Why do primary schools have such horrid uniforms ??

[mummyloveslucy]

When I was at primary school, there was a quite strict uniform of a white blows (not a PE top) a navy skirt and a navy v-necked jumper with a school tie. This was very smart and reasonably cheep, as you pay loads for those sweat shirts with the logo on and they just look slouchy. Somthing you'd ware for lazing around the house in.
When my daughter starts school, she'll wear a lovely white crisp blowse and a nice pinnafore, but it will unfortunatly be ruined by a chunky sweat shirt over the top. I don't think they are any more practicle than a cheeper wool jumper that looks smart.
People always complain about the cost of uniforms but I wouldn't mind paying for the jumper if it looked smart.

Tie's on elastic are fun-they spend their time pulling them and letting them bounce back! I don't think primary age children need ties.

I think I prefer a school with uniform to one without- definitely easier to dress them every day. Children seem to notice labels younger and younger these days

Mine wear crisp white shirts, proper ties and (polyester) wooly jumpers with logo. They look smart, and I have never ironed any of it. Hasn't anyone else heard of non-iron shirts? (Obviously if you must have natural fibres, it's different)
DD wears the boys' handmedown shirts - they look identical to the blouses

It was a teensy factor in choosing their school, I must admit.

My ds (state) doesn't wear a uniform and I don't think they look sloppy at all. Rather the opposite, in fact: they look striking and individual. If I were to be a total arse little priggish I might say that the lack of uniform reflects the school's commitment to teaching the children to think for themselves, and to take responsibility for their decisions.

There is no bleedin' label-checking! I really do think that begins at secondary (I went to a non-uniform state primary too.)

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My children have gone from a standard primary school uniform (polo shirts/sweatshirts with logo) to a non uniform school. Much to my surprise dd says she would prefer to wear uniform because then she wouldn't have to think about what to wear. ds doesn't care, but then he only puts clothes on if they are already selected for him. I'm not too bothered either way, so long as the uniform has been designed with small children in mind.

I think the wish to put tiny children into formal wear every day is bizarre. What child, given the choice would put on a button up shirt and tie? Do any children at non uniform schools choose to wear clothes like that? Certainly not at our school. That suggests to me that most children think comfort is more important than "smartness". One of the reasons I didn't consider private options for my children were the frankly stupid uniforms. Four year olds in ties and boaters is ridiculous, and not in any way child centred IMO.

If you like your child to look smart then do it for special occasions when everyone is smart. I know few men who wear ties regularly for work, and most of them take the tie off as soon as they can.

I had to wear uniform right through (although my dear mother decided to exploit the loop hole that says primary children are not required to wear uniforms, and sent us in to school in kilts because "they looked nicer" god did we stand out, and not in a good way) and my main bugbear was having to wear badly designed uncomfortable uniforms when the teachers got to wear whatever they liked. If the kids have to wear ties, the teachers should too.

Shallow teenager that I was I did choose sixth form at least partly on the basis of how sexy the boys looked in their uniform (complete with wing collars) sadly I realised when I got there that they were all incredibly immature (I guess that's what boarding school does for you ). Also too short by half...

Nobody's answered my why ties for girls question yet. Except to tell me I'm talking rubbish - which everyone needs at least once a day!

I can't answer it, Seeker, but I absolutely agree that it's really weird. Why ties for anyone? And particularly why ties for girls, since adult females never wear ties?

I don't understand ties for girls either. At my school the girls had blouses with open collars and no ties, set model of blouse: very smart.

At my school (secondary) they have shirts and ties (boys and girls) and the children look dreadful: really scruffy. Once they are past the first week of yr7 it's a battle to get them to smarten up their collars/ties to look even half way decent.

In summer they have dark polo shirts, and they look so much smarter.

Well that's the other point really, unless uniforms are made out of good quality material, well made and with a range of style to suit the changing shapes of children (especially girls) then they do look dreadful. And for the above to be met they have to be expensive. We had polyester shirts in a nasty pale blue with navy skirts in an incredibly unflattering cut when I was at secondary school. I was always getting told off for my shirt being untucked (it wasn't long enough to tuck in properly, but hey, of course that was my fault) and looking at my pictures from that era, I did look scruffy. But then I really disliked my uniform, and certainly had no pride in it (although I was happy enough with my school). At least with the primary rules as a parent you can shop around for styles that fit, and the colours tend to be primary, so suit more children (local to us they tend to be red, royal blue, or bright green). The secondaries have things like kilts, murky brown with insipid pink/yellow etc. It is hardly surprising the girls don't look after them. I am sure they are perfectly aware that they look dreadful, so why bother? They all have ties though, so that's OK then

I agree seeker think children in ties look ridiculous .who would choose to dress their children in ties? I know someone who chose the school for their ds because the uniform had a shirt and tie I can't imagine my 15 year old Ds wearing a tie his current uniform is horrible logoed polo shirt which he customises by wearing longsleeved t shirts underneath can't wait till he goes onto sixth form so he can wear what he likes

It would be a major factor for me in choosing a school in that I would not choose one without a uniform (not that I know of any locally). If it was a sweatshirt get up I'd live with it but am v.glad we have shirt adn tie.

I never iron any of it either - tumble shirts and they don't need ironing.

I like a uniform although ties on girls is a no-no (as are black shoes and navy tights but I think I'll have to give up that particular bug-bear at some stage!)

I am slightly to admit that I'm already quite taken with a senior school because they have such a fab uniform!! (DS is in reception )

Daft. I cannot believe that introducing the clip on tie has really improved attendance and attitude, and if 'The clip-on versions will help to take away that negative interaction between the teacher and the pupil.' then why not go one step further and get rid of the thing altogether! I bet the teachers don't all wear ties - can you even get adult shirts and ties for women?

Our secondary only allows clip-on ties. When I was told this at interview I asked if that was because the pupils tried to throttle each other with them. Teacher stared at me in horror and said that it was because they insisted on making the knots really big.

Shows my private school education and my parents' inherent terror of the state system still lurks

Lol. and why is a big knot in a tie such a crime?

Not sure nooka. I know uniform is a big deal and used as a focus for harmless rebellion....or so the head says. But a big knot....

I thik schools can pick fights on really stupid things. Yes it may seem like a way to have some harmless rebellion to the teachers, but I remember things like this causing real resentment as a teenager. Aren't we told as parents to pick our fights...

Yes and when it makes the national news that there is some huge battle because some poor teenage boy wants to have long hair or a logo haircut and his school wants to stop him. Chill out ffs.

I HATE grey polyester trousers
There is a ton of choice for grey bottoms for boys if you look -H&M and LaRedoute usually have grey cargos/cords etc. Harder wearing than polyester, warmer in the winter and stands up to more abuse on the football field...

For dd, last year she had some grey skinnies from Zara - they were fab..

There are tons of long shorts with the cuffs around too, but dd won't wear them..
There is nothing saying that their clothes have to be that awful polyester.....

DS's ('outstanding') inner-city state primary is uniform-free and does v well..and funny how once you were in the sixth form, at a highly competitive academic secondary with 'top 100' results, uniform was abolished.

I am so pleased that DS does not have to wear a bobbly half polyester sweatshirt, and crackle with static when I run my hands through his hair! Not til secondary, anyway!

And the kids in DS's school show no signs of label-mania at all. Wearing their ordinary clothes is just..ordinary. They've al seen each others everyday clothes everyday. They don't get het up about it.

The private schools have pretty nice uniforms, lovely blazers; took a little while for the 4 year olds to learn to tie a tie but they could all do it during the course of that first year and shorts - so so cute even in the snow.

My DD's univorm is LOVELY.

She has a nice blazer, a pinafore dress, a tie, a white shirt and a beret. In summer they wear dresses, with blazers and a panama hat. Regulation school bags.

I dote on the uniform.

So not all uniforms are horrid, some can be really sweet