Uniform debate - please help with your ideas and experience

[BonsoirAnna]

There is currently a debate going on at my DD's school about the introduction of full uniform, as opposed to current dress/colour code.

Could you please help me draw up a document for the Parents Association by giving your views on the advantages and disadvantages of school uniform? Thank you

Most primary schools do sell sweaters with logos on. Where I live they are not too expensive and most parents but one but supplement with a couple of plain unlogoes ones in the same colour.

Dd's private schools has jumpers with the school name embroidered on.

I orefer jumpers to sweatshirts as they look smarter and seem to wear better.

But that's contradictory, WilyWombat -- you're saying you like uniform cos it's smart, but on the other hand that you can't be doing with ironed shirts?

IMO the standard school uniform as worn by most UK primary schools (ie poloshirt + sweatshirt + trousers/skirt/pinny combo) isn't really smart as such, it's just, well, uniform.

My younger dc's school goes for a notch up in the smartness stakes by specifying a proper collared shirt and a school tie. It looks a bit smarter, ie one step closer towards standard office wear, but a lot of the fabrics are quite cheap and nasty, and there's quite a big variety of styles available, some of which are a bit slapperish tbh.

I'm not a huge fan of school uniform really, though I wouldn't choose or reject a school on the basis of its uniform policy. DD2 was at a school with no uniform for 18 months and I really loved it -- there's something hugely jolly about seeing a playground full of children in their colourful and slightly wacky clothing choices. When dd2 moved schools, the thought of another 7 years of grey polyester did make my heart sink a bit.

Having said that, it has made a difference to how fussy she is about clothes -- she used to have very rigid and restricted opinions about what she was prepared to wear, and would back it up with huge strops if necessary. Nowadays, after a week of grey polyester, she's much more amenable.

Our primary school has recently introduced a rule that every child must own a garment with the school logo embroidered on, so that they can wear it on school trips. I don't think it has made any difference per se, except that now people have invested in them (usually a fleece or waterproof) the children seem to like to wear them.

I think once you have dealt with the issue of teachers being able to spot children when they are on trips, and the issue of inappropriate clothing as your DD's school already has, there is absolutely no rational justification for introducing any more uniform into schools. I am to look back and realise how many years I spent wearing navy and then grey uniform for absolutely no reason. Admittedly I looked completely dreadful when sixth form came along and I was wearing my own clothes - I loved to wear actual rags for some reason, with great holes in them - but that's the point, I loved it, the sixth form was like moving into the light after an eternity in grey wool.

I agree with Blu. I have seen absolutely no problems with non-uniform school. I suppose if you're obsessed with eight year olds looking 'smart', and you equate this with grey polyester, uniform might have some advantages but frankly I would much rather my kids picked out and wore whatever bizarre and eclectic combination of garments they happen to have chosen for the day.

I love school uniforms. There are no arguments over what to wear in the morning. There is no distinction between rich and poor families. There is no pressure on parents to buy what all the other kids have.

If a school has a dress code (which is the current situation) you deal with the issue of wanting what other children have.

Grrrr. They are trying to bring it in by the back door.

I don't have strong opinions one way or the other. DS is going to a school that does have a uniform, but I'd have been happy with a school that didn't. I did mentally award a large black mark to any school that expected blazers, ties and caps for four-year-olds.

No uniform's best I think - let them be individual, especially at primary level. I really can't see any need to be smart. Playing and getting messy is fun. They're hardly about to start an office job.

• LadyGlen - do you really think 10 kids out of 30 will come in something inappropriate?!How bizarre. Have never ever seen that at DS's non-uniform school.

oh how i loathe uniform. that ghastly process of trying to make all children alike by dressing them in revolting easy-care clothes.

blu makes excellent points as usual. most of us get to choose what we wear most days and i don't see why children should be an exception.

They're not at school to learn to be individuals; they're there to learn to conform, to show up on time, to become compliant factory and cannon fodder who will march towards the machine guns at a walking pace...

We should put targets on their tummies.

Fishie not contradictory at all I think a quickly ironed polo t-shirt can look smarter than a badly ironed white cotton shirt (which would take me ages!)

Reception year the uniform was optional, the majority (all but one) chose to wear it. Not through peer pressure as they turned up first day of term like it.

Personally I prefer a uniform..apart from white shirt. It means
there is no messing around about what to wear.
there is no bullying over what clothes people have and if it isnt brand name [yes even at 5]
I dont worry about it getting ruined as it is fairly cheap to replace
It is easier to spot your own groups on a trip

Yes at infant level one day you are the in child because you have a Ben 10 sweatshirt on the next day its someone else and you are bily no mates because Mum has put you in your brothers old t-shirt with a tiger on.

Have to say that my DS doesn't look very smart in his bobbly, felt-tip pen stained school sweatshirt and saggy-nearly-through-the-knees grey trousers, with a polo-shirt collar half showing at the neck. In a strange way uniform is more "workwear" than "smartwear". I'd be quite happy if they introduced a logo'ed boilersuit.

BUT it does make him feel like he belongs, saves wear and tear on his own clothes, and since he has odd tastes, stops him going to school in his own choice of strange but comfortable outfits.

I also have a tiny sized child to dress for reception next year (islandofsodor on the prev page) - I'd have bought your trousers! Now Adams has gone I'm probably going to sew trousers from scratch.

I had a small child too, he did look a bit lost in his sweatshirt but I guess they lasted a long time.

I tend to buy the Next school trousers with the elastic adjustment in the waist, but I do have to take them up. Although I thought the quality of the last ones I bought from Next had deteriorated.

Having experienced both, DD1 by far prefers uniform. Particulary now that she is at secondary and there is a certain pressure to wear the "right" brand of shoes, jacket etc, with the associated costs (which I think are VAST). And there's the extra hassle of choosing an oufit each morning which we could all happily live without. Not to mention the fact that 9yo DD2 has yet to grasp the concept of season-appropriate clothing...

Anyway. The only advantage of a strict uniform over a dress code that I can see is that a uniform is much more effective at ironing out the obvious signs of wealth or lack thereof between pupils.

I'm with the Uniform group as I like the simplicity in the morning but my dd still gets to pick from trousers or dress for the day or boots and shoes (no trainers unless they are black) but having said that, my dd goes to my old primary school and the atmosphere there with the uniform in place is no different from when I went there with no uniform. DD's uniform is grey trousers, dress, skirt, white polo, blue jumper or cardigan or fleece (as the boys don't want to wear cardigans) and red PE shirts as many children simply left on their white classroom shirts with black jogging bottoms or shorts. I refused to buy dd a leotard for PE. I don't think any of the girls wear them.

The headteacher tried to enforce a no-padded jacket rule and regulation school satchels (which don't stay closed) as they're 'bulky in narrow corridors' but that only lasted as long as the first cold snap and the reading books coming out .

Interestingly she's also done away with the queueing for registration after the whistle so now the children can enter the school from anytime after 8.45am which most of the parents opposed as they can't hold up say hello to the teacher before school begins proper. It does clear the playground though as lots of Mums used to stand and yak right outside the classrooms windows.

Pro-uniform here for most of the reasons already stated. DD still in her Winter uniform of blue shirt, tie, grey pinafore/tights and black shoes with a grey padded coat. She is really looking forward to returning after Easter in Summer uniform of dress with blazer.

We hardly have to buy her any day clothes (just for weeekends/holidays) and apart from her black school shoes she only has a pair of trainers (which go to school for games/PE), crocs and wellies.

i am completely against uniform for primary schools.

I'll link to a thread i started some time ago.

It will give you a whole laod of reasons to and fro for and against.

fill your boots (as they say )

unform debate

From the point of view of the school, a uniform acts as an advertisement. Pupils can be taught to take pride in themselves and the school. Along with the introduction of a uniform could be a renewed sense of what the school stands for (it's ethos). Why so Bonsoiranna?

Do children express themselves through their clothing? More likely to be the parents expressing themselves methinks.

LOL my DD was telling us exactly what she would and wouldn't buy clothes wise before she was 2.

ok, here are the things i hav found out about unifroms.

1)The gvmnt wants schools to teach global sustanabiltiy/eco friendliness/etc.

2)Schools aften want a unifrom with a specific logo.

3)The office of fair trading are against the school sourcing the unifrom from only one supplier and are looking inot the legality of this.

4)Some people in school want a cheapy cheapy uniform from asda or marks etc.... See point 1 above

5)Some parents shudder at the thought of polyester and sweat shops etc and don't want the unirfomr to be sourced from asda etc.

6. there are cultural and ocial groups in most schools that need to be consulted beofre a unifrom is designed,- or the school needs to give exemption to certain kids for religious/cultural reasons

7)who is going to police it? and will that detract from their teaching time?

8)the school has to make it clear that the introduction of a uniform will not put any parent in finacial distress, nor put people off the schoo, becue they can't afford the uniform.

Soo, the gvmnt suggests the school to source a unifomr ethically and not to use jsut one supplier.
and it also wants the school not to make people buy expensive clothes for the kids, and takes a poor view of schools that using unifrom pricing/sourcing as a socail exclusion.

I don't know where the answer lies.
Globally the issiues are improtatn- we want our children to grow up into a world where they consider other people and cultures and hence not outsourcing our children;s clothing into child work sweat shops seems to be sa good idea.

However, this will amek it exclusive and expensive and exclude groups withing the school... some local authorities gieve a grant to secondray school kids whose parents don't pay for school dinners, but few give money to primary. Hence the school will be asked to help funbd uniforms for people on free school dinners etc.

Oh,a nd all the things toher people say.

I think to niaevely say "it works for ME" isn't quite enough when the governors/parents' group needs to consider these issiues.

HTH and opens the can and insects the worms

I dread to think how many overprice Hannah Montana/High School Musical tops/skirts and jeans dd would be clamouring for if she had no uniform.

I HATE home clothes day.