to object to this type of invitation?

I agree with Marmight. A dress code is so that people aren't embarrassed. For day wear it wouldn't make that much difference for women but it would be a bit annoying as a man to wear a suit and tie and then learn that you didn't need to.
Smart casual is fairly wide description.

Wouldn't parents know that? Presumably they know how special it is and will do their best for their child.

I think their idea of doing their best may be different from yours. I went to a school carol service in my gd's local church and several men did not remove their headgear. I found the red baseball cap sideways particularly offensive. I tried to tell myself that at least the man was supporting his child, but I failed !
Like you I live in north-west Leicestershire.

I actually think it’s very useful to be given a dress code. How many times have we been to events where we haven’t known what to wear! Smart casual indicates the type of event it is, people will interpret it differently anyway. Those who want to go in shorts and flip flops, still will, and they won’t care, but those who would like to know have been told! I’d far rather that than turn up inappropriately dressed.

I’m a retired secondary school teacher. I and my colleagues used to make an effort with our appearance for Parents Evenings. Some teachers would even change after school for this. This showed that we felt that meeting the parents was important to us. I only wish that some of the parents felt this way about meeting their children’s teachers! A special occasion deserves an effort no matter what type of school it may be. After all we’re strict about the students’ uniforms so not to dress appropriately is the height of hypocrisy!

I guess there might be some parents/guests who genuinely do not realise this is a 'make an effort' occasion and this is a simple way to make it clear that no, your usual ripped jeans will not do.

I used to love dressing up for the theatre /orchestra. Now I look conspicuous if I do!

I'm always glad of guidelines. Perhaps if they had said it was only a guideline as some folk may not have enough money to have a smart casual outfit.

It seems it is reasonable to be offended by anything these days. A dress code just gives a heads up to what would be appropriate to wear. My son's school, (an independent school where money would be less of a problem for 95% of the parents and who tend to dress in a conservative fashion), state a dress code on most of their events.

You could always stand at the back on newspaper knspol

Perhaps the dress code is to stop people turning up in their pyjamas. When I was teaching, parents actually turned up to collect their children in pyjamas!
I agree with issuing a dress code because all too often people don’t understand the unwritten standards of dress and turn up to places dressed as if ready for bed, or for the beach.

I pretty much decide what I'm going to wear to a function on receipt of the invitation. I consider myself able to manage 'occasion appropriate'. However, I'm perfectly happy with guideline suggestions. What happens if someone is considered to be inappropriately attired? Are they excluded? And.....who decides?

Smart Casual is a generic description that covers a lot of things. I think it is basically to ensure no one turns up in bikini tops and shorts, or shirtless in the case of men. Don't take offense - I am sure none was meant. And this is someone who is pathologically opposed to being told what to do!

What about if you can only get to the school straight from work in your overalls to see your child pick up a prize??? You should be denied entry due to an effort to stop morons turning up in vests, shorts and flip flops???

A fiver for a dress, £3 for a shirt, £5 for trousers, the bus fares to get to the charity shops, etc etc - it all adds up. My DC went to a very socially diverse school (far more so than the one described upthread with midwives and district nurses and one delivery driver ) and a fiver was what some kids got for their entire week’s lunch money. There were levels poverty that I was shocked by - and yet a couple of miles away there were families like us living in very different circumstances. I’m glad they had the school experience they did, it made us all very much more aware of the real challenges faced by some families.

No problem here. Sure school wants to try to mark the occasion as being special. Smart casual usually means try not to turn up in track suits and trainers.

I think we should see more of that as it is dreadful the way some people dress these days, especially in the Hot weather .you don’t have to wear expensive clothes but who wants to see half naked bodies except on the beach !!!!!
That’s better been wanting a rant about that for ages .

I think it is very good of the school to make it into a special occasion for the pupils. Well done to your Grandson Kitty.
As for parents not being able to afford smart clothes, haven't they ever heard of charity shops? You can get a nice dress for £5 or so, smart men's trousers for about the same, and men's shirts for about £3. When my husband died 3 years ago I donated his clothes to a charity shop and went in about 2 weeks later, I saw the prices then, and also noticed that his black scarcely worn DJ was only £8!!!
I hope you have a lovely day.

On Saturday morning I saw children and parents heading for the school speech day of a local fee paying school. All the children were in smart school uniforms, but the dress of the parents varied between smart casual and shorts and sandals. This was mostly males I have to say.

when our kids were at school, in a very mixed area, the parents dressed appropriately, apart from one dad who was an 'on call' breakdown driver. We all knew this, he was as neat and clean as possible, given he was in work clothing

Oh dear I daren't say what I would really like to say to this comment nannarose I wonder did you put newspapers down for him to stand on ?

How refreshing that people are being asked to dress smartly. I am sick of seeing people wearing ripped jeans, scruffy t-shirts and dirty trainers. It’s a lovely opportunity to dress up and make your grandson proud of you.

Nanarose my POINT was that people will take offence/argue about anything even reasonable requests (who goes to a restaurant in a bikini? .....the holiday was irrelevant.

Is "smart casual" "prescriptive"? I would have thought that it left a huge variety of choice and just ruled out turning up in shorts, flip fops, jammies or workwear. I think many parents would welcome the guidance, after all turning up at an event in something inappropriate is embarassing for everyone including your child

I do think some people do need guidance on what is suitable these days. I recently attended a funeral and a woman showed up wearing a very short white lace dress.

Well done to the Dgs. I find a dress code helpful, not patronising. There are so few events in everyday life that merit a bit of an effort. Smart casual isn't difficult to achieve but it is a step up from shorts and a teeshirt. I'm always happy to bring out the pearls...but perhaps not the tiara!