Primary school uniforms - have they always been a thing?

[HighburyLass]

Wasn't quite sure how to phrase the title so I'll explain!

When I was growing up I didn't know anyone who wore a uniform in primary school. Tho was the 1970s.
My kid's (who are now in their 20s) had uniform introduced while they were in primary, so early 2000s.

Now around here I don't know any primary schools that don't have a uniform.

So interested to know,

Did you wear a uniform and how old are you?
What about your kids? How old are they?

I started school 1991 and we always had uniform although we could choose what colour jumper we wore so some wore red and some blue.

I had a school uniform at primary school in the 1950s. Inner city poor area but it was strictly enforced. One boy kept wearing long grey trousers instead of shorts, he'd been told repeatedly that it was not uniform. One day two of the nuns came in, stood him on a desk and hey presto he was wearing shorts.

I started primary in 1978 and wore an uniform

I had no uniform at infants school in the 1980s. That school closed down and I went to another primary school that had an optional uniform; I think most pupils wore it by the time I left in 1990.

I started school late 70s/early 80s and there was a uniform at my school and all the local schools (apart from special schools).

I wore a uniform at my primary in the 1960s. I have photos of my parents wearing uniforms at primary in the early 1930s and 1940’s.

Lower school 1973-1977. No uniform.

Middle school 1977-80 strict uniform

Upper school 1980- 1983 strict uniform

Also 1970s, there was a uniform but we only wore it occasionally, as in kids would wear it now and then, it wasn't expected other than for school photos etc.

I was in primary school in the 70s and we had uniform ....no logo on anything though.

None in state schools that I knew of in the 70s

I started primary in 1949 in north Wales and we did not wear a uniform. Neither did the other local primary schools. I had uniform for Grammar school though, including felt hat and blazer. My children went to primary in 1978, also in north Wales but in a more rural village, and they did not have uniform either. I was glad they didn't have to wear those dreary colours at such a young age!

No uniform in the infants, but I started juniors in 1963 (years 4-7) and we wore grey socks, grey skirts, white blouses, school tie and grey cardigans.

Well I went to three primaries in different areas so this would be northern England.

Born 1977 and me and my brothers wore uniform to school. I think schools not having uniform was the exception not the norm but then again maybe in depended on the area you lived,

My mother taught in a primary in the north in the 1970s and it had uniforms. It still does.

Quite. And I was at a northern primary in the early 70s with a uniform including a tie. All the primaries that fed into our secondary had full uniform.

But that’s what lots of state primaries have?

DS’s uniform is unbranded grey trousers, unbranded white polo, and school fleece (only needs one, lasts 1-2 years, school does a uniform sale twice a year). I spend about £30 every year, and that is for M&S school uniform - if I went to Asda it would be even cheaper (there isn’t one near me).

All the local primary schools do the same. Are you talking about secondary?

Born in 78, always had uniforms.
My parents were born in 49 and had uniforms, my mum went to 8 different schools too!

I’ve only personally known one school (in England) that was non uniform-that was a sink comprehensive in my town known locally as “the ghetto”.

Started primary school in 94 and uniform was mandatory. Moved schools a few times and always had uniform.

I started primary school in the early 80s and wore uniform. I remember going to a multi-school music event and all the schools had uniforms except one which we found very surprising as it was unusual.

I started school in 1986 and we had a uniform (school jumper, grey skirt or trousers and gingham summer dress) so pretty much the same as kids wear now. We did PE in our knickers though

My primary school was split into first and middle school - the first one didn't have a uniform but the middle school did but it was very flexible - blue or white shirt, grey or navy cardigan or jumper, grey pinafore or skirt - basically any combination of the usual uniform things.

They changed it in my final year so it was a t shirt or sweatshirt in your "house colour" with the skirt which was a lot more comfortable and we all looked more colourful in red, blue, green or yellow!

I started Primary in 1969 (wow I am old), 'there was no uniform at either of the primaries I attended but one did have ''school colours' but it was purely optional to wear them, most children didn't.

Full uniform, with blazers and ties etc at secondary though.

DD started school in the late 1990s, and she had uniform at primary, a comfortable practical uniform with sweatshirt over polo shirt, no tie, at middle school, and no uniform at senior school (from age 14).

Now the same middle and senior schools have very formal uniforms with ties and blazers. Some school heads and also parents appear to believe that wearing a blazer will make kids learn better! How stupid, it doesn't. Those schools got excellent results in the noughties and similar (actually slightly worse) results now.

Blazers are such pointless items of clothing anyway, not warm enough in winter and too hot in summer. But the senior teachers seem to invest a lot of time and energy making sure they're worn at all times. Pathetic. I am glad DD never had to put up with this crap, but feel sorry for the current crop of kids.

Born mid 70s, all primary schools had uniforms local to us.

Primary from 78~85 and no uniform. An optional one came in maybe mid 90s?