Wearing PE kit to school

[DappledThings]

Our primary school (DC are 8 and 9 in years 3 and 5) have decided that from next term they will be doing what I know a lot of other schools do and spending all day in PE kit on PE days.

I hate this for multiple reasons so if you already do this and you don't hate it please can you explain why as I can't see past the extra hassle it is for me and I'm fairly pissed off with it.

1 - I have had to order extra kit. If they are wearing it all day they will get food down it and it will need to be washed every day so I now need duplicate kit for when one set is in the wash. Previously it just came home on Fridays so easy to wash at the weekend

2 - I have to remember every day who is wearing what and tell DC. Minor but just another thing to remember in the morning rush I could do without

3 - Both have a sports based after school club once a week on non-PE days. This used to not matter because they just changed into the kit that was already on their pegs. Now it's a day they have to go in uniform and remember their kit that I've had to give an additional wash to. So three different routines in one week.

4 - they will just look scruffy 2 days a week in a mishmash of blue and black joggers and hoodies and whatever else vaguely PE related people.chose to send their children in wearing.

It just seems like a massive hassle the school are putting on us to save themselves a few minutes of chivvying the class into changing quicker.

In perpetuity.

And no it won't affect me terribly hence the irritated nature of my post rather than one implying furious rage

I wish the school just allowed PE kit everyday. It’s cheap, easy to wash and comfortable for the kids.

Our school has recently started doing this too - I think it just highlights what a farce the existing uniform rules are.

We are a school with a strict policy of shirts and ties for all year groups. Half the reason changing for PE takes so long is because 5 year old are struggling with buttons and ties.

If they just had a sensible uniform of joggers, polo shirts and sweaters it would be so much easier.

Now on any given day you’ve got 2/3 of the school dressed up like they’ve got a job in the City and 1/3 in hoodies.

Just scrap the daft uniform!

I like it, my child is one that’s spills on herself at lunch and washing tracksuit is easier than uniform.

I find it so much easier this way - only good change that came out of covid, especially for primary age children. There would be one boy in particular that took forever to get changed into PE kit so they only spent about 20 mins actually doing PE and same getting changed again - used to frustrate my daughter no end! Lugging kit to school on top of bags, numerous items going missing or ending up with other children's kit. Even worse in secondary lugging kit with heavy work bags across town on 4 buses a day. My now 14 year old just wears PE kit all week (not really supposed to) as its much comfier and more practical, especially in winter months. I personally love it.

Love it!!! A million times less faff. The PE clothes are very cheap in Sainsbury's. No bags, they spend more time learning, everything needs washing at the end of the day so it makes no difference if there's mud AND food on it 🤷🏻‍♀️ I can't see it working in secondary because they're sweaty then but at this age?? It's brilliant.

We’ve been doing this since Covid. I actually prefer it luckily for us my daughters PE days are a Monday and Friday so gives enough time to get them washed and dried inbetween.
i can imagine for teachers it saves so much time and if children are like my daughter especially now she’s getting older she hated getting changed in the class

could have written this word for word including DC with dyspraxia.

been the same since Covid for us too and I like it

Ew, doing this for secondary school is gross!

I dint give it that much headspace I suppose and dint assume everything is done to make life harder for me. Mine only wears a shirt or top once so no different if it’s a blouse or a pe top.

is this about the pe clothes or something else?

Personally i think we should just have a simple form of tracksuit and a school T shirt everyday and let kids be kids.

Gone are the days of arguing a uniform improves learning when they then decide in our hot summers and PE days that sports kits is fine!

If pe kit is smart enough to wear 2 days a week why can’t they just wear it all week and dump the school uniform. They already admitted that smart school uniform stops they being able to run about and play properly (hence they need pe kit) so really they shouldn’t have to wear it at all.

I really don't see the big deal. My wee one started school in covid so it's always been like this.

Some days shirt and tie, some days polo shirt.

Every uniform gets washed every time anyway.

Just make a note on the calendar of which days they do PE?

I really think you're making a mountain out of a molehill.

I much prefer it. My sons have 1 full PE kit (navy joggers or shorts, logo hoody and t-shirt) and 2 full uniforms and I just wash and dry it in the evening, it all doesn’t need washing every time. Luckily their afterschool club is the same day as PE.
Their school are strict about PE uniform so it looks just as smart as normal uniform.

I don't assume it's intended to make my life harder either. But I still think that will be the effect.

And yes it is as it says on the tin just about the PE clothes. There's no subtext although I'm intrigued as to what you think the subtext might be.

At 8 and 9 surely your children can remember which day they have PE without you having to remind them. I would give them that responsibility. If they really can't then big family planner with PE days and after school clubs market might help reduce the stress
Getting duplicate kits isn't much of an issue surely. Obviously depends how strict the school are. Ours just wear joggers, yellow t-shirt and school jumper. It's cheaper than the proper uniform.
I know your children are in primary school but going to school in uniform and remembering their PE kit will be good practise for secondary school. I had to do this twice a week as did my own children before Covid.
You don't have to like it but like everything else it will become routine within a few weeks.

You don't have to like it but like everything else it will become routine within a few weeks.
I entirely agree there. I'm sure it will become routine. And yet remain an annoyance.

You are way over thinking this!

Probably. I am also sulking!

Mine is in PE clothes all day on Mondays and Fridays. I don’t find it too much of a chore to wash it and have it ready for the day she needs to wear it. It’s easier, in my mind, than remembering to take PE kit in with us twice a week.

Oh I wish this was a thing for my older 5 when in primary school (they are secondary now)

I wash several loads of washing a day, maybe because we are a larger than average family so wouldn’t be a problem. I use to hate the thought of only washing PE when the remembered to bring it home at the end of the week.

I imagine more PE kit days means less normal uniform needs buying so reckon it’s a 6 and two 3’s situation.

I personally think the concerns from a parents view is fa out weighed by the pros for the teachers and children. 25-30+ children getting ready for PE is time consuming eats into their lesson time etc, forgetting kits, misplaced PE bags on pegs.

im sure you will find a routine that works for yourself with the new uniform rules and may actually be a better.

But at the moment I don't need to remember to take it at all. It lives at school in the week, comes home on Fridays when it is washed and out straight back in the PE kit bags which live right by the school shoes so can't be forgotten on Monday.

My kids pretty much did this all through primary and I think its great. From reception they could remember which days they need PE kit for and got themselves dressed appropriately. Do you need a whole new kit? Surely one extra jumper will do if they get food down themselves? Also you seem v worried about them looking smart. Looking smart for who? Why does that matter at primary?

I remember how protracted the routine for changing for PE was when I was at primary, in the 1980s: get changed down to vest and pants, put shoes on without socks, walk to the assembly hall, past the other classes who would giggle at us being half naked. When we learned about time, we timed ourselves getting dressed after PE, using sand timers. Only one boy managed to do it in less than a minute. Most were between 3 and 5 minutes, or more than 5 minutes.

It's fine. In my kids school, they wear PE kit 2 days a week and normal uniform 3 days a week so I just bought 2 sets of PE kit and 3 sets of uniforms (instead of 5).

It's actually less washing surely? If they were wearing PE kit and their uniform on PE days you'd have double the washing to do!