SHS uniform card

[RedMaple]

So, the uniform cards came out yesterday and one girls in DD's friendship group (Y9) already has a strike.

DD has already ranted about how unfair it all is when the new scheme was announced.

DD came down this morning wearing a jumper - rarely worn and not usually seen until a sub-zero temperature snow day and even then only under protest. Sure enough, hidden under said jumper, her skirt was rolled over several times at the top. I have pointed out that she is a prime candidate for detention on this and that when she gets it, I am not going to Stroud to pick her up.

My view is fair play to the school and they can impose whichever methods they like to ensure that uniform is neat and correct - but I do wish they'd chosen a skirt style that was designed to be worn higher on the waist and not low rise.

[cazien]

Just waiting for this to happen at Ribston! The new head introduced a new style skirt for this September which everyone in yrs7-10 have to wear. It's designed with pleats to "prevent" rolling up the skirt, but the girls still manage to do it. But looking at yrs11-13 I think they are the worst culprits for wearing "belts" instead of skirts They don't seem to have a uniform dress-code at all. Think I must be getting old .

[steppemum]

yes, dd came home yesterday with hers.
She is actually very happy, as she wears trousers, and always wears her blazer.
Her main 'crime' is untucked shirt with her trousers, and that isn't on the card, so she is very happy.

I don't mind them toughening up, but I do wish there was a choice of skirt and trouser style. One style can't possibly be a good fit for all shapes and sizes

[steppemum]

I think it is quite clever to make the punishment of this after school detention, as that mainly disadvantages parents, so it should get parents on-side with uniform

[FluffyCat]

I don't mind them toughening up, but I do wish there was a choice of skirt and trouser style. One style can't possibly be a good fit for all shapes and sizes

There is a choice of skirt style. They can wear the all round pleated skirt which is better quality. The shop don't sell it, but it can be ordered from Trutex. My daughter has worn the pleated one since y7 and wouldn't wear anything else. She still rolls it up so it's a good 10cm above her knee but it looks smart and respectable.

Uniform code says "Harrow grey skirt on the knee or just below (not above) – choice of two styles: Stitched down pleat or Senior 2 pocket skirt - the latter can be custom made by Trutex to ensure the correct length"

[steppemum]

fluffy - hmm, I am not sure that the two styles are that different that they accommodate all shapes and sizes.
The trousers are worse than useless.
dd only wears trousers.
This year the uniform shop told us
1. the 'old' style hasn't been sold by trutex for about 5 years, so they have what is left in stock only, which didn't include dds size
2. the 'new' style is also now impossible to order from trutex as they are changing styles but haven't replaced the trouser.

In other words, you cannot order in any trousers, if they haven't got them in stock. Last year we got round this by buying trousers from another supplier, not trutex, and I had to alter the waistband and take the legs in and up to make them fit.
This year that brand was so far out shape wise, that I couldn't do it, and the school uniform shop said they couldn't order any in.
As I stood in the shop saying to dd - well, not sure what we do now, the shop assistant then miraculously found 2 pairs of harrow grey trousers in another style that were not standard and she had no idea where they came from, and fortunately they fitting.

I am pretty cheesed off with a girl's school uniform where the trouser option does not fit and is not available to order.
In 2018, girls should be able to wear trousers without so much hassle. I have tried every other shop/option and cannot get/find a Harrow grey trouser, so it is the school shop, which has said they don't have them in stock and can't order, or nothing.

She hasn't worn a skirt since she was about 8, for anything, that is not going to change, and I refuse to force her into a school skirt when the uniform has a trouser option.

[steppemum]

sorry, bit of rant, but that uniform shop is a nightmare, and I am sick of dd being given a hard time by two women IN TROUSERS who have been saying for the last 3 years
well, no-one wears trousers
she should get a skirt, because NONE of the girls wears trousers
Oh, no, we don;t STOCK those trousers, you need to order
<sigh> can't order them I'm afraid

etc etc etc .

I have over heard her persuade year 7 girls and their parents that they should not buy their girls trousers, as they are not worn at SHS.

On the other hand I have a son at Marling. Any black school trouser from anywhere, no jeans. So easy.

[Tinkers]

I think it’s ridiculous that there are only a set number of ‘styles’ of skirt or trousers often listed on uniform lists. Or schools that insist on the exact supplier of schoolwear (often at a bigger cost). Not all styles fit and/or suit everyone.

DDs School isn’t as strict about set styles (tried to be and failed, because tbh I don’t think they actually worry too much as long as they look smart and decent). DD wore the longest length skirt available of the official style asked for by the school. One uniform inspection by the HOY mentioned it was a little short and she should probably tell me to get her a longer one. She isn’t tall, 5’5” so if they really want girls to wear longer ones they should be suggesting suppliers who offer them. (Next inspection she pulled it down a little and no comment made).

A friends son was so tall but skinny that none of the school approved trousers fitted and he had to get his from M&S. Friend has been waiting for a complaint but as most black School trousers look the same, no one at school noticed. Otherwise she would have had a legendary rant.

My niece had issues fitting into most of the trousers available for her new secondary. One pair were quite tight around the thighs (niece walks a lot and is muscular). My sister said she would get into trouble for wearing them at school, and the staff said no, she would be fine. At which point my sister pointed out she actually taught at the school, and knew exactly what would and wouldn’t pass muster.

As for women and girls not wearing trousers, one of DDs friends hasn’t worn trousers for school since year 5 (now year 12). I haven’t worn a skirt for at least 9 years. I wear trousers everyday (had to at start of career since I often wore a boiler suit over the top). I have three dresses in my wardrobe, all worn once, plus the one skirt I wore about 9 years ago.

[Amber]

I find it ridiculous and sexist that girls aren't allowed to wear trousers at some schools. So many girls flout the rules about skirt length and go about looking (as one GS teacher said to me) like ho**ers, that they would be far better off in trousers. I cannot imagine why schools hold onto this outdated idea that gals look smartest in skirts - quite often, with laddered tights into the bargain, they just look a flipping mess. I also think that holding parents responsible for what a 14 year old does with her skirt during the day is wrong.

[BucksBornNBred]

The amount of cheekbutts I see on my daily crawl to school amazes me! I have no interest in girls bottoms but I can't help but stare at some of them (I don't find them attractive, I am just stunned).