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.

Tell me you don’t do your own ironing without telling me you don’t do your own ironing 😂

This is what my DCs primary school had. Trousers/shorts/skirt/pinafore. White shirt/blouse or polo. Navy jumper/sweatshirt with or without the logo. They had a tie if they wanted it. Summer dress for girls. They looked fine.

Both my DSs chose shirts and ties for the first few years. Weirdos that they were.

I think the art of dressing appropriately and professionally for work is dying out.

I think the obsession with appearance over performance is dying out.
There, sorted.

In 26 years of primary teaching, I've always worked in schools with polo shirts. They are 100% cotton so much more comfortable and they do wash well.

I hate school uniform in general - but the idea of wearing ties in primary school is just ludicrous. Why?? On what planet is that necessary? School uniforms are virtually unknown in say France or Italy - does that automatically lead to societal meltdowns or poor educational outcomes? It’s a bizarre Anglo hangover from the past….

They were £18 each at DSs secondary school. Then they changed the logo after he left so I couldn't even sell them on. They were hardly worn thanks to covid.

Ha I wish (not that there's much of it)

This

I think as long as they are clean and ironed they look fine. One of our local prep schools has polo shirts right up to year 6 and then shirts and ties for years 7 & 8. My eldest’s first school wore blue polo shirts and they were comfy if a little thick and hot in the summer (as they were logo-ed ones so were good quality). Youngest’s prep had short sleeved shirts and ties and they were just as comfy and perhaps a bit cooler in the summer. They wore shorts all year round though and some parents complained about that (my boys had never known any different and it was the norm when I was that age and my brother was at prep school).

Instagram is that way ➡

They are, and I'm assuming it's a combo of the fact that they see it as babyish because currently it's a KS1 thing, and they see DH wearing one to work so think of it as an office thing. The older one says the shirts are warmer in winter.

Wonderful and now let’s change to jeans and be done with the silly uniform.

I'm of the view that children at school should be tidy ( at least when they arrive in the morning) and comfortable. The definition of smart seems to vary from person to person.
I was once in an historic town in the midlands as high school children were coming out of school. Their uniform was unisex; long sleeved stretchy t shirt and jogging bottoms. It was the most suitable uniform I've ever seen.

DS attended two primary schools — one a traditional, rather formal, C of E school with a shirt, tie and jumper, the other a school with no uniform or dress code at all, where the children were on first-name terms with all staff from the TAs to the Head. No societal meltdowns or poor educational outcomes at either.

Not true at my grandson's school. When I pass the school at break time there are always boys (mainly) playing football, him amongst them.

Ours is a tshirt or polo and hoodie in a variety of colours. Trousers or jeans or jogging bottoms need to be black or blue..but nobody really checks. Most kids wear trainers.
They can also wear school uniform dresses or cardigans or jumpers, but most people don't.
Doesn't stop our kids from learning and they don't look scruffy. We are an academically selective independent school. Same uniform for primary and secondary.

My sons went with Polo shirts and school jumpers from junior school to secondary. Always looked smart, the polo shirts lasted well

Ds wore polo shirts all through school. However I bought 100% cotton polos from M&S. They were thicker & better quality than the polycotton shirts ordered direct from school. Washed & tumble dried beautifully and the colour didn't fade.

When he went to secondary school there was the option of choosing black or white polos, or white shirts. He usually preferred a black polo as felt it looked smarter if not wearing a jumper. I bought the 100% cotton from Asda and again they washed beautifully.

I think having the 100% cotton ones made a huge difference with them staying nice, not stretching or shrinking, through the year. No problem with the collars not sitting right either.

I get where you’re coming from but at my company many of the men now wear polo shirts, particularly the Americans and even sometimes the French! I think for primary school it’s more practical.
I think there are probably more pressing issues facing us right now, if I’m honest.

There’s going to be a lot of change when the new curriculum comes in. There’s going to have to be significantly more active time in the school day as a statutory requirement. I imagine a lot of schools will be moving to a uniform where the children are more easily able to move freely which will probably result in a lot less shirts and ties.

All our local primary’s have polo shirts and it’s only shirts and ties in secondaries
Just to add, I work in a hospital and barely anyone is suited and booted these days everyone is very casual - I don’t think any of the men wear a tie apart from afew of the consultants.

YANBU. It’s a race to the bottom.

If you think they look 'low rent' maybe you could pair them with a Rolex and a nice pair of Jimmy Choos so everyone can see you are aware of the finer things in life?

I think you’re nuts.

Hmmm and maybe ask for a superyacht parking space OP so that little Balonz can moore up there, lest anyone confuse him with a povo?