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School head apologises and says they will consult over uniform proposals
24/02/2023
Head recognises that they haven’t properly engaged or consulted with all parents and students
The Executive Head Teacher at the Warriner School has admitted they underestimated the strength of feeling when they chose to introduce a gender-neutral uniform which banned skirts. Dr Annabel Kay has also apologised for failing to engage or consult properly with both parents and students.
As Banbury FM reported earlier, students protested outside their classrooms as school started this morning after a letter was sent home explaining that all students would be required to wear trousers from this September. The announcement came without any prior warning or consultation for most parents and students.
In a statement issued on Friday lunchtime Dr Kay said the school had listened and was committed to engaging on their uniform policy, and on other future policy changes.
Dr Kay said: “Today, our students organised a protest against a change to our uniform policy due to be implemented from September 2023. We fully respect the rights of students to protest and we want to hear the voices of young people in a safe and constructive manner.
“We underestimated the strength of feeling on this issue and recognise that we haven’t properly engaged or consulted with all parents and students. For this, we apologise. Our intention was, and remains the case, to be inclusive, supporting and empowering all our students equally and with respect.
“We have listened to our students today and we are committed to engaging further on our uniform policy, and on other future policy changes, with both parents and students in a constructive and positive manner.”
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam
Charlotte On 24/02/2023 at 2:23 pm
I think women have fought hard for their rights and warriner tried to take that away. Let men wear skirts then ? That’s equal
Philip Stewart On 24/02/2023 at 3:44 pm
Dear Parents, Carers or Guardians 23rd February 2023
Gender-Equality Uniform and Personal Appearance Policy Changes
I am writing to inform you about the upcoming changes to our school’s uniform and gender neutral personal appearance policy, which will allow us to achieve better Gender Uniformity within our school Community and show to the world how proud we are of our key values.
These values include:
• Ticking all the right boxes such as the ‘Inclusion Quality Mark for 2022-23’
• Empowering our students with our values of equality and respect – by not allowing any discussion with parents and students about our policy decisions
• Demonstrating our respect for gender equality by making all students look the same – whether they like it or not
• Saving the environment and parents money – through the purchase of another complete uniform
It is for these reasons we will be implementing a gender-neutral uniform where all female and male students will, from September 2023, wear trousers as part of our school uniform and conform to our gender equalizing appearance policies.
We will be implementing the following changes to our school uniform and gender equality appearance policies for the start of term 1 in September 2023:
No Skirts – all students to wear black tailored trousers (September 2023 all students)
Shorts – all students will be able to wear black tailored knee length shorts in the Summer term.
Gender neutral Physical Education kit (Phased purchase from September 2023)
All items of clothing will be of gender-neutral design – all blazers must button the same way; Shirts and blouses will be of the same design (birts); all clothing must be of straight-line design to cover all body forms
No bare flesh other than face and hands are ever to be exposed
Hair styles will be standardized – The standard length for all students will be 20cm above the shoulders
Shoes will be black and gender neutral
No body or clothing adornments allowed
All Gender titles will be abolished – all students will in future be referred to as ‘norms’
All teachers and support staff will adhere to the same gender-neutral codes
We know these policy changes will make our students more equal and respectful to support them on the journey into a beautiful, undiversified world.
These decisions were made because, unfortunately, there is still a challenge by a lot of our female students wearing their skirts to our desired appropriate length. Students who roll skirts to an inappropriate length are sending out the wrong social message in their choice of style – they seem to feel they need to conform to a certain image, in order to fit in with friendship groups. We feel this has no place in an educational setting and for this reason we are introducing trousers for all students. These measures will, of course, ensure they do not conform to any image.
If you have any questions related to this update, please don’t contact us – it’s too late.
Thank you and I hope you understand the reasoning behind these changes.
Yours sincerely,
Spoof
Gender Equalization Committee