To not buy 'regulation' school uniform

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Because firstly it is much more expensive (1 school logo polo top for £7.50 when I can get two plain ones for £5).
Secondly the list states "only shirts (l/s or s/s) with ties. NO open neck blouses for girls. Dd2 hates tight things near her neck or feeling restricted thread hated the shirt tie combo even with top button undone so I have got her blouses with an open neck as she will be comfier.

Db was horrified (his daughter is also starting school at the same time) and he said I am wrong to deliberately get the 'wrong' uniform

Sure, you have a child with medical issues, OP but she is highly unlikely to be picked on because of them by reception class children who, as other posters have said, are usually entirely accepting - to the point of not really noticing.

Don't get yourself into a terrible state over something as insignificant as school shirts. Start her off with a polo shirt and then put a warm vest or matching long sleeved top under it if necessary. Schools are usually baking hot anyway so you could get quite a long way through the next term without worrying about her getting too cold.

But don't look for problems before they present themselves. Send her in a plain polo shirt for now. If she isn't warm enough and still can't cope with the shirt and tie combination after trying it on again nearer the time she might actually need to wear it then explain this to the school. It may well be that the school is sensibly flexible about uniform if you make it clear that there are valid reasons why your dd may not be able to comply to the letter.

We always had a couple of (at least) children who didn't wear the regulation uniform.
The children did not care. Even in Year 6.

And at primary, it can't be enforced anyway.

Stop worrying. And if necessary, explain to the teacher why you've done it. (But I'd stick with polo shirts, not blouses).

I bend the rules because I buy the uniform.
The cheaper supermarket stuff seems to run out of the sizes I need in a nano second so sometimes there's improvisation.I cannot and will not go to school uniform suppliers with inflated prices.
My dc's go to the catchment school.

So, sorry, to the point yanb particularly u, op.

It is possible to buy long sleve polo shirts. At least in white. DS has 3 for winter.

DS's primary introduced the Y6 children wearing ties, which is fine, but you have to get the V necked school jumper as well. Making it very annoying as it's only Y6 that have V necks the younger kids have round necks.

I'm not really convinced that ties are necessary at primary school, and this one is tied, not a clip on.

As an aside, I'm surprised that the children need to wear a tie with a short sleeved shirt, I thought that was a big no-no.

I do remember from my own school days that most kids left the top button undone so it was a bit looser under the tie. We still had to wear a tie, though.

Imo ties are ridiculous in schools, even secondary.
Lets have kids comfy so they can focus on learning in classrooms and being active in breaks.

In my dd's school they have to tuck their shirts in.It looks daft and uncomfortable.

IMO ties are ridiculous.

Agree completely about ties. Worse than that though are those sixth forms that stipulate business suits must be worn. Why do we want our teenagers to go around looking like spivvy estate agents? They should be dyeing their hair purple and getting all goth and emo.

I don't think yabu but the school will and you'll have to buy it anyway.
I think uniforms should be more a guideline and then you can can get cheaper stuff if needs be.

Haven't read the whole thread, but here's my experience.

I went to a school with a very strict uniform policy. I couldn't handle it at all. I have issues with anything touching my neck, and had major issues with my feet which made school shoes an elaborate form of torture for me.

I was lucky enough to have access to a sympathetic gp, who wrote a note saying that I needed to be excused from the strict rules due to medical issues.

No one ever noticed when I was young, and when I was in secondary it made me look cool because I could get away with flouting some of the rules (there were many, many rules).

Don't just roll over if this is an issue for your daughter. Raise it with the school, and try and find something that works for both of you. If they are a school worth sending your children to, you should be able to get them to accommodate her needs, even if they are different from those of other children.

I think you'll find she will wear a tie. She doesn't get to decide, just like u you would insist on her wearing knickers to school.

No, she won't be wearing a tie until she is comfortable wearing one.

Dd will wear the comfy polo shirts and skirt/gingham separates till it gets a bit colder and I've ordered some long sleeved polo tops too in case it gets really cold so that she can wear those (as recommended earlier in the thread).
I'm certainly not going to force her to wear just because its on the uniform list and I don't think wearing a tie is the same as wearing knickers

I'm glad you've gone for the long-sleeved polos - I suspect they will be the best option for her looking at the uniform list! Good luck.

When it does come time for you to try her with a tie, I think the advice from a previous poster to use a ready-tied one and to lengthen the elastic to make it looser for her, is good advice.

my dd is just going to a selective secondary. we went and got her uniform yesterday and i had to smile all the way there she was telling us she wouldn't be wearing a pleated skirt (1 of 2 designs on the uniform list). it was the one she chose once at the suppliers!!!

i actually like secondary kids to wear a smart uniform. dds is black skirt, logoed cardigan, white shirt, blazer, tie. we got the whole kit and caboodle for £154, from the recommended supplier, including pe kit. that was two cardigans, two skirts, 1 blazer, 4 blouses, 1 pair football socks, pe shorts, pe top, pe hoody tie and even a gum shield

dd2 (just going into yr1) wears grey pinafore, white blouse, navy cardy generic, available from anywear. probably spent £40 on hers. not sure i agree with ties in primary school but then we've had fun teaching dd1 to tie hers this week!!!

OP - go with comfort.
My DS starts KS2 next week and is having panic attacks about having to wear a shirt & tie instead of a comfy polo shirt.
It is preposterous making young children wear ties.

Of course a tie or top button done up feels odd and constricting if she's never worn a shirt like that before. I dislike the cuffs on my shirts done up, but I know that I can get used to it if I have to, and I suspect that there are very very few children who genuinely can't wear a buttoned up collar.

I just don't think that its necessary to make dd2 feel uncomfortable in any way if it can be avoided. Yes, its true a shirt and tie probably feels "odd and constricting" for most children at first and dd2 was very distressed wearing it for even a few minutes when trying it on.
I could force her, make her upset and I'm sure after days/ weeks she would get used to it but why put her through that when every day she has to put up with other things that make her uncomfy that there is no choice at all about, whereas with a shirt and tie it doesn't actually matter.

Other children will be wearing polo shirts without ties and with the option of short sleeved/ long sleeved polos a tie doesn't have to be an issue at all

I think polo shirts are the solution. It would be asking for trouble to send her in an open-necked blouse when the school specifies ties have to be worn.

As it happens I think school uniforms are pointless but the reason they exist is because parents put pressure on governors to introduce them in the first place.

When I started teaching in the 70s they were a rarity in primary schools, now they all seem to have them.

Why can't you just get polos?

I have but they are plain cheaper ones rather than the expensive logo ones. The problem was the winter when I'd got l/s open neck blouses for dd as didn't realise you could get l/s polos although they are not on the uniform list its either s/ polos or shirt and tie so I will have to see what happens

If she's wearing a jumper or cardigan they probably won't notice.

You must have known a uniform was required when you accepted the place - that's what they may well say if they think she isn't in proper uniform, unfortunately.

All schools in our borough have a uniform but the school changed the uniform policy in July and there was no question about blouses/ties on the form all parents had to fill in before they changed it so I had assumed it would remain the same and that open necked would be allowed.

I too think that with a cardigan on nobody will notice the lack of a logo on the polo shirts and if it is noticed I don't expect anybody to complain to me about it as the school, to be frank are not in a position to nit pick over logo/non logo tops.