what would you think about this change to UNIFORM for reception class please....

[harpsichordcarrier]

at the moment reception children have to wear the full school uniform : grey skirt and tights, or trousers (for boys)
White shirt/blouse
School tie
school jumper/cardigan
Grey or white socks or tights
Black shoes (not trainers)

the reception class will now wear: black tracksuit bottoms (shorts in the summer, cycling shorts for girls) white polo shirt, school jumper. no tie.

what would you think?

Heaven forfend that any four or five year olds would have a casual attitude

my dd isn't keen on jeans, actually, but she wears mostly cord or velour trousers with elasticated waist. I would support that too.

she does have a nice line in casual attitudes because she's 4! (nearly)

(cross posts aloha...)

Oh yes, HotXmum, there is a direct correlation between tie-wearing at age six and high-earning jobs in later life on account of more qualifications because the infant tie-wearers Took Education Seriously. My Inferiorettes are almost certainly condemned to a life of frivolity on account of their lack of uniform.

I was talking about the parents casual attitude. Next thing you know the kids are in designer trainers.

But now you mention it, I can remember being very proud of my uniform when I started school so dont underestimate how early the casual attitude kicks in. God knows you only have to look around us today. Scruffy baskets!

ah you see I never wore a tie ever
spent my school years in brown cords and orange cheesecloth shirts.
and then my adult life poncing about in black suits and horse hair wigs.
I am, however, wildly frivilous.
if only I have worn a stripy nylon tie on a nasty bit of elastic, only then would I be capable of taking life seriously

Isn't the teacher slightly missing the point though? Reception is about children learning to cope with school & to look after themselves. If she removes the need for them to change for PE then this, IMHO, is just passing the problem on to the Y1 teacher, who presumably will have even less time/inclination to dress her class.

Do agree with making uniform simple, but think it should be same across KS1

there is a separate PE kit, with a different colour polo shirt.
and surely it isn't a question of getting used to getting changed, an extra year will just mean they are more capable anyway?
(I can't believe I am thinking about this so flipping much, I need to get a job)

I can understand the polo top and jumper but the trackie bottoms/cycling shorts sound vile. Why not a coloured polo top ( to match the tie colours for winter)/grey trousers or pinafore then a coloured gingham dress and grey shorts for summer. What do girls currently wear in summer?

only read the op - think it sounds horrible. Hate tracksuit bottoms, hate cycling shorts. I loved ds1's uniform in reception, was totally practical and really smart - he had the same as the rest of the school which was grey trousers or shorts (but could have been black or navy trousers, skirt or pinafore or trousers for girls), white or royal blue polo shirt - either plain or with the school logo on, royal blue jumper, again with logo, or cardigan for girls. Extra things like fleece, t-shirt available. So the uniform requirement was just to wear those colour 'bottoms' (and they specified not tracksuit), and something from the other list. THat sounds really confusing - it works really well though, and they look really smart.

oh and if ties are an issue can't they just have an elasticated one for lo's

The state schools in our city all moved away from blazer/tie type to "sweatshirt" type a few years ago. I hate them. They make all the kids look scruffy and common.

And the thing about sweatshirts/polo shirts is that if they can get away with wearing trackie bottoms and trainers they will. Chavtastic. Much harder to look a scruff with a blazer and proper shirt and tie. (I mean, you can, but you have to make the effort to do so...)

oh, girls can also wear cotton blue and white dresses in the summer. I think the idea was to have one or two 'school specific' items which the rest was based on, but there is no compulsion to buy 'from school' - if you want plain polo shirts then M&S or Asda or whatever is fine. It's just a guideline.

I still think there is much more scope for scruff in a shirt and tie ensemble. There is so much to be out of place.

I also hate ties on children - think they look horrible.

Really? I think they look very smart when they're done up properly.

I have one child (aged 7) in a special school- unform is not compulsary but is different coloured t shirt and sweatshirt each day. Any trousers. Today he's wearing jeans, sometimes he wear tracksuit (when I run out of normal trousers). He'll wear crocs this summer

Middle child (aged 5) is in a school with the full works. Tie, shirt, jumper, grey trousers. proper shoes (summer grey shorts, silly knee high socks, polo shirts, blazer).

I MUCH prefer ds1's uniform. Much less hassle (although I coudn't find his Tuesday blue t-shirt today so he's had to go in wearing a superman t-shirt - it was blue).

I'd be for this change, but not enough to get that excited either way.

Ah, right - I had assumed they had chosen sports type clothes so that they wouldn't need to change.
I don't think actual age makes much difference, IME, it's just practice in school conditions that seems to do it.

LOL at "scruffy and common" (my italics)

I think that is how hc's fellow parents feel UQD

Sorry cn't manage to read whole thread... but don't like girls not being able to wear ordinary shorts (same as boys). No objection to "cycle shorts", just don't like the differentiation.

Ties before secondary age (and maybe then, too) sounds awful.

Were the girls never allowed to wear trousers at all, then? That's barbaric, if so.

Well, I agree the full works is a bit much for reception kids. Polo shirt probably fine for them. But I still think sweatshirt/polo shirt type uniforms encourage scruffiness and slackness in older kids - and the attitude that goes with it.

DW teaches in a school which has a "proper" uniform and it is enforced - she has observed it goes hand-in-hand with punctuality, respect, etc. The school she taught at before had a slacker uniform, with slacker kids.

I wonder if uniform really was the only variable UQD. I have taught in schools with each uniform code, and they wre a very mixed bag.

I always argue for little boys rights to wear shorts in summer. There is (despite the recent tighening) far more choice of uniform for the girls. But as long as my very warm-blooded DS can wear shorts from May until October I am happy.

In Reception they have time to learn how to dress/do up ties/get pe kit on and off, along with all the other life skills. If the formal uniform was left until Year 1 it would interfere with the 'proper' learning that starts then.
I don't like sports clothes for everday wear. Nothing wrong with kids looking smart, they manage to play very effectively at DS1's school, judging by the mud and bruises he's covered in everyday.

sorry to hijack but jemkel, is the little tykes hoise still availble? can you email me at [email protected]. thanks