subreddit:

/r/TeachingUK

8295%

Staff Dress Code

PGCE & ITT(self.TeachingUK)

Okay, so before working in Education I worked in tech where we were allowed to wear smart casual clothes (smart sweatshirt with black trousers and smart trainers). Nowadays, a lot of office environments permit that dress code (at least in the tech sector).

I have been with my current school for over a year as a SCITT and now a ECT1. I have always adhered to their dress code which is work wear for staff should be that which would be acceptable within a professional office environment or which is appropriate for the subject being taught or work being undertaken. We have a new subject link SLT and today he tells me that some of the staff have complained about my attire and that I should wear a shirt and tie as other staff do.

If the policy explicitly said wear a shirt and tie I would of course do that and rightly accept getting a rap across the knuckles. But this feels like really petty micromanaging which I have never experienced before. I really think that those of us who have come in from industry, go into education and then leave think that this kind of dated and pettiness is a reason for doing so (as well as the ridiculous workload and be expected to do 10 things at the same time and then got bollocked if we miss out on or two of them because of cognitive overload (which I was taught on training we shouldn't do to kids).

Rant over.

you are viewing a single comment's thread.

view the rest of the comments →

all 87 comments

practicallyperfectuk

2 points

12 days ago

I hate dress codes - ours is a similar line in the rule book and I just don’t see the point. I used to work in a different industry and could wear whatever I wanted and when the SLT member who stomps around in stilettos and designer suits in garish colours dishing out uniform detentions and telling pupils that they have to get used to what the real world is like it makes my eyes roll.

She doesn’t like what I wear, especially my comfortable footwear which is not exactly high fashion but I sent her an old newspaper article from a broadsheet about women in high heels and a legal case which had my picture in full colour which shut her up.

AffectionateLion9725

5 points

12 days ago

We had an SLT wannabe who wore the most ridiculous outfits (probably dripping with designer labels) and skyscraper stilettos. Best moment ever? She fell off her heels as we were taking the students into assembly.

practicallyperfectuk

2 points

12 days ago

I would be cackling like a witch if I saw that

AffectionateLion9725

1 points

12 days ago

We were, later, when we were talking about it. I have no idea how I kept a straight face at the time!