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.

"My DC are annoyed as they enjoy looking smart at school."

Sure they are 😂

I said not unreasonable as they look much smarter in a shirt and tie, preferably with a blazer and hat. However, it’s really up to the school and their own expert opinion.

The reality is that teachers have to handle 30 children with a low budget and usually a number of unsupportive parents. If these uniforms help the teacher move the children through the school day in such a way that more learning happens (vs changing for PE and back into uniforms) then I suppose it’s for the best.

The real issue is insufficient school funding. At this point I’m not sure it will even be possible to get back to a leadership position in terms of UK education systems. Singapore took our system and improved on it; we had the system and underfunded it to extinction. Shame on us.

YABU. Uniforms, especially 'smart' uniforms, are a ridiculous anachronism, the survival of which is heavily driven by misplaced and misguided parental snobbery and schools' desire to pander to it. Pretty much the whole of Europe manages perfectly well without school uniform.

The hilarious irony is that it's often the 'low rent' or less good, less popular schools who feel the need to improve their marketing by adopting a smarter uniform to appeal to parents. Amazingly, some parents seem to fall for the idea that smart uniform =good kids = good school. Kids know though. When our new (over-subscribed girls' grammar) Head introduced a blazer, I heard a couple of students say "He's making us look like a chav school" .

Anyway... if schools must have a uniform, it should be comfortable, practical and affordable. It needn't be that smart. Casual doesn't equal low-rent. Children don't need to look like mini office workers or blazered golf club captains in order to go to school.

Well that must be the polo thr school chose them because typically polo shirts are thicker than shirts.

And I don't know why I read your initial post in Jacob Rees Mogg's voice 😂

I’ve got my DC’s through the whole of primary and secondary by shaking out their polos and drying them hanging up -and then by tumble drying their high school shirts. Or a shake and hanging them out in summer. I have not once used an iron on their uniforms!

My kids have a school crew neck t shirt which are cheap and very basic. They don't look smart at all but they are really cheap and the kids are comfy. I couldn't care less as I throw them in the wash and don't have to iron actual shirts.

In addition, my kids are the sort that if dressed smartly they will cover themselves in mud/pen/food within 5 mins.

Polo shirt collars often need ironed because a corner has turned over in the wash or the pile. Shirt collars look after themselves on the line or in the tumbler. Nobody should have to iron school uniform these days.

There is an incredibly expensive prep school near me, one many people will have heard of and where you put your child's name down almost at birth. It feeds into some very prestigious senior schools.

They wear polo shirts and look very comfortable.

@BelleEpoque27milk!

Nobody actually 'has' to iron anything really. I don't iron my kids' school uniform. It gets covered in whatever immediately anyway. I would hate to have to deal with a load of whites each week just for a few school shirts so am very grateful to have dodged the hassle!

My kids are loved and cared for and I spend a lot of time making sure they have opportunity and experiences and good food... in wrinkled polo shirts often covered in mud.

Polos are great, most state primaries use them - who wants to wear a shirt and tie when you’re running around the playground.
My DCs’ primary polo shirts were a mid-green and w navy logo’d sweatshirts.

First world problems!

just move your children to one of those primaries you aspire to & problem solved

I think they’re kids and not dressing for adults opinions so should be as comfortable as possible

Polo tops in most state primary schools are normal. I don't know any in my area, who insist on shirts.

What snobbery! 😂

Polo shirts are pretty fancy for the golf club or Ralph Lauren loving set.

I haven’t owned or used an iron in years.

They are small children, they are fine in polos, shirts and ties look not smart but ridiculous on them. YABVVVVVVU.

Not at all, I think they look lovely, bright and cheerful and are very practical.

Mine have always had polo shirts. So much better than shirts on wriggling active primary school kids. Don't know why a primary kid needs to look smart but they do. It's also a good equaliser where there are parents that don't manage to iron shirts. Polo shirts don't hold creases, our are green they don't show stains means they also don't need to change for PE it saves a lot of time. Shirt and ties are insane and I say that for secondary too. My eldest is in secondary and the shirt , tie blazer kilt combo is ridiculous. I work in a pretty corporate sector and noone wears ties anymore.

Why are we still dressing children as 1980s businessmen?

My school is currently working towards getting rid of the shirts and ties worn in KS2 and I hope we succeed.

At my eldest’s secondary, boys must wear ties and shirts, the girls wear blouses with no tie-how is this ok in 2026? Blazers can’t be removed until the school officially declares it warm enough…again, so old fashioned and fusty. Why can’t young people be comfortable at school? I would hate to be in a blazer and tie all day at work.

Low rent?
Obviously you’re entitled to have your opinion OP as well as have personal preference for reasons stated (ie not wanting to replace suitable uniform already owned), but the term low rent is insulting in my opinion. Children are children, it shouldn’t be a class thing at all and polos are fine. It’s about having fun while learning and I’d be happier with my children in comfortable clothing personally. Uniform should be affordable, endurable and make all children look the same regardless of family income. I do not buy into higher grades for 8 year olds running around in shirt and tie.

Even when new polos do no look as smart, they also do not wear well, the brightly coloured ones look best l think, white ones always look dingy.

Most schools swap to polo shirts for a Summer uniform. The school I work at have always done this. In fact, I think they should do it all year round. Ties are very outdated now.