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.

I would much rather a functional, comfortable uniform than a ‘smart’ uniform. I imagine I am in a much lower tax bracket and social class than the OP though!

At primary it should be the normal tbh. Much cheaper and more practical. Secondaries are starting a similar approach round here with 2 having no uniform and others consulting on more of a casual approach. I work in a formal environment and post pandemic now rarely wear a suit so I think there's a general culture shift that schools should respond to

Most kids ride their bikes to school (& have to wear their blazer on the journey as they are 'representing the school' unless its the height of summer & they have been given permission to not have to wear it). Most ride between 1 - 5 miles to school every morning & then back again that day. Thats a lot of sweat from hormonal teenagers & as I said the blazer cant be washed & dried every night & most cant afford to buy more than 1 so the smell isn't pleasant!

This is insane!

Personally I think if schools are going to have a uniform they should just pick a colour and as long as it's from the "school uniform" section of a clothes shop then it should be an individual choice of what suits them and they're most comfortable in.
If child A (or their parent) wants to wear a pair of shorts and a polo then that's just as fine as child B who wants to wear a formal shirt, skirt and blazer.

Polo shirts only stain if they’re white. My DC nursery had white polo’s. Some Ace bleach usually got rid of stains. But if they didn’t it didn’t really matter. It was nursery they often got dirty within the half an hour of arriving. They had a grassy hill in the outdoor play area nicknamed tellytubby hill because that’s what it looked like. My son never bothered with it when dry. But when we had a lot of rain he loved the mud and took great delight sliding down it. I would send a change of clothes in. But he often came home in spares as he got the spares I sent in dirty.

It's more practical, and realistic. School uniform is so hideously outdated.

My DC had to wear 'business wear' to 6th form, which in this case was tailored trousers, shirt, blazer, tie. I work in corporate. Nobody wears that unless they are going on a job interview afterwards.

Why? What makes British teenagers different from German, Dutch, Danish ones, who don't need uniform to behave appropriately at school and grow into functional adults? Nobody seems able to answer this, so I maintain my conviction that uniform in schools is all about style over substance and snobbery.

Nope they are brilliant. Ours are yellow with school logo. They wash amazingly well thats mine have lasted through 3 messy kids. They wear them with grey school trousers and black school shoes. Lovely red sweatshirts with school logo.

DC school at primary had polo shirts KS1 and under and shirts and proper ties for rest of time. Then they got to secondary where they had fake ties.

I think comfort is more important than smart TBH - I also think uniform need to go or get a huge overall after having three kids in it for bloody decades.

I think this is an excellent policy. Polo shirts are more comfortable and practical.
Children can learn in casual clothes, most universities don’t have a lot of students wearing shirts and ties and most mass their degrees!
I view shirts and ties as a symbol of the patriarchy and have never understood why we make them uniform for both boys and girls. They don’t make it easier to learn and very few people will wear them to the office.
If I was running the country it would be polos, joggers and sweatshirts for primary and a dress code for secondary, defined colour of trousers or skirts, choice of polo, shirt etc in set colour and a choice of sweater, cardigan or sweatshirt with logo. Lets kids pick what the find comfortable and works for them in temperature etc

At the Gdcs’ primary they all wear polos, in white, pale or royal blue. They look fine to me, and IMO are very practical.

I agree. Shirts look smarter.

Our prep school wears polo shirts up to Y5.

Right. Only a shirt and tie kept them from going feral.

The change to polo shirts was made because so few parents know how to use an iron, should they even possess one.
According to posters on MN very few people even have irons.
😉😁.

Polo shirts and preferably joggers and a jumper are much more comfortable, and therefore sensible for young children. I don't care if my child looks 'smart', he's 7. He just needs to be comfy and warm. Yes of course hair brushed, clean, like he would to go anywhere, but he doesn't need to look like a mini estate agent. Ours have to wear ties and of course, they all get into trouble for playing with them. So pointless!

The world is much less formal than it was, they don't need to be 'prepared' to wear a suit and tie. And secondaries need to ditch the blazers/suits too, they're a ridiculous form of control over teenagers.

I remember this over 40 years ago. 30 Reception children getting changed for PE wearing shirts with buttons and ties. It was a nightmare. At least they can be more independent wearing polo shirts

I've never once heard a child say they prefer a shirt and tie

Please tell us how to get whiteboard marker out!

I absolutely hate all school uniforms of any kind. Polos, those horrible grey dresses, scratchy black trousers, white shirts, ties. Don't even get me started on PE kit. I think it all looks awful and uncomfortable.

Nail polish remover

Our kids' high school is currently having a uniform consultation to see what parents prefer. Y8 already go in on PE days in their kit. I'm hoping they change it to PE kit every day, as DS has sensory issues which make the shirt / tie / blazer quite difficult for him.

100% polos at all the local primaries where I am, ours and a lot of the others, have coloured ones though which are much better than white as they don’t look grotty. DD manages to make polos last more than a school year as hers are a particularly forgiving colour and the logo ones are very well made.

Nothing low rent about their uniform.

It's ironic that the little Rhys Moggs go/went to a prep school where they don't wear shirts!

Ironically I find I don't have to iron the shirts (polycotton mix) while the polos always look scrunched up unless thoroughly ironed. (Definitely a factor in my thought process)