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?

I think it's ridiculous to make kids wear strict uniforms. I prefer no uniform at all but I suppose I'm ok with making them wear generic school trousers or skirts and maybe with specifying a colour but that's about it.
Ties and blazers are awful. It's pompous and expensive.

As for the poor wee private kids who have to wear caps and boaters. 🤦🏻‍♀️

You're talking about SECONDARY?? Surely it's pretty standard to be in smarter uniform as they get older? Polo shirts are for the primary children surely? Even the middle schools round here have proper uniform.

In my experience, the kids with hand me down uniform and patched knees are usually the well off families ;)
I object to poloshirts as the cheap school stuff just looks shit - and I don’t spend money on stuff that looks shit.
Proper shirts, you can choose. Iron for a smart look, or don’t iron for the dragged through a hedge look. Polos never look smart.
I don’t mind my kids being filthy (playing in mud, football, rugby etc), but I don’t like them shapeless polyester tents.

In a world where, like it or not, image is everything, it matters.

All the schools here, which parents move house to get into, have a "posh" uniform. I'm sure there are other things that sell the schools too but their smart students out and about must contribute. I think it does give a perception that it's a better school than seeing teenagers in polo shirts.

My local comp was failing for many years, people would do all they could to avoid it, bussing children to the next town. Many children were badly behaved in the community whilst wearing the polo shirt and others looked downtrodden and lethargic. A new head came about 4 years ago, the first (visible) thing he did was change the uniform to blazer and tie. Now, I'm sure there were lots of other changes too but noticeably, in the new uniform, the anti social behaviour improved and the children suddenly seemed to have their heads up. You can't get into that school now unless you live with 3/4 mile.

WowLucky I live near a 'popular' academy chain that has created a monopoly on the local secondary schools. They all have posh blazers with piping and logo jumpers and ties and all that. The behaviour of the children from these schools is appalling. At the end of the school day the local buses have to have community police on them. Shops and takeaways have banned the kids from kids going in. The uniforms can actually make children know who is from different schools and that has created dreadful rivalry and causes many fights (which includes stabbings). The novelty of a 'fancy' uniform making a difference to a school has well and truly worn off.
Really what clothes the children are wearing is the least of these schools worries.

At the school I work in they went from shirts, ties and blazers to polos- this lasted about 7 years before they reverted back to the shirts and ties etc. They found that behaviour was improved.

Also uniform is the main quick thing that heads can do to put their mark on a place. And there's only so many uniforms you can have.

At the school I work in they went from shirts, ties and blazers to polos- this lasted about 7 years before they reverted back to the shirts and ties etc. They found that behaviour was improved.

this is unbelievable imo.
we moved and dc went from shirt&tie to no uniform jeans&tshirt
the pupils of their new schools are well behaved, maybe partly due to be able to run and climb during breaks with out ruffling the shirt, which would have got them a detention at previous school.

plus they are a lot less smelly at the end of a school day

To be frank I don't agree with DC wearing polo shirt uniforms. To me a polo shirt is really leisure wear and DC should be expected to dress smartly for school as it puts them in a work mindset.

IMO all DC should have to wear blazer, shirt and tie from year 1 and it should be strictly enforced so there should be no trainers or tracksuit bottoms etc. I'd go as far as specifying school logo coats and bags as I think it really helps develop a 'team' culture within the school.

All of my DC have it have had strict uniforms- DS2 is in year 10 and he has to wear shirt, tie, blazer, smart black trousers, black socks and smart black school shoes. They have to have their shirts tucked in, top buttons done up and they're only allowed to take their blazers off if a teacher tells them they can in class (they're not allowed to ask permission) to ensure they remain smart throughout the day.

well, much of this sounds like a power trip by school leaders, this obsession with details of what how schoolchildren dress.
i think it is a bit fascist.
it's nonsense to say they cannot take their blazers off in class. whyever not.
actually it was the opposite at my secondary school, don't think i wore a blazer before that. we were not allowed to wear them during the school day, inside the building, only the senior year could.
they had to be taken off on arrival and put in cloakroom. i found that annoying. though actually it is more normal, like entering a house.
except when the boiler broke down, every winter, then there was a temporary blazers may be worn. but that school was odd in many ways.
i think there should be a basic national school uniform, probably navy blue, with grey or black allowed. with only one identifying piece, say a tie, or cap, scarf, or even a sash shoulder to waist, to buy.
much cheaper and easier for changing schools. and none of this nonsense about not taking blazers off in class.
children are treated like automatons, crammed with useless information, abstruse parsing of sentences even at junior school etc. no wonder there is so much stress. and what about creativity. it's like we've gone back to the victorian era. i feel sorry for them.

FireBeef do you wear a blazer, tie and always tucked in shirt to work? Most people don't. Even if they do they can adapt to the seasons (ie summer have short sleeves and blazer off). Females who have to wear 'suits' for work are more likely to wear blouses - loose fitting, cut in a style that doesn't need to be tucked in, open necks etc rather than a buttoned up to the neck shirt (that is stretching tight over their boobs) with tie. Males seem to favour trendy designer shirts with fancy patterns rather than plain shirt and tie. I very rarely see working in people in a 'full' blazer/tie/plain shirt style suit. It does exist for some jobs but it's not really the norm for work dress.

I work in investment finance and dress codes really have changed over the last 20 years.

We have a no tie policy unless we meet customers or there is an official event with guests. All my male colleagues have a generic one in their desks for emergencies.

Ladies are a mixed bunch, most wear smart trousers/skirts with a smart top or blouse or dresses with sleeves. No sleeves means blazer but again most “dress up” like our male colleagues only for official appointments. Apart from armed forces, policy or security I am still trying to find a profession which requires a woman to wear a tie.

Offices have air condition and lost of space. And that is a quite conservative profession.

So, why do we make children wearing stiff uniform 7 hours a day in a often hot room. That is hardly beneficiary for being able to concentrate.

I still haven’t found any indication that a formal uniform helps with learning. When I read articles that a school was turned around and part of it was the introduction of a better uniform I do wonder if it is not more about Instilling a sense of pride in their school and their own worthiness by making them believing in themselves. In my opinion that is due to good teacher and leadership, not a blazer and tie.

finland
netherlands
usa (mostly)

no school uniforms. great education.

Bluefox do those countries have lots of schools that draw in kids with very mixed income levels? The school my DD attends has 40% FSM, fairly large percentage of middle class kids and some inbetween.

Bluefox do those countries have lots of schools that draw in kids with very mixed income levels? The school my DD attends has 40% FSM, fairly large percentage of middle class kids and some inbetween.

I went to school in rural Scotland and we didn't wear uniform. Everyone went to the local school from those of us who were the children of large landowners or children of doctors and solicitors to those who were the deprived children of drug addicts and alcoholics. We all wore trainers, jeans and sweatshirts, it was not an issue. Other things were but clothes were not.