Let's talk School Uniform - Matalan would love to know what you think - £300 to be won NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

Following winning a Mumsnet Rated badge for their range of Teflon coated school uniform, the team at Matalan would love to explore further with Mumsnetters their general views on School Uniform.

Matalan say "we all know uniform can be expensive and time consuming to keep clean/ keep on top of - at Matalan you can kit your kids out for less with our school uniform range, it's packed full of new features and benefits that will mean less ironing and washing for parents - better still, shop the full range online and collect in store for free! We'd love to know your tips and views on uniform in general and how you help your child feel confident at school"

Please share on this thread your views on all or some of the below:

Your general thoughts on school uniform items - what do you want to see in a uniform? What's important to you when picking school uniform for your children? What features do you look for? What styles do your children like/ hate?

Do you think a school uniform helps your child feel confident during the school year? How?

How do you encourage your children to go back to school after school holidays with confidence? What concerns do you have - if any - about sending your children to school for the first time/back to school after the holidays?
What tips do you have for helping your child get the most out of school all year round?

At what age do your children start getting dressed themselves for school: what tips can you share for encouraging this?

And for those who do a school run - how much - if at all, do you care or think about what you wear to drop off or pick up from school?

Add your comments to this thread and you will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will win a £300 voucher to spend in Matalan (a Love2Shop voucher)

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

Standard Insight T and Cs apply

Love uniform as nobody needs to even think about what they're wearing the next day. I appreciate that some uniform is very expensive but in my experience those last far longer than their supermarket equivalents. So actually better value.

DC's primary only had a set jumper or cardi. More expensive than supermarket but very hard wearing and lasted really well. One jumper was worn by DS and DD afterwards.

Everything else could be supermarket as long as it was grey. Ideal as those wanting jersey could get it and I could get jeans style trousers for DS as others always split in the crotch(???).

At secondary both DC love their Blazers as they have loads of little pockets so they can find stuff. I like the fact that each of them only needed 2 in their whole time at school. Amazingly good value in terms of cost per wear. Wash and hang and dries overnight. Perfect.

I love uniform for myself too. I get two navy suits, 5 shirts, 5 t shirts and a couple of scarves. All wash and hang so no ironing - hurray!

In ten years of sending DC to non uniform schools I have never once had a fight about what they wear, nor has there ever been any bullying. Is London different to the rest of the place, or have people got weird ideas about the non uninformed??

We are also in London and DC went to a non uniform school that then adopted uniform. It has been a hundred times harder to manage uniform than normal clothes was. Personally I think that the vast majority of people in the UK have not experienced non uniform and therefore have ideas about it that sound likely but aren't in fact backed up by reality (eg uniform stops you thinking about what you wear - NO, completely the opposite IME).

I'm glad my son wears a uniform because he is 5 and gets so messy every day. He loves it because he feels smart and grown up. He dresses himself for school, except for his top button! For me it needs to be easy to clean and hard to spoil. His logo jumpers went bobbly after the first wash which is annoying. Apart from the jumpers I buy everything from the super market. The cheaper the better, they get covered in paint and mud so I don't want expensive things.

Your general thoughts on school uniform items - what do you want to see in a uniform? What's important to you when picking school uniform for your children? What features do you look for? What styles do your children like/ hate?
I want items that wash and wear well with minimum ironing. I want plain styles with waist and length options because those adjustable waists look awful when you have a slim child.
Dd doesn't mind her uniform, it saves on stress anyway. Her requirements are not shiny,not stretchy and no elasticated waists, pockets are great and with zips even better. Shirts need to be long sleeve, with shaping as she doesn't want to look like a sack of spuds. Sweaters need to keep their shape, not go shiny and have turn back cuffs that don't fray.

Do you think a school uniform helps your child feel confident during the school year? How?
I think uniform helps with a sense of belonging and allows the less confident children to feel more anonymous

How do you encourage your children to go back to school after school holidays with confidence? What concerns do you have - if any - about sending your children to school for the first time/back to school after the holidays?
We make the most of the holidays and play down the return to school tbh and make it as routine as possible.

What tips do you have for helping your child get the most out of school all year round?
Remind them adult life is 100 times more tedious than school

At what age do your children start getting dressed themselves for school: what tips can you share for encouraging this?
Mine would have been four or five, I bought pull on clothes to help and always encouraged them to do what they could for themselves.

And for those who do a school run - how much - if at all, do you care or think about what you wear to drop off or pick up from school?
I don't get out of the car so don't care what I wear tbh, have been known to wear joggers and slippers if I'm running late.Put a decent coat over the top and nobody is aware of what is underneath

theresamustgo same here - 3 kids including a pretty teen girl at non uniform schools and no problems at all. Normal clothes are far more practical and easier to dress in a weather and activity appropriate way in. Most kids just wear jeans and a t shirt / jumper and trainers/ sneakers/ boots.

Agree people imagine problems that just don't happen and that in uniform school children actually think more about what they are wearing and how to subvert it, especially at secondary.

This is a sponsored thread by a company selling teflon coated uniform though, so they probably aren't interested in opinions which don't help them sell teflon coated uniform

Can we please have high cotton, slim fit (like several waist sizes smaller for the length - my nearly 8 year old is currently wearing M&S extra long aged 5 with the elastic waist pulled in) trousers. Roll on shorts weather.

My 5 and nearly 8 year olds get themselves dressed.

I don't give 2 hoots about what i look like on the school run.

Our 7yo son attends a specialist ASD school. He wears a uniform, and for him that is part of his school routine - those particular clothes mean "school" as opposed to weekend or holiday.

His uniform has to be hard-wearing, all items are washed after only one day's wear (often half-a-day, school will change him into spares if he gets particularly mucky). Trousers must be particularly tough, and adjustable on the waist; so long as the legs are straight I can adjust the length.

No school drop-off for us, he is collected from home by minibus. I've been known to hand him over to the escort whilst I'm still wearing pyjamas (I was poorly) so she's seen me at my worst!

Uniform should be easy to obtain from high street shops and preferably in primary colours for Nursery and infants .
Fastenings need to be Velcro or elasticated if possible

Your general thoughts on school uniform items - what do you want to see in a uniform? What's important to you when picking school uniform for your children? What features do you look for? What styles do your children like/ hate?
I like school uniform; means they know what they have to wear and also good that most kids are wearing similar. Most important feature is adjustable waists! Absolute must have for my DC!
What would be lovely would be proper shoes for girls! Why do none of them cover their whole foot or have a decent sole?! Girls have to walk to school too and go in the rain and play - they need to be more robust rather than slip on, frilly nonsense! (have recently been school shoe shopping for DD...)

Do you think a school uniform helps your child feel confident during the school year? How?
Not necessarily more confident, just makes them fit in more with other kids in the school.

How do you encourage your children to go back to school after school holidays with confidence? What concerns do you have - if any - about sending your children to school for the first time/back to school after the holidays?
What tips do you have for helping your child get the most out of school all year round?
None of my DC have had any problems going back to school after holidays and I have no concerns.

At what age do your children start getting dressed themselves for school: what tips can you share for encouraging this?
My DC have all been independently dressing themselves from about 3 so when they start school, they are already doing it - they have needed a help with their tie for the first week or so. No real tips for encouraging it - my DC have all wanted to do it themselves so I've just let them.

And for those who do a school run - how much - if at all, do you care or think about what you wear to drop off or pick up from school?
I really don't care what I wear, so long as I'm covered/decent - just the same as any other day. :)

I like my children wearing school uniform so I don't have to worry about what they wear during the week. I like uniforms that are easy to clean and that I don't have to iron. My children have tiny waists so I like the once that can be adjusted with buttons.

My daughter is in secondary school and for her I buy non-iron shirts and trousers/shirts. My son in in Junior school and for him I need tops stain resistant. Both my children started getting their uniforms on their own at age 5, I just got everything ready for them the evening before and let them get dressed in their own time. I don't do the school run so I don't have to worry on what to wear in the mornings to take them to school.

I love that my daughter can wear uniform. It's a leveller. She can get it messy, and it just throws in the wash. I like the fact she doesn't get choice, and we do not need a debate every day over what she wears.
I need a uniform that is simple. And easy colours. Plus, it helps if the colours are available in stores like Matalan!

Ds1 starts school in Sept I am not looking forward to uniform shopping. My criteria will be affordable, as I also work full time I'm going to need lots of spares to keep us going through the week. He is very fussy too so I'm sure he'll have a say too.

Your general thoughts on school uniform items - what do you want to see in a uniform? What's important to you when picking school uniform for your children? What features do you look for? What styles do your children like/ hate? Ds goes to schol this year so my opinions may change but I'd say easy to get on a and off smart and temperature appropriate.

Do you think a school uniform helps your child feel confident during the school year? How? I think it gets them in the learning zone.

How do you encourage your children to go back to school after school holidays with confidence? What concerns do you have - if any - about sending your children to school for the first time/back to school after the holidays? I hated going back but kids these days dont seem so worried so hopefully my dc will be the same.
What tips do you have for helping your child get the most out of school all year round? Enjoy it but also take time to digest what you learn each day.

At what age do your children start getting dressed themselves for school: what tips can you share for encouraging this? Not there yet but trying....

And for those who do a school run - how much - if at all, do you care or think about what you wear to drop off or pick up from school? We get a school bus and I will be fully dressed with make up!

Uniform items in navy blue (particularly boys trousers) and jade coloured sweatshirts (almost impossible to find anywhere )
Also an autism friendly range -like M and S, but cheaper. Please.

I like uniform - it keeps everyone the same and no need to think what to wear every day.

Can you make jumpers and polo tops that are boardmarker repellent? Please?

I like to have well fitting, good quality, hard wearing uniforms.

If a child feels comfortable and happy with their uniform. I think it helps them to feel more confident in school in general.

I would ensure they felt loved, supported and respected at home. This leads to more confident children.
At what age do your children start getting dressed themselves for school: what tips can you share for encouraging this?
Allowing children's to make choices about their clothing. And encouraging dressing for school as soon a a they start. Even if they are choosing which white shirt and only able to put on their own socks. Each little bit helps towards a more independent child eventually

I like adjustable waist bands,
Collars that stay straight.
Would like to see unshrinkable polo shirts as I tumble everything,
Gloves that don't get lost,
Uniform wipes for when im too lazy to wash their jumpers and it only has a little mark on it.
Socks that don't get holey.
Long shorts for summer, below knee.
A book bag that fits large books that's not a rucksack.

Colour aside (non white polos and royal blue sweaters and then you might actually get my attention) I need school uniform to be bombproof and survive the washer and dryer. Natural fibre rich fabrics are also a winner, as both of my boys are prone to heat rashes in anything else.

So far, after 10 years of kids at school, only Next seems to win on all counts.

I don;t want to knock supermarket uniform, btw - had royal blue cotton V-neck jumpers from Sainsburys and JL. Sainsbury's half the price and thinner and DS2 did his trick of unravelling the cuffs, but the JL ones have shrunk massively around the ribbing, so aren't very wearable.

Eggsy I do driver and escort handover with DS1 - often at 7:15 - they're used to seeing me with my jammies on and tits round my waste! I do put clothes on to take DS2 to school (also ASD), but that might be the scruffy joggers I'm going to wear to bottom the bathroom and strip his pissy bed!

Uniform is all about practicality for me - it's simple, no arguments about what to wear in the morning and it's smart. I am lucky in that the colours we need for primary and secondary are grey. black and white which are all widely available. My main criteria is that everything washes well and still looks good after months of daily wear. If someone could invent a polo shirt which repelled felt tip, white board pen, playdough and school paint that would be fab.

My main gripe is struggling to find slim fit shirts for my rapidly growing teenage boy - regular or even some slim fit hang off him. Also trousers for older boys with pull in waists as he hates wearing a belt.

Love school uniform. Reduces bullying.

Natural fabrics are always a winner, but need to balance this with great washability, durability, price. Less tendancy to bobble after only a couple of washes. Trousers for the younger ones need to be available with elasticated waists - for comfort & because they often can't manage buttons yet, & the teachers & TAs can't be constantly helping kids after their loo breaks (plus it's embarrassing for the kids, not being able to manage on their own). For button-up waistbands - they must be adjustable!
My DD is in Reception, she dresses herself, as recommended by school. Otherwise PE consists of the teachers helping 20+ kids get changed, a quick run around, & it's time to get changed again.
I work f/t so only do a couple of drop offs & pick ups due to shifts. Frankly as long as I'm decent I don't care - I certainly don't dress up for it!
We make an effort to read with DD both at home & out & about. Likewise writing, counting & basic maths. It's part of life, not something specific to school. She gets lots of praise for all effort, regardless of how "well" she does.

I love school uniforms - easy to sort out in the morning and no discrimination between pupils.

It needs to be easy to wash and dry (ideally overnight) and hard wearing. I would much rather buy uniform that lasts and pay a bit more for it than shirts/trousers/jumpers that look awful after a couple of washes.

I like a "proper" school uniform i.e. skirt/pinafore/proper shirt and hand tied tie. Hate the look of primary school kids in tracksuit bottoms and a jumper with a poloneck.