School Uniforms?

[tearsandtiaras]

My socials are currently filled with anxious posts about being able to afford the correct uniform required for their children.

ND children who won't wear it- parents are anxious how this will be received.

I myself have had sleepless nights considering the cost with zero support from DD father. With added worry that as a full time worker I cannot access the uniform shop in opening times- which offers no option to click/ collect.

I work with families/ children/ teenagers daily- uniform is consistently an adder stressor to their lives.

I cannot understand why in 2024 when most office workers wear smart casual- we inflict this on to our children/ parents. Uniform is outdated.

Aibu?

I totally agree.

Plus we dress our youngest kids like little bankers and office workers in stiff trousers and smart shoes, then in the next breath we wonder why our kids are fat and sedentary.

Uniforms and smart dress are generally for low paid jobs these days.

Completely disagree. A school uniform is a much better option than kids having tantrums because the parents can't afford to buy new designer gear every month so they can be fashionable in school.

My view is that there should be some requirements as to what is worn, and what is not acceptable, and a minimum amount of bespoke items. Definitely no single supplier.

I do agree with a uniform - I teach in a school where some kids come from very economically deprived households and having to find own clothes that 'fit in' with the latest trends would be a nightmare.

However, I do think there should be a limit on items which have to have a logo/come from certain suppliers.
My son is still primary and no logo items are compulsory- I tend to buy 1 logo jumper and everything else from supermarkets.

At the school I teach at kids need a blazer, but trousers/skirts/jumper/shirts can be bought anywhere. They do have a logo PE kit but they wear PE kit all day on the days they have PE, so reduces other items needed.

We also hold a uniform sale each year where parents donate decent items their kids have grown out of and others can buy at reduced costs.

We also keep a supply of good quality, clean uniform items in school, so if a child does come without something/a parent cannot afford to replace straight away, we can lend stuff out.

Every school uniform shop I see has to have posters up telling customers the treat the staff with respect and any shouting /bad behaviour will not be tolerated.
It ridiculous. The vast majority of people would never behave like that unless they are under pressure, panic or stress.
Parents are stressed because they've got to spend £100s on specific items ( often only available from one specific shop).
Kids are in a panic because the shop hasn't got the correct skirts in their size and they know they will be threatened with isolation if they turn up in a different one.
It's horrible. Is this the education and society we want for our children?

I personally think all uniform should be non logo .and secondary school uniform should be similar to primary school. Ie jumper, polo shirt. Skirt/trousers. Half the time teenagers look scruffy in blazers anyway. And schools are to controlling of them.

I'm sure there was a guidelines given to school about school uniform. I get the feeling they don't follow lt anyway my dd school still wants logos for blazer jumper and even PE kit

Imo parents would be more stressed if they knew every dc but theirs would be head to toe in Under Armour or similar.. Which is half the point of uniform..

I think I've been lucky that my children's schools have adopted the very sensible approach that they don't dictate awkward items of uniform that can only be bought from specific shops.

So primary was: any jumper/cardigan in school colours; any polo shirt in school colours; any "school" trousers/skirt/pinafore in black or grey

Secondary: Any black blazer, any white shirt, any black trousers/skirt of specified style (ranges provided available at many shops including supermarkets and high street); school tie (available from school)

I don't see why something like this wouldn't work across all schools. It fixes the cost, sensory issues and "can't get to shop" problems.
I do think there are benefits in uniform, but it needs to be accessible and affordable.

I like that there is a school uniform because I like not thinking what they need to wear each day and that it means the public know which kids belong to which schools on buses etc. I really don’t understand why it needs to involve blazers, ties or logo PE socks. I especially don’t understand girls or children in primary schools wearing ties.

I’d prefer a much simpler standardised uniform - grey/black/navy bottoms, school coloured polo shirt, school coloured jumper or cardigan. Logo to be optional, colour palette restricted to prevent schools choosing a weird shade of teal only available from one independent stockist. PE kit of white t shirt, navy or black shorts or tracksuit, unless actually representing the school in a competition that requires a proper strip.

Jewellery restricted for safety reasons only, hair style restricted for safety only (ie tied back when using equipment) and trainers encouraged as practical footwear.

My DD is going to a uniform of joggers, polo shirts and trainers... 🤷‍♀️

@Leafcutterantsarecool why does the public on buses need to know what school a child attends?
Why is it their business?

So I can complain to the right school about the antisocial behaviour of their students…

"Dear school, there were some children from your school misbehaving on the bus".

School - "we have 2000 children at our school, what do you expect us to do with this information? We could mention it at assembly?"

@Leafcutterantsarecool yeah that doesn't really do anything except a vague announcement in assembly. You could email every school in the area if you really feel the need.
A more serious issue would involve the bus company and police - they would be the ones to get that information if needed.
The public doesn't need to know where random children attend school. It's not their business.

That's exactly what happened at my school, with a side salad of 'disappointment' from the headmistress. Not sure it was terribly effective.

I agree with a uniform because it gets rid of the issues of children wearing very old or very expensive clothes into school and being bullied or envied. However, I don’t think uniform should be expensive or uncomfortable and think it’s reasonable to have several options eg grey skirt, skort, shorts, trousers, dress, leggings or joggers should all be acceptable.

Why on earth would you want the public to be able to identify your child's school??? This makes it easier to make them a target !! I say this from a safeguarding perspective

I agree it needs to be a lot more generic.
I used to work in shop selling school uniform, parents got really angry and aggressive over it because they were so stressed. We were told to upsell stuff but we never did because people were already having to spend a couple of hundred quid minimum on one kid. Both local high schools wanted logo blazers, logo skirts/ trousers, expensive wicking style logo PE kits including specific socks, specific ties which were a nightmare to keep track of because they depended on the house and people didn't know what colour they were supposed to have (that was better when it changed to year group because at least we could say okay they're the year 7 ties, when it was houses half the people didn't know what house the kid was in). Jumpers were optional and I think they were generic for one and logo for the other.
We had to get all the logos embroidered on the machines at the warehouse, we weren't allowed by the school to sell the badges to be sewn on to other trousers except in very special circumstances. And then customers would get arsey at me about it, a random 17 year old on minimum wage.

If they changed to a more generic uniform, say white polo, black trousers, black jumper, the shop would probably fold, but it was so unnecessary. We used to offer credit schemes where people could pay in over the year, and it was well used because school uniform vouchers were going to very very few people compared to who was struggling.

Primary seems pretty easy going.

It’s the bonkers secondary schools. Luckily one of mine has common sense and the uniform is just business attire. No jeans/joggers or leggings, no trainers or hoody’s.

One school near us has a different winter and summer uniform and it’s not private school a rather failing basic school. Boggling.

My GS has opinion logo . But he can't wear it due to the risk of dd ex seeing them in public if GS had a logo uniform. It would put him at risk. If DD ex found out.

Tbh I'm not really convinced by uniforms full stop, I taught in a European secondary school for a year and I didn't witness any clothes related bullying. And we didn't have to spend teaching time arguing about skirt lengths and blazers or teach them how to say "please may I remove my blazer?" in English class. They all just dressed sensibly and appropriately for the weather, bar the odd daft ballet pumps in the snow type thing which isn't stopped by uniform policies in the UK.

What is "opinion logo"
And "GS"

Sorry I don't understand your ppst

I agree with this but only to an extent. My son's new secondary are strict about blazers and polishable or patent shoes. Find this over the top and it doesn't exactly encourage sporting activity's during lunch / way home from school. Seems so out dated, I agree with uniform but that can still be casual

"Post"

Well it happens right across the country right now doesn’t it? I mean I know the uniforms of about a dozen local schools and if I get on a bus or walk down the street at 8:30 I can tell which kids are going to which school. I can’t see where the big safeguarding risk is.