Governor says school uniform policy 'outdated'

A school governor has said her own education trust's uniform policy is "too prescriptive" and "outdated".

Eleanor Baggaley, a school governor for Thorp Academy in Ryton, Gateshead, said parents were struggling with the cost of items with specific restrictions.

She said some uniforms - like those adopted by the Northern Education Trust which runs the academy - were also unsuitable for children with sensory issues, no longer relevant to the working world and rooted in "victim blaming" culture towards girls.

The trust said uniform "provides a sense of belonging and identity for all students, regardless of their protected characteristics or socio-economic circumstances".

It said its uniform policy was "affordable and the best value for money", with free school uniforms offered to struggling families and staff told to be "mindful and considerate" of their circumstances when unsuitable items were worn.

But former teacher Baggaley, who is a Labour councillor for Ryton, Crookhill and Stella, also helps run Gateshead West Uniform Bank - and said footfall remained "high".

She said the service, which helps students acquire new and preloved uniform, had about 200 local families asking for support per year.

A new law came into force this school term which limited uniforms to three branded items with a school logo, like a blazer, jumper or sportswear – plus a tie for secondary schools.

The government said it would save money but Baggaley said it would not make a difference due to restrictions around unbranded items.

She said one of the main problems parents were complaining about this year was girls' skirts, with the Northern Education Trust saying they had to be knee-length.

A number of girls had been sent home from school for their skirts being too short, she said, including students whose parents had bought a longer fit but were too tall for it to reach their knees.

The trust said "high standards in appearance and conduct also reflect what many students will encounter in further study and future workplaces" and preparing them for that was part of a good education.

But Baggaley said it felt "backwards".

"Schools argue they're preparing students for the workplace, but in most workplaces, staff can wear what they want and they have a relaxed approach to workwear."

She said the approach was also "victim blaming" by making girls dress "modestly" to avoid harassment from male students.

"It's very outdated, very old-fashioned, very behind the times," she said.

Baggaley said her own son was pulled out of two hours of lessons on his first day back at Thorp Academy because his new shoes looked "too much like trainers".

"I would never have thought they're trainers, it's a black leather shoe and it's polishable - which is what they request," she said.

She also said both herself and one of her daughters struggled with the texture of some shirts, which could pose similar challenges to students with additional needs.

She did not want to scrap uniform policies, she said, but wanted to see them become more flexible in favour of comfort and lower cost.

The school trust's uniform policy states it was designed for students to "learn most effectively and achieve their best outcomes when they are comfortable, able to be themselves, and are dressed in such a way that sets an appropriate tone for education".

It said decisions were made to "ensure every young person arrives ready to learn in an environment where consistency, not appearance, is the focus".

Founder of community shop Second Chance Sunderland CIC, Wendy English, said the amount of rules around uniform items was "disgusting".

The shop provides free preloved school uniform.

"These skirts, they're having such a carry on, £30 each and they want them this length and that length - and who says how tall they'll grow?

"They cup at a standard length, and if you've got a tall girl you can't get a longer skirt in that style."

She added it was unfair for children to be pulled from lessons over their uniform because they had no control over what their parents bought.

She said despite the number of branded items being limited, the cost of those items still remained too high, with one local school requiring a new branded blazer to be bought every year because it changed colour between year groups.

"It's a disgrace," she said.

"This year's been unbelievably busy, the children have gone back to school and we're still getting families coming in our shop needing uniform because they just haven't got the money."

She also wanted to see sew-on school badges become more common again, which could give parents more options to save money.

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