To aka what you think to this change of school uniform??

[HappyDaze1997]

Just curious.

My Dc primary school have announced that they’ll be changing the school uniform from September. From white polos to royal blue. With leggings, shorts, or black leggings. With plain black trainers.and their usual school jumper / Cardigan which is also royal blue . It’s for everyday of the week.. it’s to fit in with their out door play etc. lots of parents annoyed as they’ve already bought new school uniform ahead of time before it was announced.

Why on earth wouldn't they get changed for P.E ?surely they will get sweaty & it would be unpleasant for them to stay in the same clothes they have exercised in ... my daughter has a p.e kit at nursery & is a September starter & again has a p.e that's normal surely ?

The coming into school in PE kit started with COVID for many schools and then stuck. So much easier, quicker and no PE bags taking up space.

@Dearnurse most children probably run around and get as sweaty at lunchtime as they do in a PE lesson, but they don’t change their uniform after lunchtime.

No worrying about separate changing rooms for boys and girls in older years...

As a governor, my question would be, was there a consultation? Why is there no phasing in? Is the uniform available widely at a reasonable price price?

I would be raising a complaint, if none of the above has happened.

You can dye polo shirts, especially white ones.

I do think it’s a good change. My kids wear royal blue polo shirts and they have been passed down some are on their fifth year of use. Fruit of the loom poly cotton about £3 a shirt. I used to have to replace the white ones termly as my dc are always covered in dirt / paint.

They should have a transition period to allow both lots to be worn for eco / finance reasons.

Oh I’d hate this for non-PE days!! What an awful uniform….! Would be fine for PE days but every day of the week!!

I specifically chose a school with a proper uniform, shirt/ blouse and tie. Big focus on play despite a proper/ traditional uniform. It’s a shame so few primaries have them, they look so smart, but this school has seemed to have gone a bit bonkers with it.

The royal blue polo is better from a stains perspective, but I’d continue sending in with trousers/ skirts/ pinafore and a summer dress. I don’t think there’s anything they can really do about it and I’m sure you won’t be the only one. Agree it’s very poorly managed at short notice and no transition period too. You also wouldn’t be the only one emailing to complain if you wanted to.

Our school never did the not changing for PE thing. They wear proper uniform and change in and out of PE kit at school.

Suits me much better as I don't need to know which days are PE days, they look nicer every day and they both have sports based after school clubs that they need PE kit in school for to change in to at the end of the day.

The coming in in PE kit on PE days would be massively inconvenient for me.

Absolutely peak Mumsnet 😂

My DD school said it because it was taking 20 minutes out of a 1hr lesson to get changed/changed back again. So it’s easier if they just come in the PE kit. Apparently there’s also a study or something that said some children feel insecure when changing in front of peers, so it cuts all that out

Boys can wear black joggers

God forbid they should look like footballers - and female ones at that!
😂 <celebrates in 4-0>

There is plenty of research that shows dresses and skirts create a barrier to physically active play, and make girls self-conscious. No cartwheels. No riding a bike on a windy day. No hanging upside down.

Sport England's thoughts + Always Active Uniform
www.sportengland.org/blogs/time-rethink-school-uniform#:~:text=Research%20published%20by%20the%20University%20of%20Cambridge,physical%20activity%2C%20particularly%20for%20primary%20school%2Daged%20girls.

DDs secondary school have got the choice to wear PE currently due to the weather.

None of the girls are choosing to wear their school skirts..its all leggings and shorts... (I live near the school!

(None of them look like footballers either, just teenagers. I checked with DDs yesterday, they didn't find their lessons any more difficult when not wearing a tie...)

@HappyDaze1997 I think your school has found out about this campaign https://activeuniform.org/ and followed their guidance (points below). I agree it's all too short notice though. But positive changes overall.

...
Does your uniform have white or very light colour materials which children or parents will worry about getting dirty?

Does your uniform prioritise smartness over comfort?

Could your uniform make girls feel more self-conscious about being upside down, rolling, climbing or jumping?

Do the shoes your girls wear lack good support, good grip on the sole and strong straps?

Does your uniform change the behaviour of your children so they are less active than they could be?

I think it's great. The only think I dislike about DCs school is that the uniform has a shirt and tie. All the parents say how much easier PE days are in the morning. White shirts are grim by the end of the year.

Another local school has polo shirts and joggers. Kids look fine and it's much less restrictive.

I don't understand the desire for 'smartness' in a primary school uniform.

Neither do I. Very few men now have to wear a shirt and tie at work. Even in highly paid professional jobs, dress is much more casual than it used to be. Old-fashioned uniforms on tiny children just looks odd. Far better for them to be comfortable.

Lack of transition period is not good. Perhaps it can be suggested. Primary children should be wearing clothese they can run, jump and climb in.

@AgapornisMy DDs did plenty of activities. Just didn’t want to hang upside down at school! They did dance and sports wearing the pe and dance kit. I’m fed up with people always assuming that girls want to do these knicker showing activities! My DDs didn’t want to and liked skirts. Why do we keep thinking all girls are tomboys?!

A lot of classes are now built with pegs etc in the classroom so there isn't a segregated cloakroom where children can go and change. Not a problem with KS1 but a bigger issue with Y5 and Y6 children, with boys and girls changing in the same space. Not all schools will have 2 classes doing PE at the same time, so again can't use one classroom for girls and another for boys. Also the peg area is usually quite small, so gets horrendously messy with bags all over the floor

@TizerorFizz a large number of girls will be doing gymnastics, cartwheels etc on the school fields during the warmer months.

I think it sounds great ! I’m sure they will allow school pinafores, summer dresses but just making you aware it is a lot less formal!

Not all girls are sporty. Not all boys are either. However, all children should be active in whatever way they can be, for the sake of their health and getting into good habits for the future. The clothes they are made to wear should facilitate that.

In my dd's school girls often wore gingham play suits which allowed for play and gymnastics.