Is there ANY proven correlation between school uniform and performance?

[Hullygully]

Any data (either way) anywhere?

Exactly pointythings, complex mathematical concepts are taught across a few weeks at a few hours a week. The wearing of cheap nasty polyester clothing? Takes a decade and a half of full-time effort.

At my dd's very high achieving school, 6th formers are expected to own formal clothes, which they wear when representing the school in any way. But on a day to day basis they take pride in being as scruffy as possible. Doesn't seem to get into way of the A*s!

This thread is pure comedy! Hullygully you are hilariously dimissive of any opinion that doesn't concur with yours. I almost admire you. Almost.

One of the things I found particularly galling at school was the complete scruffiness of the teachers who were busy having a go at us girls for minor uniform infractions. If we were being forced into uniform as some sort of preparation for adult life then it was a total do as I say not as I do.

I never wanted to be a teacher, but clearly the wearing of uniform or even just smart business wear was not required in that particular career (or many others for that matter - the only job I have ever had when I had to wear a uniform was a poorly paid Christmas retail job).

Anyway I'm just glad I'm out of all the uniform rubbish. I would have found it very hard to back up the school if they had been contacting me to reinforce uniform rules and dh would have hit the roof (whereas we are totally and utterly supportive of any teacher action for behavior infractions)

The reception my son gets when he is wearing his normal school uniform vis-a-vis his sports uniform is very different. People treat him like he is smarter so perhaps it reinforces a link which is not necessarily intellectual but social. When he is in his sports uniform (pale blue polo, dark blue shorts , cap and black sports shoes he looks scruffy - obvioisly because he has been playing sports as well). When he is in his shirt, trousers or formal shorts, hat, socks pulled up to the knee, shiny leather shoes etc - he gives the appearance of looking studious even if he is making the same silly sounds, acting the goat etc. It also gives kids one less thing to worry about in the morning, which is especially important in their teen years when they can soend an inordinate amount of time thinking about their appearance.

I have an almost teen and a teen. Neither of them spend more than a couple of minutes thinking about what to wear for school. We spent far more time worrying if they had clean uniform ready to wear than we do now they can wear what they like/is clean and in one piece.

In fact I just asked ds how much time he spends thinking about his clothes for school and he said 'almost nothing'. dd (who generally care about her appearance rather more than he does) said '2 seconds to 2 minutes'. Granted they may not be typical, but I don't think no uniform = clothes obsessed and uniform = clothes not an issue. My niece wears a classic uniform (shirt, tie, blazer etc) in the UK and apparently spends at least an hour just on her hair every morning.

when I was i primary logo stuff wasent really about.

I dont think school uniform was as cheap as it is now as supermarkets dident sell it had to go neraby big town for uniform shop m&s or bhs.

My nan used to egt right colour wool.

navy for mu cousins and me in senior year 7
royal blue for sisters infants
marroon for my junior was tricky colour to find.

i remeber school ties were only way to identify school and colour and cost around 4quid.
infants had elastic ties.

then in secondry we had to have logo.

fast forward to now.

none of primarys here seem to wear ties-health and asafety maybe but they were cheap way of instilling school identity.

dds1 old school head insisted on logo jumpers £10 or cardies 312 no supermarket stuff-they dident have logo pe shirts, fleeces or coats.
bookbag 3,logo pe bag £5.

shes since moved thankfully boottom part still grey,
white shirts or polos but find supermarley white polos shrink or stain easily.
so i purchased 2school logo ones 38 each which wash lovley.
ade freinds with pta uniform lady brought 4sweaters and fleece £2.50 each from 2nd hand pile normally £10 each new.

dd wants the coat but thats £17
pe shirt £5 which is reaosnable.

But they are allowed supermarket cardies
we moved november after october half term and was shocked how little uniform in shops

managed to get

1 M&S cardie £
1 george £5,
freind up north got me 2 sainsburys cardies 2 for £9 as neither of my big stores had them thourght they were cute as had frill at bottom.

dds class had bog plastic bo where they all pile in jumpers and cardies and so many kids have flipping sainsburys navy frill cadrie-theyn ot washed or worn well.
The iron on m&s labels been bit useless.
i put pen on inner label.

we have lost stuff lately named and cant find it in lost property.
reception say anything i lost property is fair game as someones robbed yours and if u can get it cheaper in supermarket all the better.

Everyone looks smart and in right colours at least.
one paret handed jumper to me today was shocked .

at old school as head said logo only and very few 2nd hand some patrets got quite angry and emotional. teachers dident seem to care

only have 1 in school so dare say when all 3 there i be spending endless hours of my life per year in lost property.

couple freinds primaries buy logo as pale blue polos and turquoise sweaters hard to find. mostly red or navy or royal blue.

i would hate to have purple or brown.
indeendent prep always lots as see it on john lewis website look expensive.

Local crap comp introduced blazers and tie they look better but they still crap.

Presonally think fine knit m&s v neck jumper and tie with shirt look far smarter than horrible logos sweater type which is fleece lines so horrid in summer and shrinks and dd2 proved with preschool jumper gets stained washes no better.

forgot to say my 6th form was non uniform and spent fortune on clothes.

when we looked round primaries one open day was summer and reception teacher had white see through trousers on and hubby couldent stop gawping some teachers dress scruffy or in appropriate.

Mind you, my ds wears a uniform which means he gets elbowed into the road by other kids on a regular basis- so I should probably be more anti uniform than I am. I just can't get worked up about it. Unless, as others are saying,n it's used as back door selection. Which in some cases it is.

How many private schools are non-uniform?

Uniforms are splendid addition to the school day. Particularly if the parents support the school in its implementation, and enforce the kids own preparation of the uniform (ironing and boot shining).

Never did me any harm.

If anything it helped, my own experience of wearing non-uniform and then uniform indicates that I wasn't as highlighted when i wore uniform. My individuality of dress is still in evidence, but I was bullied a lot more at the school 'not in uniform'.

Private school uniforms are an entirely different thing- some of them are very definitely there to make a statement!

How are they a different thing?

They're not are they. Really.

It depends. Many private schools just have similar uniforms to other schools. A uniform which is obviously a private school one is making a statement. Not saying whether this is good or bad-but you don't dress children in wing collars, mustard corduroy knickerbockers or boaters without a reason.

private school is a different matter. The pantomime outfits chosen by some private schools are used as advertisement 'look, my DCs go to private school!'. I cant believe that knickerbockers improve academic performance.

State schools should not dictate what their students wear. It just isnt their business especially when there is no evidence of it having any impact on educational performance.

The 'did me no harm' argument is no justification whatsoever. There are lots of things which did me no harm that I wouldnt like to see made compulsory.

Students are only proud of their uniform if they are proud of the organisation it represents. My DCs are not proud of their school (it is crap by any measure) so their uniform is treated with justifiable contempt.

DS goes to army cadets, he is proud of the cadets, he is proud of the uniform. His uniform is crisply ironed, his boots are polished to a glassy shine.

My ds1 is in reception £7 jumper is the only thing I can't get from Asda

I'm a secondary teacher our school uniform costs £35 all in which includes a school branded; blazer, tie, lanyard, track suit, polo & rugby shirt - full pencil case and school bag you do need to add black trousers white shirt socks shoes and trainers I think this is great value my school is in a very deprived area

My last school was private to buy all of the equipment was £500 including the £35 home economics branded basket! And the £100 blazer! No options available to buy anywhere else but at school!!

We have subtly different ties to denote year of student - I like them in uniform it's smart and cheap, wears well

Primary age kids don't really need a uniform or homework - both silly and unnecessary IMO.

Secondary shcool age kids, as others have said, will invent their own uniform anyway. So if it's affordable it's a good idea as it does away with the "what will I wear today?" issue in the mornings.

Suits for 6th formers is pretentious bollox. IMO.

our school uniform costs £35 all in which includes a school branded; blazer, tie, lanyard, track suit, polo & rugby shirt - full pencil case and school bag

Just a quick search on the internet I can get:

• Joggers £6
• Polo shirt £2
• Rugby shirt £8
• school bag £4
• pens/pencils/case £5

The other £10 spent on blazer, tie, lanyard is simply a waste of money. School uniform isnt a bargain.

If I dont have to worry about getting a particular colour I can buy what is available. Funnily enough local school colours sell out quickly.

'nooka Sat 04-May-13 03:13:27

dd (who generally care about her appearance rather more than he does) said '2 seconds to 2 minutes'.'

And you believe her? She'll be thinking about it more and more, esp as boys start looking in.

What "what will I wear today?" issue in the mornings.?

Are there thousands of teenagers sitting around in their pants this morning because they didnt know what to wear? My 3 teens all managed to get themselves dressed today without the intervention of a large organisation.

Do you really think that teens DON@T think about how they dress in order to conform with whatever norms are in force at the time?

No, they may not be sat in their pants scratching their balls in the morning, but you can be sure they've thought about it at some point... maybe during calculus.

What Lazaruss said. I have 3 teens too - and to a varying degree they think about what they wear a LOT. Mine are all boys, but the girls I know think about it even more.

That's a full track suit - which looks like a proper team logos on trousers and track suit top same logos on everything else too - I'm sure you can get cheap stuff else where but with a lit of faffing checking prices not having stock returning ill fitting stuff - ours sold at below the cost and part of the cost is covered by the school (we are over 50% fsm) the kids are proud of their uniform and belonging to our school - out sixth form also has a uniform ( much less formal than years 7-11) our uniform is ordered into school every child is measured at end of year 6 ( transition day) and uniform can be picked up from mid August at school

My sons jumper is only sold in one shop in town (10 miles away) they run out quickly

I just think uniforms fine if its not a monopoly ie 1 supplier and theres choice, its affordable.

new school allowing no logo stuff saved me loads and they have well stocked 2nd hand supply.

Back in the 80 when logo stuff not out nanan knitted jumper or cardies jumpers were from normal shop then that looked smart and cheap.

They could even do iron on or sew on emblems so could buy geiorge jumper in correct colour.

seniors much more pricey and people her do judge school by their uniform.

seeker - don't you find your post a bit ironic? I mean, you regularly mock pro selectives parents for thinking that SMs are full of knuckle dragging yobs. You then post how your DD gets elbowed into the streets because her uniform marks her out as a student at the posh school.

You aren't exactly painting a nice picture of a school that you want other parents to send their kids

MTS- you are making assumptions about which child is being elbowed........