Primary school - no uniform, what does your child wear to school?

fabforty

Mods - please do not move this to the 'mums' board.

I am looking for advice.

DS is four and starts school in September (yay). The school that he is going to, was my first choice - it has a good reputation, is Ofsted outstanding and is literally five minutes from home, but on the down side, it does not have a uniform. They do have a school sweatshirt, which a few children wear, but that's about it.

I am trying to put together a sort of capsule wardrobe for him for school - basic items, that mix and match and wear well. He goes to nursery at the moment and his nursery clothes consist of jeans and joggers, old tops and t-shirts (old being the key word here, as everything ends up covered in paint, mud, or ripped at the knees). For school he needs to be smarter. I thought about buying a uniform of sorts, dark trousers and white shirts but as no -one else will be in uniform, I don't want him to stand out. On the other hand, it's school not a fashion show!
So I am looking for ideas on what to kit him out in. What do your boys wear to school, and any particular recommendations from the high street will be much appreciated.

peachyprice

For reception I would go for polo shirts rather than shirts and perhaps black joggers for the first year and the school sweatshirt and some pain ones in the same colour for spares.

They spend a lot of time playing in reception, especially on the floor! The jogger/polo combo would be far more comfortable for these early days than shirt/trousers and won't make him stand out too much while still looking smart.

I've always found Sainsbury's uniform to be the best, Tesco and Asda weae out too quickly and M&S isn't worth the extra you pay over Sainsbury's.

lilmiss1982

I agree that polo shirts would be ideal in this situation, you can buy them cheap in all the supermarkets as many school use them as uniform anyway. I would team then up which cheap jogging bottoms then buy the school jumper or similar jumper from the supermarket as it maybe cooler in the winter months.

j.e.j.

If there's no uniform I'd think there's less to worry about, as he can wear pretty much anything (within reason)?

It's silly to put small kids in uniform anyway, imo, because they grow out of it so quickly.

susancs

My children's primary school uniform for the boys consisted of the school sweatshirt, poloshirt, dark grey or black trousers (similar type of shorts in the summer i.e. cut down to the knee trouser type shorts), black shoes. Dark coloured coat. For P.E. It was a different coloured polo shirt, shorts or joggers and plimsoles in a cloth type drawstring bag that hung on their pegs (it was the school logo one).

fabforty

Thanks for the replies and the advice. Polo shirts are definitely a good idea and I will look at jogging pants.
J-e-j - Lack of uniform makes it more difficult for me, at least with a uniform (I don't want to start a uniform debate) I know what to put him in.

peachyprice

fabforty wrote: »

Lack of uniform makes it more difficult for me, at least with a uniform (I don't want to start a uniform debate) I know what to put him in.

I'm with you there, you just want to grab it and go in the morning, not have a discussion with a 5yo at 7.30 in the morning regarding the whereabouts of his favorite t-shirt because that is what he has to wear that day, or the tears when the same t-shirt gets ruined with paint or when Tommy at the next table took it by mistake after PE because he thought that's what he was wearing that day!

Nothing at all wrong with an informal uniform for primary school children, it makes like so much easier.

bouicca21

Gosh - discussions with 5 year olds about clothes? My two had very definite ideas about what they wanted to wear from about 18 months. Some of their choices were truly hideous, but as long as they are clean, and they have a selection of reasonably appropriate stuff, what does it matter? I found that left to themselves they did choose appropriate clothes - you will find they don't want to stand out and will automatically start choosing the same sort of clothes that others wear.

And, yes, at primary school, polo shirts are perfect.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

I was forced to wear school uniform at primary despite it not being compulsory. I hated it - not only did I stand out, all I wanted to do was wear jeans, a t-shirt, jumpers and trainers like everybody else. It took me ages to get changed for activities and I felt stupid struggling with buttons and laces, etc, when everybody else was waiting for me. The blisters from the horribly expensive Clarks' shoes were a constant irritation to me, along with crispy boiled socks that kept falling down. And I was cold in winter, had to be careful of my uniform as white shirts stained; having to sit down and watch my friends do handstands and cartwheels because I was the only one wearing a skirt or getting massive grazes on my knees when I inevitably fell over was another source of hatred for uniform.

Take advantage of their attitude. Even if it stays like that there, it really won't be long in the great scheme of things before you're spending a couple of hundred quid on high school branded stuff, poor quality, expensive but compulsory and he's freezing cold because they aren't allowed to wear coats to school.

My youngest, like most children, went to school looking immaculate. Six hours later, she'd emerge looking as though we lived in a skip. A £1 t-shirt that doesn't show stains is a lot less hassle than buying packs of white shirts that you can't get poster paint out of and need ironing every Sunday night.

jackyann

Lucky you!
My kids all got through primary without a uniform, but it was being introduced as we left.
School trousers don't last nearly as long as jeans.
I agree with all the above, have both jeans & joggers and see what he thinks most comfy day to day.
Easy wash, easy mend, don't show the stains stuff.

balletshoes

OP have to been to/going to go to any of the school's open/parents/familiarisation visits? If so, check out what the little ones are wearing at school, then you'll have an idea of what kind of thing to kit your son out in.