Changing for PE

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My 7 year old son used to wear his PE kit to school on PE days. Now the school has said they want children to change in the classroom again. Parents have complained that their kids don’t want to do this. The head has sent a letter saying that:

”I understand that some parents and children are a little worried about changing into their PE kits in front of their peers. As this is something that we regularly did prior to Covid, we would like to bring back this process as part of a normal school activity.”

Why should children have to get used to changing in front of each other and their teachers? This isn’t a life skill. It is archaic and weird. As an adult I have never had to change with 26 men and women, in a room with many uncovered windows. Would I be wrong to write to the head and complain about this?

YABU: kids should change in front of each other and the teacher
YANBU: it is odd that it was ever allowed even before covid.

DD’s primary school have reintroduced this.
my dd is 9 and started puberty at 8. She is hugely self conscious, not helped by being the first and only girl in her class to be growing boobs and body hair.
I am sending her into school in her PE kit.

So what age would you consider children to need separate changing areas?

Of you were ever to go into a classroom during pe changing time then you would do, and a lot more besides. Some children really don't care, whilst others this age are starting to become more aware of their bodies and are ,ore private. You get both extremes and whole lot in between, ime.

Luckily my school have kept the pe kit on pe days. I don't miss the a,Lunt of wasted time from trying to get 30 children changed, trying to find 30 pairs of trainers from bags, and then the week;y mix up,with clothes, missing bits of uniform, and kit, etc. I mean, we've even had pants and socks go missing and there technology not removing them!

I've always found the idea that children in UK (or maybe just English?) schools all stripped down to vest and knickers together to change for PE and back again to be utterly bonkers. Why can't they just wear their PE stuff all day?

I meant really that if they are that sweaty and need to change for hygiene reasons, there's no point changing the outer clothes and not showering.
In reality, primary aged children don't get that sweaty.
Most of them probably don't have a bath more than 2 or 3 times a week.

My primary school had girls and boys changing rooms - never realised how unusual this must be. I remember not liking to shower communally aged 8 on brownie holiday. I think separate areas are needed after age 7 if not before.

You're making that statement based on what?

I finish P.E. lessons with KS2 children and some children literally have hair plastered to their forehead, they've sweated that much. It depends on the focus of the unit. Based on my lessons with the children of Y5 and Y6 on personal hygiene (as part of their RSHE curriculum), most of the kids at that age shower every day or every other day. As a staff team, we've also had to intervene each year with various children in KS2 who aren't showering regularly or changing their clothes regularly and are coming to school smelling of sweat.

There is point to changing the clothes if you can't shower: every little helps. Believe me, if you'd been in a room with 30 kids who have had P.E. in the morning and have remained in the same clothes into the afternoon, you'd recognise the issue.