School uniform policy. is it going too far?

Comms69 wrote: »

Here's a simpler explanation - wear the uniform or don't attend school.


'Ours is not to question why....)

Which exactly fetches us back to the OP's predicament, he can't find suitable uniform to send his DD in.

It's always been the same : I passed the 11+ through to the grammar school - way back in 1954 :-D - and the uniform was extremely expensive - I remember hearing the mutterings about the blazer with the embroidered badge and silver braiding plus the sports pleated shorts, gym knickers (does anyone else remember the thick knickers with a pocket??) aertex shirts, science overalls, cookery apron, indoor shoes, outdoor shoes, plimsoles, hockey boots etc etc etc. Then two years later, my sister 2 years younger passed her 11+ - but her place was at another school - with a completely different uniform - although I think I was able to pass the hockey boots down to her. Two years after, second sister was given a place - at another school! Six years later, youngest sister passed to the same school as I attended ...and was my mother spitting mad when, as I was leaving - I ceremonially threw my uniform boater hat into the Thames ....the only thing that could have been passed on to baby sister - which cost something like 5 guineas (£5.5s.0d in old money).....

Yes, my parents could have turned down the grammar school place - but what parent would do that if they could possibly help it - like your gran and her mother. My parents ethos was - if you educate a boy, you get an educated man - if you educate a girl, you educate the next generation!

maman wrote: »

So are you suggesting that you have to be academically able or go to a fee paying school to wear a uniform? Any old jumper ( or dare I suggest fake Uggs ) is good enough for the plebs?

No, I was responding to the post that said it was always like that re uniforms talking about Grammar schools and uniforms. The alternative was you could by decline the place and still attend a state school by going to the Secondary modern instead (some people will have done this due to the cost like my Great Grandfather wanted my Nan to do).

Nowadays both the 'sink' school and the fantastic grades school are likely to have expensive, inflexible uniforms, so the option that was there years ago to avoid the cost (don't go to Grammar school) is no longer available.

I did say earlier on this thread that the best performing state school in my area (judging so far, it's only been open 4 years) has no uniform, which suggests that what the kids wear and what they can achieve aren't linked- unlike what schools like to have us believe

My school uniform was black or grey trousers, not jeans. No rules about zips or buttons or anything like that just no jeans.

White shirt. It could be any white shirt, long or short sleeved.

School tie - available to purchase from the office for £3.50

School sweatshirt - available to purchase from the office, price ranged from
£17.50 to £25 depending on size.

That was it. Now the same school is the same as the OP. There!!!8217;s an approved supplier, the sweatshirt has been replaced by a blazer, the trousers are now embroidered with the school logo and must be purchased from the supplier, the school shirt is also only available from the supplier. The school now has a collection of PE uniforms (no such thing when I attended in the late 90s into the millennium), you guessed it - only available from the supplier. Has the school miraculously started producing happier pupils who produce better higher results? That would be a no, the school is doing worse than it ever did prior to the introduction of the super duper uniform.