No U-turn on uniform blitz (From Daily Echo)
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Hampshire head teacher defended over uniform crackdown
8:00pm Sunday 9th September 2012 in News
By Bethan Phillips, Reporter
Head teacher at Crestwood College, Krista Dawkins
A head teacher has vowed to continue her uniform crackdown – and has been backed by a major union.
Krista Dawkins, head of Crestwood College in Eastleigh, launched a zero tolerance approach on Wednesday to clothing that did not fall within school rules.
The Daily Echo revealed this week that around 20 children were sent home for wearing the wrong type of trousers.
The school has outlawed skinny jeans and leggings and has told parents that their youngsters must be kitted out with “straight-leg” and “loose fitting” black trousers.
But families have been given until Monday before the crackdown begins again to give parents a chance to buy new trousers if necessary.
Hard-up families have also been offered funds to help them pay for replacement clothes.
Mrs Dawkins told the Daily Echo that no more children were sent home yesterday because of the amnesty – but pupils could expect another crackdown on Monday.
She added: “The vast majority of parents have backed the decision and most of the children have now got the correct uniform.
“We will have teachers on the gate and they will be monitoring the uniform as children come in and those not wearing the right uniform will be sent home.
“If children choose to consistently abuse the rules and the parents allow them to do that then |what kind of example is that to their children?”
Mrs Dawkins’s stance was yesterday backed by the National Association of Head Teachers.
Spokeswoman Heather Forse said: “Most schools agree their uniform policies well in advance of the new school term to allow parents time to buy the agreed items.
“Those parents who have difficulties in sourcing or paying for the correct uniform are usually able to speak in confidence to the head teacher to avoid any embarrassment.
“It seems that this procedure was followed in this case so it is difficult to know what else the head teacher could have done.”
Comments(27)
OSPREYSAINT
says...
8:20pm Sun 9 Sep 12
MGRA
says...
8:22pm Sun 9 Sep 12
Rhombus
says...
8:22pm Sun 9 Sep 12
OSPREYSAINT wrote:Well they can enjoy their burger tossing job later on. Someone need to cook my bic mac :D
Open invitation for truancy, if you want to miss school just wear something different.
Des Olated
says...
8:28pm Sun 9 Sep 12
IronLady2010 wrote:Says it all, am fully behind her too.
Well done Krista, it appears a minority of parents don't care for rules and regulations and are sharing this behaviour with their children. At least you are restoring some discipline here!
Fully behind you!
About time the tail stopped wagging the dog!
MGRA
says...
8:35pm Sun 9 Sep 12
G-man1
says...
8:53pm Sun 9 Sep 12
We seem to be living in an age where being a feckless moron seems to be the common aim of the nation.
The streets are full of rude and obnoxious buffoons- all ages, its not just the kids.
We may as well send chimps to school for all the good that education seems to have on some people in this country
solomum
says...
9:41pm Sun 9 Sep 12
G-man1 wrote:This is so right. It is the same parents who are out drinking or buying the latest must have gadgets that will be sending their children to school in unsatisfactory clothing. Well done to the Head teacher for sticking to her guns with this one. Someone needs to be responsible for enforcing rules on children and if the parents cannot or will not do so, then thank goodness the head teacher will. As for the dad on the previous article that went on to encourage children to name call the head, if it is discovered who that parent is, then I would also hope that they would be spoken to by the LEA. We are fortunate to live in a country where education is a basic right and is provided free of charge, yet those in deprived countries where education costs them dearly, still manage to provide their children with the correct uniform and all the children look identical (the whole meaning of the word uniform) so that no one is different. The difference being that their parents work extremely hard and in back breaking jobs to ensure they get an education. Parents over here think they have a right to have free education and spend their earnings or social money as they choose.
How many of parents who claim not to be able to afford the uniform have large plasma TVs on the wall in the front room?There's no sense of prioity. Only the very poorest in society can genuinely say they can`t afford a pair of school trousers from Asda or Primark.
We seem to be living in an age where being a feckless moron seems to be the common aim of the nation.
The streets are full of rude and obnoxious buffoons- all ages, its not just the kids.
We may as well send chimps to school for all the good that education seems to have on some people in this country
IronLady2010
says...
9:46pm Sun 9 Sep 12
solomum wrote:Solomon, if only we could have more parents like you. You, my lady, are a credit to yourself.
G-man1 wrote:This is so right. It is the same parents who are out drinking or buying the latest must have gadgets that will be sending their children to school in unsatisfactory clothing. Well done to the Head teacher for sticking to her guns with this one. Someone needs to be responsible for enforcing rules on children and if the parents cannot or will not do so, then thank goodness the head teacher will. As for the dad on the previous article that went on to encourage children to name call the head, if it is discovered who that parent is, then I would also hope that they would be spoken to by the LEA. We are fortunate to live in a country where education is a basic right and is provided free of charge, yet those in deprived countries where education costs them dearly, still manage to provide their children with the correct uniform and all the children look identical (the whole meaning of the word uniform) so that no one is different. The difference being that their parents work extremely hard and in back breaking jobs to ensure they get an education. Parents over here think they have a right to have free education and spend their earnings or social money as they choose.
How many of parents who claim not to be able to afford the uniform have large plasma TVs on the wall in the front room?There's no sense of prioity. Only the very poorest in society can genuinely say they can`t afford a pair of school trousers from Asda or Primark.
We seem to be living in an age where being a feckless moron seems to be the common aim of the nation.
The streets are full of rude and obnoxious buffoons- all ages, its not just the kids.
We may as well send chimps to school for all the good that education seems to have on some people in this country
I love reading your posts. xx
IronLady2010
says...
9:47pm Sun 9 Sep 12
ReaganG
says...
10:44pm Sun 9 Sep 12
OSPREYSAINT
says...
10:59pm Sun 9 Sep 12
ReaganG wrote:Certainly did well in English!
Krista was my deputy head at Woodlands she would stand at the gates and do this all the time. She's a pro leave her to it half the kids she has ever worked with would of never got half as far without her me included.
OSPREYSAINT
says...
11:01pm Sun 9 Sep 12
MGRA
says...
11:07pm Sun 9 Sep 12
OSPREYSAINT wrote:you are hilarious.... "cannot spell" is not the same as "fast typing typos" or "can not be bothered to spell"..... this is the 21st century buddy !!!
48% of posters cannot spell on here, the other 53% can't add up.
IronLady2010
says...
11:08pm Sun 9 Sep 12
OSPREYSAINT wrote:hahahaha nice one ;-) x
48% of posters cannot spell on here, the other 53% can't add up.
sparkster
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11:46pm Sun 9 Sep 12
IronLady2010
says...
12:00am Mon 10 Sep 12
sparkster wrote:You are very lucky. Back in the day, you'd have the cane from the head master. No messing about then!
Im fully behind the head too. When i was at school if you weren't wearing the full uniform you were sent home. It's about time this was brought back. We weren't allowed to wear make up either, we were made to go and wash it off. Now kids seem to be wearing what they want and girls come in the shop where i work with thick make up on, bring back the waring of compulsory school uniform
These days the kids beat the Head Master as there is no discipline both at home and school.
PaddyDucks
says...
12:57am Mon 10 Sep 12
rightway
says...
7:03am Mon 10 Sep 12
chapellady
says...
7:16am Mon 10 Sep 12
Carpe Diem
says...
8:55am Mon 10 Sep 12
chapellady wrote:Please do not use the term 'Students' when referring to school pupils. This is a ploy by the educational establishment to embellish the status of school heads, teachers and their colleges.
Well done Mrs Dawkins. If the students and their parents know that you will not back down they will soon adapt to the rules and get the uniform right. If you did a u-turn now, what message would that send out? This isn't just about a uniform either it's about teaching kids that you can't always have your own way and you have to follow rules whether you agree with them or not.She has turned Crestwood school around and is passionate about the kids. I have no regrets at sending my children there and am behind her 100%
Kids under 16 who are at School are pupils.
For the record the head teacher in this instance is absolutely correct in enforcing the stated policy on uniform. Any parent who disagrees with the policy should look for school places elsewhere.
Georgem
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9:42am Mon 10 Sep 12
rightway wrote:He'll be giving everyone lines.
You're all going to be in trouble when Billy the Kid awakens.
OSPREYSAINT
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10:30am Mon 10 Sep 12
MGRA wrote:I am a son of the Twentieth Century , I just don't want to move on into the new order of poor discipline, lack of respect and general nastiness that abounds, where thieves are treated lightly and thugs have no deterrent to put them off what they do. There are a few of us decent folk out here but it seems to me we are rapidly becoming a minority.
OSPREYSAINT wrote:you are hilarious.... "cannot spell" is not the same as "fast typing typos" or "can not be bothered to spell"..... this is the 21st century buddy !!!
48% of posters cannot spell on here, the other 53% can't add up.
C-L-F
says...
11:06am Mon 10 Sep 12
The girls are not allowed to wear trousers full stop and the skirts can only be purchase through the schools uniform shop. Kings maintain a very strict high standard uniform policy which all parents adhere too.
If this school can manage a strict uniform policy then I am quite sure the parents of Crestwood pupils can respect Mrs Dawkins decision on the uniform policy and get their daughters the correct attire.
TEBOURBA
says...
12:52pm Mon 10 Sep 12
It would be nice to see the LEA management, local councillors and the local MP's giving Krista their public, much publicised support!
More power to Krista's elbow, she is a breath of fresh air in a society, where it seems, there is an ever growing number of people with no respect for the law, persons or property and no self respect whatsoever.
Unless taught at an early age principally by parents, reinforced in schools, manners, self discipline and respect for others, will never be learnt and that is what has happened over the past decades.
Before someone blames lack of employment opportunities for the demise, in the 1930's there was mass unemployment and families were starving but they retained their respect and dignity.
espanuel
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1:43pm Mon 10 Sep 12
OSPREYSAINT
says...
10:23pm Tue 11 Sep 12
IronLady2010 says...
8:07pm Sun 9 Sep 12
Fully behind you!