The UK Health Security Agency has issued an amber alert because of the heat
Bristol Free School, in Southmead(Image: Google Maps)
Parents at a Bristol secondary school said they are frustrated and angry after dozens of children were turned away at the school gates this week – because they arrived wearing PE kit because of the heatwave.
Parents claimed some classes at Bristol Free School in Southmead had more than half their pupils missing on Thursday because of the strict uniform policy school leaders impose.
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.
“This is currently working well during periods of extreme hot weather. The decision to adjust to wearing PE kit is made by the headteacher and does not involve any additional expense for parents and carers.”
Bristol Free School
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.
On Friday morning, another email announced ties were now optional, but the shirts and trousers uniform policy was continuing.
“With a continuation of the warm weather, we are suggesting students do not wear their tie on Friday, June 20,” the email said. “Students should avoid wearing 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.
“Please ensure your child attends school in the correct uniform as the school reserves the right to request them to correct this before entering the school site,” the email added.
One parent said that many parents were confused about the trigger point for extreme hot weather. “You’d think an amber alert from the UK health agency would be the sort of thing that would make the headteacher think about how hot the pupils would be,” they said.
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Another parent told Bristol Live the reason why many children keep their jumpers on even in the heat was to cover up the sweat patches that show through the pale blue shirts. “My daughter came home on Thursday and she was so upset, she was a mess,” she said.
“She’s been taking in spare shirts but she kept her jumper on all day yesterday. These are teenagers, they get sweaty and they also get embarrassed. Pale blue is maybe the worst colour to wear if you’re sweaty in hot weather.
“So this morning (Friday), I thought ‘I’ve had enough’. There was an amber warning for the heat so I said she could wear her PE kit. I saw her off to school only to see her come back home because she’d been turned away at the gate.
“Then I got a message from the school saying they were marking it as an unauthorised absence because I hadn’t contacted them to say why she was off.
“They had the gall to tell me I hadn’t reported her absence when I dropped her off at the school gates ready to learn, and they had turned her away. It’s so frustrating. It’s an excellent school and my children love learning there, but this is awful, it’s really bad,” she added.
Bristol Live contacted Bristol Free School, and a response is awaited.