Design & colour of uniform - does it influence your opinion of a school?

[foxtrot]

Just wondering really, especially when choosing a primary school.

I think this was what the shaking-up-head had in mind when she switched to blazers - the school had previously worn navy sweatshirts that lost their colour really fast so all the kids, no matter how neatly turned out or well-behaved, looked a bit don't-care and scruffy.
Agree yellow sweatshirts sound vile...

'no matter how neatly turned out or well-behaved, looked a bit don't-care and scruffy'
That's exactly what i was thinking MrsBadger, and yellow is probably my least favourite colour.

DD1's school has a preposterous, poncey uniform - boaters, blazers, pinafores - but we liked the school and sent her there anyway. I just make sure that she has a blanket over her head when leaving the house for the school run.

In the scheme of things, I can't get too excited about the uniform, except perhaps the cost and, in our case, that it makes the school appear very non-inclusive.

DD1's school has a preposterous, poncey uniform - boaters, blazers, pinafores - but we liked the school and sent her there anyway. I just make sure that she has a blanket over her head when leaving the house for the school run.

In the scheme of things, I can't get too excited about the uniform, except perhaps the cost and, in our case, that it makes the school appear very non-inclusive.

dd's new school has a far more pratical uniform than her previous one (which had a tie and stripey blazer - very smart), which is less attractive but easier to wear. It was not a consideration when we chose the school at all tbh, there were far more important things to think about....
I used to be anti-uniform (as well as anti- single sex education, and didn't really see the point of private education, and look what's happened, dd goes to a girls' private school )

DS Primary was white shirt and tie

Until he could tie his own tie {which was in year 1} he had an elastic tie

He is now in private senior with a jacket and tie and they all look very smart

When I was a Nanny in Canada the children used to want designer clothes for school each day and the same outfits couldn't be worn until over a week had passed iyswim cos they would get teased

IMHO UNIFORMS are much much better than that and they look smarter

It wouldn't decide on the schools in my original choice but if I had to choose between 2 good schools of equal levels on every other point

I would choose the smarter uniform and school.

LOL at Mrs Badger's descriptions - I went to a convent and we did wear long, hideous, itchy kilts!! Now my 2 wear polo shirts and sweatshirts, but in bright colour which looks very smart. Our head has just put a ban on "mufti" days as the staff have noticed a significant deterioration in pupils' behaviour when they wear their own clothes!

our local catholic primary wear pink gingham dresses in the summer - must to the envy of dd.

and before you ask, yes it is St. Winifred's of 'Grandma' infamy.

I like a school to have uniform too, everyone then looks nice and smart and there is no arguing over what to wear each morning.

Dd1 is taking part in a school concert on Thursday and I am very dismayed to discover that yet again (as last year) they are all just going to wear plain polo tops instead of their school sweatshirt too.
Apparently the reason for this is that some kids don't have the school sweatshirt or cardy and so they we all be different shades of blue .
IMO different shades of blue looks far better than different shades of white or in some cases grey.

I don't care much about uniforms, but like the fact that DS1's new school has sweatshirt/poloshirt type uniform for pre-prep (Reception, Y1 + Y2), then "proper" uniform from there up.

At his old school, they wore proper shirts in nursery. Just looks wanky to me.

A I think that a school polo ans sweatshirt is good - no arguement about what to wear and easy to identify when out on trips. But I do think that ties are ridiculous. Especially for little ones - they are uncomfortable and hard to do up. I can just about understand why secondary boys should wear a tie - but why on earth should girls? Why should they wear an exclusively male accessory in order to get a secondary education

I wore a tie at my comprehensive

I think they are very smart

And infants can wear elastic ones

If the emphasis is on equality and girls are wearing trousers and blazers I think it's reasonable to ask that they wear ties as well.
If there are completely seperate and different uniforms for boys and girls than fair enough, but I'm not sure it's fair that girls have open necks while boys wear ties if they're wearing the same in every other aspect...

I was influenced more by the school's treatment of its children, the facilities on offer, their inspirational head teacher and their whole ethos than by what the uniform was.

I agree that uniform is a leveller, and wouldn't want to send dd to a school that didn't have one, but I feel that there are more important things to worry about than what kind of shirt they wear.

Mrs Badger, so the boys should have to wear skirts?
I find this sort of thing totally ridiculous. As for the idea you don't get anything done in comfortable clothes, tell that to Bill 'chinos and a jumper' Gates

think the more non exclusive or expensive the school is, the uglier and poncier the uniform
just my opinion so don't jump on me!

Or Bob 'just rolled out of the laundry basket' Geldof...

Having worked in schools for 9 years I think there is definitely a different air around a school when the children are in "own dress" rather thn uniform.

I always feel more productive and more in work mode if I am dressed in smart work clothes rather than casual clothes. I know Dh feels the same and doesn't actually like dress down dys as he feels he gets less done.

oops
that should be non inclusive, or even, exclusive

yes but mufti days come around very infrequently so it would be a different day for the students s- and usually on a Friday as well
it's a special day for the kids so it would absolutly have a different 'air about it

I have worked briefly in a non uniform wearing school as well and still noticed the difference.

Have already said I worked in a schoolw ith a full uniform with tie and blazer, but where it was not properly upheld, and in this school behaviour was more of an issue definitely. Soit isn't just the uniform but also the way it is upheld by the school and the amount of importance/respect put upon it.

it does in that I have come to realise that it is far more sensible, practical to have an easy uniform (i.e. polo shirts and sweatshirts) than a faffy one with ties and proper shirts, which most children can't handle for a few years, anyway. I think it's much better for a child's dignity and self-worth if they need as little help as possible.

I'm also glad that our school has a bog-standard uniform because it means that dd2 (with SN) can actually manage to dress and undress herself, and be independent when going to the toilet. If they insisted on skirts or whatever, she'd probably still need a helper by the time she leaves primary school.

Of course poncey little uniforms look cute - but in her first school dd1 had to wear a proper shirt & tie, the shirt aggrevated her eczema and she needed lots of help getting dressed - what's the point? You can still look smart if the uniform's a logo'd sweatshirt.

There's enough time later in life to wear a tie!

Here Here!

Lol at my first thought on this - our school uniform has a red sweatshirt and red doesn?t really suit DS1 (he has very fair colouring and a tendency to blush - like DH )

DH did actually observe when he started ?couldn?t we have picjked a school with a blue or dark green sweatshirt?? but he was joking! (I think). As if you would change schools to one you otherwise didn?t prefer (for location, results or other reasons) just because the scolour suited yr ds!

(Anyway DS2 who starts there next year looks lovely in red lol)
WWB good post btw