How about open-necked shirts?

Back in the day, clip-on ties were seen as "naff" and you wouldn't be seen dead wearing one.  So a rather strange story of a school which requires its pupils to wear clip-on ties, and in fact disciplined a boy who turned up wearing a proper one. Needless to say, the school claimed that this was all about Health and Safety   It isn't of course, the H & S Executive are on record as saying that it is a "myth" that their regulations ban traditional school ties and have described the school's rule as "disproportionate".  So let's be clear - the school is entitled to make what rules it likes, and to punish those who do not abide by them, but what it is not entitled to do is to claim that they are doing this in order to comply with H & S regulations. What's really behind this of course is the fear of being sued if any child were to be hurt as a result of wearing a "proper" tie.  Not that that is not a valid reason for having such a rule - just be open and honest about it.