On Friday, the school sent an email to parents saying that students didn’t have to wear the regulation school tie, but more pupils were turned away at the school gates this morning as they arrived in the PE kit of polo shirts and shorts.
One parent, whose son was sent home on Thursday morning, said the school’s ‘inflexibility was ridiculous’. “There have been lots of complaints this week, and for many months and years, about how rigid the school uniform is,” said the parent, who didn’t want to be named.
“Lots of parents have asked the school leadership and gone to the governors, and the students themselves have got petitions up. There was a review of uniform policy last year, which decided it shouldn’t change,” she added.
“It’s inherently sexist too, because girls can wear skirts or trousers and boys have to wear trousers, they are not allowed to wear shorts. So when we get extremely hot weather like yesterday (Thursday) was, then boys in particular get very hot,” she added.
“There’s a huge amount of frustration. There’s a feeling that the school doesn’t have the wellbeing of the students as a priority, that they are more concerned with the image of the school, and this is a genuine concern because of the heat,” she added.
The school’s uniform is a Bristol Free School badged blazer, plain pale blue shirt, tie and charcoal-coloured trousers or skirts. Blazers are not compulsory during the summer term. The school’s uniform policy on its website states: “The school may relax uniform requirements from time-to-time, for example in particularly hot weather.”
Last July, after the governors met to discuss the lobbying from parents to change the school uniform policy, including making it more flexible in hot weather or allowing boys to wear shorts, chair of governors Anne-Marie Boyle told parents: “The school has a hot weather uniform adjustment which uses the existing school PE kit.
Earlier this week, the UK Health Security Agency issued an amber alert for extreme heat which continues across the UK until Monday. Temperatures in Bristol reached 30 deg C on Thursday, and are expected to match that today (Friday).
In an email sent to parents on Thursday, after dozens of children were sent home for wearing PE kits, the school confirmed it was not relaxing its uniform policy. “There are no current plans to adjust uniform in light of the current summer weather,” the email said.
“We are monitoring the weather regularly and will inform you of any reasonable adjustments to uniform if required.
“We encourage all students not to wear jumpers or coats (some are still wearing them). All students should bring a refillable water bottle and should apply sunscreen. Students are also welcome to wear wide-brimmed hats at lunchtime and to make use of the shade,” they added.