What would you wear to work in a Reception class?

[NoRoomForALittleOne]

I work with children and families and normally I spend a lot of time visiting classes, especially Early Years. I struggle to know what to wear to balance practicality and looking professional. I’ve also put on a fair bit of weight since having Covid so feel pretty rubbish about how I look. I’m 5 ft 3, pear shaped and a size 12-14 (always used to be a size 8). Please style me!

I go for smart trousers and top
Or a longish dress with thick tights and leggings

Stuff that you don't mind ruining - nothing expensive! Think more smart casual and comfortable fabrics, it needs to be stuff that you can bend/crouch/squat in if you're interacting with kids. Watch hem lengths and necklines there too so that you don't get unwanted gaping as you move.

Personally I'd think smart trousers and a top or a dress with tights. For shoes I usually do flat boots.

smart trousers and top

Tunic or longline top or shirt over the trousers, so you don't get the top riding up and leaving a gap at the waist if you move about. Figure skimming but loose enough to allow for movement.

I learnt early on not to wear tights in reception unless you want to be licked or stroked. Tunic and trousers it is then!

As a mum who spends a lot of time on the floor, bending over and generally gambolling around, Dungarees and jumpsuits IMO

Something simple and comfortable.

I work with younger children in a classroom. Usually wear longline tunic and a leggings or trouser type leggings. Always comfortable flat shoes or sandals in the summer. Flat boots for Autumn Winter

Anything in the trouser department needs to be nice and stretch and moveable for all the kneeling down and sitting on the floor you will do

I worked in Reception for many years. In the end I had almost a uniform - dark trousers (easily washed) and a smartish top. Cardigan on normal days and a jacket if anything special was happening and I needed to look smarter.

But the most crucial thing was they were washable. Nothing dry clean-only. PVA glue, paint and playdough were the main culprits. Vomit, blood and snot occasionally too. 🤢

The trick is that the clothes need to have the properties of hospital scrubs but with a different visual.
So starting at the top - neck line so no boobs showing, no one can grab and nothing can fall in/ out.
Sleeves- tricky one in an free flow in/out setting. Scrubs come above the elbow. Keep forearm accessible so you can wash easily. No gaping armpits, see neckline.
Midriff- overlap of fabric needed to ensure modesty is maintained.
Lower body- covered to knee so even if you need to crawl you are safely gathered in.
Foot ware- flexible to bend sturdy enough to be run over by a study 4 year old on a scooter.

Actual suggestions perhaps chinos , long line top, unstructured jacket and leather trainers.

Long tunic/top and trousers, and definitely comfortable flat shoes!
This is the sort of thing, but ideally cheaper!
www.seasaltcornwall.co.uk/clothing/dresses-tunics/tunic-tops/st-agnes-clay-ramie-cotton-tunic.htm
Easy to wash essential. Scarves and jewellery can work - but nothing that trails and is easy for small hands to grab!

Sainsbury's usually have some tunics similar to the sea salt ones but cheaper!

I'm a nursery/reception teacher and have never been licked wearing tights (any more than I have in other clothes!). I find trousers invite little hands creeping up them if you're sitting on a chair to do storytime and have a child sitting at your feet but it's just one of those things to remind the children that it's not polite to do. On cooler days I tend to wear tights and swing dresses from Amazon, the HiQueen brand are very reasonable and wash really well. For warmer days it's patterned trousers and a t-shirt or a maxi-dress with short sleeves or a cover up type thing so my shoulders are covered. If I know I'm going to be stationed outside all day when the weather isn't great I'll wear leggings (two pairs for cold days) and a tunic type top and layer up with cardigans, waterproof coat and wellies.

So many helpful responses - thank you! As for the licking of tights, we’ll, they had a sensory appeal for one lad with SEN and I was warned to not wear them again. So I wore leggings with tunic (currently too fat to wear them) and boots but he just sat and fiddled with a tab on the top of my boots and then licked them. They can’t have tasted nice. Do you know, I cannot wait to be back in the classroom from September even if the children do like to fiddle with my clothes.

Thermal socks (and other bits) for the winter.

Most reception classes now have in and out free flow and the children don't seem to notice that you've had to break the ice on the water play area!!

I work with adults with cognitive and psychiatric disorders, but some of the clothing issues are the same, although I can wear jeans which teachers generally can't.

I wear allbirds machine washable shoes (very important - if something unpleasant gets on your shoes ypu can stick them in the washing machine, but they don't look machine washable or like nurses shoes, they're made of wool and other natural fibers mostly).

If not wearing jeans I wear linen-viscose mix trousers - these would be smart enough for a reception teacher, they are loose enough to move in including squating (to look at or deal with wounds on legs or feet or help with shoes in my case) and obviously machine washable - viscose content means they don't need ironing. I have 3 pairs from Next (don't need more as I generally wear 501s if the weather isn't hot - they have excellent pockets, which is also important!)

I have jersey shirts from the white stuff for my tops - short sleeved for summer, but for winter I have ones with the sleeves fastened up to elbow length with a band that's part of the shirt - perfect for avoiding getting sleeves in anything yucky, but doesn't look too summery as they are technically long sleeves. Jersey shirts look smarter than t-shirts but don't need ironing if you hang them up straight out of the machine. The length is good untucked to avoid exposing middift if stretching to reach something from a shelf etc. Obviously it depends on your height but on an average height woman the length works.