it so they can do their homework in peace and quiet too!

Well it does help. I certainly don't know how I would have done my GCSEs and A levels if I hadn't had somewhere to work undisturbed.