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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Starting primary next week - shirts or polo shirts?

13 replies

Prometheus · 27/08/2014 11:17

Apologies in advance for the trivial question.

DS1 is starting primary school next week. I have his uniform all ready (trousers, long sleeved shirt, tie) but just realised that in summer they have the option of wearing polo shirt for boys and gingham dress for girls. In my day, we had to wear shirt and tie all year round so this all new to me. Will all his new classmates be wearing polo shirts next week do you think? He is nervous about school already and don't want him to be the odd one out

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redskybynight · 27/08/2014 11:21

It depends on the school ... most state school children wear polo shirts all year round. If you are going to a private school that strictly specifies a summer/winter uniform I think you will probably have to follow the uniform for winter?

HalfSpamHalfBrisket · 27/08/2014 11:21

Most in my class will wear polo shirts.
Can he do his own buttons on the shirt?

AuntieStella · 27/08/2014 11:22

Hard to tell.

Are polo shirts really worn only in the summer? If so, there'll be a split between those who start in them (easier to get on and off, no tie to faff around with), and those who don't want to spend on polo shirts that will be worn only for 6 weeks or so and plunge straight in with shirt/tie.

I suggest he arrives in shirt/tie but has a polo shirt with him to change if he wants to.

Or do you know anyone at all with an older DC at the school that you coukd ask?

MrSheen · 27/08/2014 11:23

At our school they usually wear polo shirts and shorts for the first few weeks of the new year but YR always has most (but not all) kids in the winter uniform. I think it's a combination of the winter uniform being cuter for the first day and people not buying the summer uniform until the following Easter. That's not very helpful but I imagine that whatever he wears he won't be the only one.

WaffleWiffle · 27/08/2014 11:24

I find the washing and ironing care of short sleeved 'proper shirts' (the easy care ones) to be much easier than polo shirts - which tend to misshape.

Pipbin · 27/08/2014 11:26

I teach reception and I find polo shirts easier when it comes to PE. Proper shirts are hard even if they can do buttons.

ElephantsNeverForgive · 27/08/2014 11:27

Agree, if shirt ant tie are winter uniform reception will be wearing them.

But most primaries allow poloshirts all year. Shirts and ties were optional and rarely seen except on school photo day.

DD2, being DD2, wore a shirt and tie sometimes when she was older. I don't think they were even officially on the girls list.

nonicknameseemsavailable · 27/08/2014 11:38

our state school only allow boys to wear polo shirts in the summer term or the start of the autumn term and girls summer dresses the same time. rest of year is supposed to be formal high neck shirts and ties.

in reception most children will just be in the winter uniform if they are the first in the family to go to school but ones with siblings are often in summer stuff for the first few weeks if it is warm.

PeterParkerSays · 27/08/2014 11:40

We do polo shirts for DS. If you have the option of wearing white polo shirts or another colour, chose the other colour. The white will remain white for about 5 minutes. DS's just having red this year.

noramum · 27/08/2014 12:14

In DD's school most children wear polo shirts until Year 2 when some swap to shirts. But we don't have a tie at all.

The school friend's DCs are going to insist on tie and shirts for winter uniform and most Reception children would start with shirts as it is not enough time out wear the polo shirts.

Original poster

Prometheus · 27/08/2014 13:47

Thanks for the advice - the rule at the school is polo shirts are optional for the summer term. It says on the website that if the weather is "still very good" in September then polo shirts can be worn but the absolute cut off date is October half term. As someone said above, I didn't buy any polo shirts as he would only wear them for a few weeks. And no, he can't do his buttons up on his shirt yet

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inthename · 27/08/2014 15:09

stick with the shirts, if changeover is october half term then you won't get much wear out of them and he won't be able to wear them again until the following easter.
With regard to buttons, let him practise a bit every day and teach him to just undo the first couple at the top and slip it off over his head.

zingally · 28/08/2014 20:18

In my experience teaching reception...

Unless the child has an older sibling handing down a t-shirt or dress, most new receptions come in the winter uniform.
Even those who come in dresses etc, get very little wear out of them before winter kicks in*, then it's easter by the time the summer uniform sees the light of day again, by which time the child has usually grown out of it anyway.

*It's unusual to see a child still in summer uniform much past the beginning of October. Certainly by October half term they are all gone.

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