Changing for PE in secondary school

Wait another year or two. They work up a massive sweat especially doing athletics in the summer and then get changed back into uniform absolutely dripping with sweat. It’s revolting. All the overseas families are shocked this happens as they always had showers at school (as did I in the U.K. in the 80s). Mind you no one seems to bother having a shower before
getting in the pool in the U.K. either.

I’d be amazed if many teenagers are getting enough exercise in a school PE lesson to actually make them sweat! We certainly never had showers after PE at school and no one smelt. We did change out of our kit though as it was muddy/inappropriate for the classroom.

DD’s just gone from post-Covid primary where they wore their kit to school to secondary where they have to change. Doesn’t seem to be an issue (except for one friends whose kit has already got lost at school)…

They stink anyway because they don’t actually give them time to shower afterwards. I was aghast when I found this out. Apparently showers are only for the after school sports clubs.

If you think school kids take showers after school PE lessons, you'd be wrong.

There's nothing hygienic about changing into different clothes after exercise if you haven't washed

I don't know for secondary, but my DC's primary have changed it this year to say they have to come in in their PE kit on their PE days as it saves a significant amount of time. Also they all used to change in the classrooms, so reception kids often needed help from the teachers and the older kids were getting changed in front of the opposite sex which for obvious reasons didn't work.
We had the same policy at my school years ago where Friday was sports kit day.

DD's school have 2 hours of PE a week for all year groups (more if you take PE as a GCSE). Huge school with over 400 in each year group and a very big extra-curricular programme after school.

It used to be that you could wear PE kit all day if you had PE or after-school sports, so DD only wore normal uniform one day a week.

They've now changed it to PE kit only on PE lesson days and you have to change for after-school sports.

Having been a child who hated PE, she now loves it and I put a lot of that down to not having to traipse in and out with an extra bag/shoes and all the changing hassle.

School send a questionnaire out every summer about start/finish times, PE kit all day etc and the not changing option is very popular.

Less lost property, higher participation - and both uniform and PE kit seem to last longer!

We used to have to get changed in the classroom. Did this used to be a thing or only at my school? Early 2000s. There were changing rooms and showers but they were never used. Everyone very self conscious and classroom doors all had windows. Coming in in PE kit would have solved a lot of anxiety I think but kits were often only washed once per term 😳

@Muchtoomuchtodo I said several posts backs that I realised my PE only in the afternoon wouldn't work.
(unless a very very small school)

Errr this. I’m feeling queasy about the teenage sweat stink

Ours have PE twice a week from years 7-9 then once a week for those who don’t take it at GCSE / A level (including 6th form).

It’s a 9 form entry school (30 in most form classes) so the whole year doesn’t do PE at once as that would be 270 kids! We have 2 male and 2 female PE teachers plus others who help out with travel for after school fixtures etc. 5 lesson spaces a week would definitely not cover it 🤣

At least they've stopped forcing them into communal showers after. God I hated that !

You can't have 240 students having PE periods 5 and 6 each day. Not enough teachers, not enough room or equipment. What are PE teachers supposed to do for the rest of the day?

Ds school have two lessons a week in years 7-9 and then one for the none gcse 10 and 11s

@Muchtoomuchtodo How many PE lessons do you need a week? I think most secondary schools have one a week. So one for each year group 7-11. Our 6th formers also do PE every Wednesday afternoon - not sure how that works as really need a 6 day week to accommodate each year group plus upper & lower 6th formers.

We only have 1 lesson after lunch which would only leave time for 5 PE lessons a week. How would that work?!

@NotDonna ah there we go then.... it's do-able....ish
The reason 90% of my year group bunked off PE in 4th and 5th year was pretty much because it was all afternoon Friday. We all just went home straight after lunch.
😂

@Needmorelego afternoon only PE can and does work. Our school has one double lesson of PE in the afternoons only. There’s 5 year groups so one year group per day. (yr7-Mon, yr8-Tues, yr9-Wed, yr10 Thurs, yr11 Fri) 6th formers also have games on Wed. We do seem to have a lot of PE teachers though. Some of them will teach GCSE & A level PE theory in the mornings but I’m unsure what the rest of them do in the mornings. It’s not a huge school - 100/120 per year group.
@cloudglazer seems a shame to be changing something that’s working well unless the Head thinks it actually isn’t.

@lanthanum yeah I've realised my idea of afternoon only PE wouldn't work.

Only if they all have PE every day.

I used to coach rugby at a school until fairly recently, there were five year groups, eight PE groups in each year, the afternoon lesson was 13:50-14:50pm. So you would need 40 PE teachers 🤣

It's to teach good hygiene around sport. Clothes should be changed and if possible showers taken afterwards. I do understand facilities at school aren't great, but it's a muscle memory, if I exercise I should change/ wash. Also by secondary school it maybe unpleasant for the teachers having 30 children in sweaty clothes in a classroom.

Unfortunately, that would require double the number of PE teachers, all employed only for the afternoons, and double the amount of playing field/sports hall/gym space!

@Simonjt oh yes... valid point.
To be honest when I was in Year 10/11 (4th and 5th Year in my day) 90% of us bunked off PE 😂

The PE department at DD's school apparently preferred the covid arrangements, where kids attended in their PE kit. Nobody "forgot" their kit, so participation rates were much better, and of course there was less time taken up with changing.

There does need to be something in place for the days when they get drenched/filthy during the PE lesson - so ideally everyone needs a spare set of clothing kept in a locker at school for when that happens.

The kids campaigned quite hard when they changed the rules back to everyone changing for PE. The school's claim was that the problem was kids coming in PE kit on non PE days.

So what were the reasons given?

The fact is, there are benefits and disbenefits, and the new Head has the authority to make the change, like it or lump it.