School polo shirt- What is happening!?!

[WineLover600]

So today yet another of the local State schools near me have Announced that they will be Retiring the school polo shirt (worn by pupils for 30 years) in favour of a blazer and tie. Why are so many schools all of a sudden banning polo shirts. Earlier this year at a school that only allows polo shirts as a privilege for year 11s have also said they will no longer be allowed and will be required to wear the same uniform as the rest of the school. Am I missing something? Does it effect the Ofsted rating or something?

Do people really care what uniform children have to wear?
They should all have same colour trousers, jumpers, shirts, then it wouldn't matter which school you went to, all shops would stock the uniform.

@7ofNine to answer your question, Yes and no. I believe that school's should have a dress code and that children should look smart. BUT a lot of schools are now opting for a bespoke uniform where a blazer, tie, skirt and even sometimes shirt has to come from one manufacture putting a lot of pressure on parents (particularly those on low incomes). Personally believe that schools should have a dress code but not a uniform (for example Black trousers and smart blue top)

I hate all that blazer and tie crap. I don't understand why schools do it. Makes the children look and feel uncomfortable and old fashioned. Causes many parents financial worry.
It's all just crap and not important. Lockdown learning has definitely shown exactly what really is important in education. What children wear to learn = not important.

The school around the corner from me will be changing to blazer, shirt and tie and trousers only (no skirts...the skirts have caused that much controversy with how short they are the head decided trousers only or in the summer knee length shorts all the parents have said they are happy no protests about banning skirts which i was surprised at) from sep it's been in the making for a year, they said it's to help children prepare for the 'world of work' and it gives children a 'sense of pride' being dressed smart the kids voted for a crest and not their own design which I found interested, all years will where the same colour and style, the other school doesn't have a uniform but a lot have said they wish they did to stop bullying. The primary children will still be allowed polo shirts and if they want to pinafore dresses or dungarees with the school logo on.

I have nothing wrong with there being a uniform providing that 1. It’s practical 2. It’s affordable and 3. The kids are comfortable in it. I just don’t get the obsession with ties and blazers, personally think a polo shirt is much more practical. (Don’t get me started on all these silly kilts) But like I said above I think that swapping to a dress code would be much batter

Polo shirts are a disgrace- they go grey after about three washes. At least shirts stay a reasonable colour for six months or so. They dry more quickly than polo shirts too.

I don't believe this world of work rubbish - if being forced to wear a uniform was that important to learning, unis would enforce one 😂.

Hate seeing kids (especially the year sevens, who all look tiny!) forced into a tie and blazer.

Uniforms should be simple, comfortable and practical, not mini business suits.

I recently spent almost two weeks in hospital with my daughter. The staff there obviously have to wear uniforms. Some of the doctors wore scrubs but the ones in 'civies' - well female ones mostly seemed to wear tunic style pretty tops with trousers, males wore trousers with a shirt (usually short sleeved) - I don't think I saw a tie the whole time I was there.
Nursing staff = most wore tunic tops with trousers. Staff like OT wore polos or tunic shirts. Cleaners, porters etc wore polo shirts. The staff in the coffee shop - polo shirts.
They all looked smart. They all looked tidy. They all looked comfortable.
If a major large hospital can function with their staff in comfy easy to wear polos or tunics and not a tie or blazer to be seen then why on earth do schools think that blazers and ties are so important.

Our primary school have said that due to COVID and the fact the kids will be in school part time and doing outside learning as much as possible from August (Scotland) the kids can wear what they like, so long as it matches the easily available school colours (and they have outdoor clothes in whatever colours they like). No school logo items or ties needed.

"7ofNine* my daughter wore polo shirts in nursery and reception. She's had two which lasted the two years. I then passed them on to someone else. They are still circulating the 'spares' pile apparently (it was 7 years ago that my girl finished reception). Year 1 switched to 'proper' shirts. Urgh. Now they got grubby and manky looking after a term or so.

Posted too soon, high school has also said they don't expect parents to pay for uniform that will be worn for two days a week, follow the school colours, no brands or football tops

@bookmum08 ties have been discouraged in hospitals for infection control.

I think schools do it to keep up with the Jones's. Like it or not some prospective parents look at the uniform when judging a school, so if one school gets a fancy uniform others in the area do too.

QuestionableMouse exactly. And amazingly Doctors can still do their job without one.
So why on earth did my poor daughter have to wear one of those stupid things from the age of 5 ? They are a 100% pointless piece of material. They serve no function at all (except for her to chew on).

bookmum maybe we should swap laundry liquid?

7ofNine the polos were a dark green colour though and the shirts were white which problem did makes a difference.
White. Why oh why do they insist primary children wear white

Ties seem to have gone out of fashion even in offices over the last 10 years.
However in the middle of a pandemic when at least one school has commented no ties in school as kids put them in their mouths. Why would any school introduce them?

Ah, I was talking about white!

I hate blazers because most schools insist children wear them during the warmer weather. At my ds school children aren't allowed to remove their blazers unless the head teacher has removed his. The rest of the staff walk around in lovely cool clothes while the children have to sit sweating in a stiff blazer in a stuffy classroom. I wish secondary schools would introduce a summer/relaxed uniform.

I prefer the blazer and tie - much neater and stylish. So does my 15 year old DD who has had a strict uniform like this all her life. Imo casual uniforms with polo shirts etc look very unprofessional and untidy.

@Kittio I think schools do it to keep up with the Jones's. Like it or not some prospective parents look at the uniform when judging a school, so if one school gets a fancy uniform others in the area do too.

This

Especially where I live! The kids voted to have a blazer style uniform and 99% sure it was something to do with the private school about 10 mins away from them! I have heard the kids say they get looked down on by the community because their in polo shirts etc. Personally I don't care what kids where as long as the school's good who cares but saying that i do think the new uniforms do look better than the polo shirt ones.

@I hate blazers because most schools insist children wear them during the warmer weather. At my ds school children aren't allowed to remove their blazers unless the head teacher has removed his. The rest of the staff walk around in lovely cool clothes while the children have to sit sweating in a stiff blazer in a stuffy classroom. I wish secondary schools would introduce a summer/relaxed uniform.

My friends school staff have to wear a blazer/ jacket and tie even in the summer...they can take it off when teaching but must have it on in the corridors,on duty, and when moving around the building. She has been 'spoken to' by HR a few times reminding her that even though it's hot she needs to be setting an example of authority by wearing her suit jacket in front of the children. She's really happy she's leaving in the summer term!

My biggest worry about secondary transition for my very sensory child with ASD is that all schools within 10 miles have startchy, uncomfortable blazer, stiff collar, tie type uniforms. He can handle shorts and a polo shirt and that is it.
Blazer uniforms are hideous and impractical. DH has a PhD and spends minimal time in ties and jackets in his professional role.

I usually got away with my foul blazer being screwed up the end of my sports bag. The wretched garment was not wide enough in the shoulders to be able to write comfortably, the dumbshit, ugly thing.

As a teacher I always gave blanket permission to take the stupid things off.I didn't want my teaching time interupted by multiple pupils wasting time by asking them to remove pointless garments.

@clipclop5

They're kids, for fuck's sake. Who cares if they look professional?!

There's not a single school near me that has polo shirts/sweaters. They all have shirt and tie, although some have revere collar for girls instead of a tie. The last remaining schools to have polos/sweaters got rid of them after becoming academies. I don't think there are any LEA schools left near me.