To think that switching to polo shirts makes the school uniform look low-rent?

[Byetoshirts]

My kids' primary has announced a change from shirts to polo shirts (previously just KS1) for all years except year 6.

I just think it looks a bit rubbish - all the other (in the main more affluent) local primaries have kids that look smart, and ours now get to look like they've just rolled out of bed. My DC are annoyed as they enjoy looking smart at school.

I associate polos in school uniform with young children and others who struggle with buttons and spilling stuff on themselves.

They also wash and wear badly (as stains kind embed themselves in polos) and the collar doesn't sit properly when open so a lot of (KS1) kids wear them tightly buttoned up to the neck, which doesn't exactly seem comfortable.

Our primary and secondary wear polos and allow trainers - DS has just got 5 9s in his mocks and the rest 8s so it's clearly made no negative impact on his education, which is all I care about tbh.

Why do kids need to "look smart" to learn - especially in primary!

Ludicrous to make primary school children wear shirts and ties! Especially when barely an adults do now, day to day.

Primary school uniform should be as comfortable as possible in my view.

I think its absolutely ridiculous making kids wear formal shirts and ties to school.
A polo shirt with the school name on it is fine. Particularly in primary. Those are young kids running about and playing. They aren't office workers.
My kids primary is great. Just has a logoed polo shirt, and you can wear any black bottoms, trousers skirts leggings whatever.. the kids are all comfortable. Its cheap and easy to wash.
And I live in an extremely middle class area and its a sought after school.

And if anything when I see state schools with extremely formal uniforms I tend to think its a head having a last ditch attempt to save a school in special measures or something...
Like they've decided to bring in very strict uniform standards because its such a rough catchment area

I love school polo shirts! They look smart enough, they wash & dry easily and they're comfortable. When I had 3 at primary school they were a godsend ☺️ when they were all at secondary school I was drowning in white shirts and forever searching for lost ties!

My boys had shirt, tie and trousers for winter uniform and polo shirt and shorts for summer term. September to October half term they could wear either but both mine always went back into winter. They said polo shirts were ‘scratchier than shirts’ and if they fell over in long trousers it didn’t hurt their knees as much as falling over in shorts. Replacing ripped trousers wasn’t much fun but rather that.

Polos for primary are fine, OP. They do lots of messy stuff and lots of physical movement so why not want them to be comfortable? Surely the school uniform is there to be worn and stained in the process of them having a good time learning?

I agree that polo shirts hold onto stains, but they're comfortable and why wouldn't you want a small primary aged child to be comfortable? Just hope that your school picks a commonly available colour that you can walk into a Sainbury's and get more of. My son's school has them in purple polos and jogging trousers. You'll never find purple ones in-store!

It really shows how things have changed. My father who was a child during the war said boys stayed in shorts until they were about 13 because it was way beyond most families finances to keep on replacing trousers worn out or ripped at the knees. Long socks and shorts were the go to option by parents of all income levels.

more comfortable uniform is on the up
active play is declining

cant be the uniform stopping active play can it

Theres a primary school near me that has recently changed its uniform from polo shirts to the full works; blazer, shirt and tie from year 1 onwards. They’ve just become part of an academy trust so that’s probably why, but this is a primary school. I think it’s complete madness and the academy trust is barmy. Doesn’t give the impression they think it gives imo.

I’ve always thought polo shirt and jumper combo was more suitable for a school environment. Even secondary schools should ditch shirts, blazers and ties and simplify to a polo and jumper with trousers or dare I say it, joggers. I feel like secondary schools spend so much time policing things like ties being worn correctly, blazers not being worn, shirts being untucked. Imagine if suddenly non of those things were an issue anymore? It does seem like all the bells and whistles such as blazers and ties cause more issues than they solve, and the only argument for them at this point is that it looks ‘smart’. Why do children need to look especially smart at school and at what point do we stop and think are they actually necessary? I haven’t worn a tie or a blazer since school, what is wearing them ‘preparing’ us for exactly?

I have a dc in secondary school that has a blazer etc and it seems to be standard at all my local secondaries. I’m not a fan, I think schools think parents think blazer=good, aspiring school which maybe used to be the case but slowly I think that’s changing and that actually I think a lot of schools have unnecessarily formal/strict uniform because they are failing in other ways and that’s their way of ‘fixing’ it. A lot of parents want simple, suitable, easy to wash, reasonably priced uniform and for their dc to be comfortable wearing it. I think if we’re going to insist on a culture of school uniform then it needs to be practical, not pretentiously smart.

My nephew’s school has polo or white button shirt with red sweatshirt on top. Looks fine to me.

The uniform can be bought from Tu Sainsbury’s which is where his mum gets it and I’ve just googled and seen they have offers on polo shirts.

I’m with you op - mine have been in shirt and tie right the way through and I prefer it.

I actually think they look better than shirts.

"I associate polos in school uniform with young children and others who struggle with buttons and spilling stuff on themselves."

DH struggles with buttons. It doesn't stop him earning 70k in a professional role. Although he prefers and usually wears t shirts to work.

Every primary I’ve known has allowed polo shorts though my DD’s school allowed shorts if dcs preferred, mine chose to wear blouses from about age 8

They're under 10 FFS, you sound exhsusting.

Polo shirts are much,. better, they are practical and more comfortable.
I don't understand why anyone would want a child to wear a shirt (and tie). Hey few grown ups dress like that so why inflict it on children?

I'm a primary school teacher with 2 kids who are also primary aged. I love PE days when they wear their polo shirts (so much easier to get on). I really don't understand why we are getting children to wear a shirt and tie. It's so uncomfortable. There is such a big emphasis now on physical education and forest school activities. Let kids be comfy and free to move and play.

I think it’s more important that children, particularly at primary school are comfortable. I prefer the polo shirt and sweatshirt to more formal wear. Some of the blazers, shirts, ties etc don’t look comfortable at all.

At primary I think polo shirts are fine. At secondary I'd personally prefer a shirt, even if open necked, plus jumper.

Unlike people sitting in an office, primary school children run around, climb on climbing frames etc. Polo shirts are stretchier and more comfortable for moving around. Adults who do physical jobs don't tend to wear collared cotton shirts, tailored trousers and blazers.

Quite, it's ridiculous. For secondary kids too. The argument about preparing them for the world of work is nonsense too, especially since they can usually wear their own clothes in the 6th form, and whatever they like at 6th form college and university. It's just old-fashioned and silly.

People in other countries must think we are very quaint and a bit bonkers. The kids definitely do. I run exchange trips at my school and the French, German and Spanish kids are baffled and amused by our uniforms. They all go to school in normal clothes and neither their behaviour nor their learning seem to suffer, oddly enough.

“My DC are annoyed” I’ll take things that didn’t happen for £200 please Bob!

Not a lot of people wear a shirt and tie everyday in their job. Even most CEO’s are in jeans and a polo these days. DD hated school shirts - they always gape for large chested girls and are so thin they have no privacy. A polo shirt would have been much more practical and modest.