Fuss-Free School Uniforms - [Guide]

School uniform is a great concept in principle, it prevents agonising mornings of choice over outfit combinations and complaints about not having any decent clothes. School uniforms teach children the importance of dressing smartly and prepares them for the conformity of work and life after school. It also removes some of the barriers regarding appearance, when pupils are dressed the same way they do not have to concern themselves with how everyone looks. As good an idea as it is there is still the hassle of organising everything. Obtaining the right shade of green cardigan or a pair of navy shorts sounds easy, but if you’re not quick enough you might find yourself scrambling around for the right size or colour just before the new term dawns.

You also need to take into account logos, does your school require a blazer with the school logo on? Perhaps they offer school bags with logos and your child would like one for the start of the new term. It’s worth making a list of the items you think your child will need and check with your school. Many have a school uniform policy and provide a list of what’s required.

The school may request that certain garments bear the school logo (such as cardigans, sweaters and blazers) and your school may also require pupils to wear a tie. You will need to check where you can purchase school uniform with the correct logo on and might need to go to a specialist uniform shop. You should be able to purchase standard items such as polo shirts and grey skirts or trousers from supermarkets and high-street retailers. Go for quality coupled with affordability, your child will be wearing their uniform most of the year, so it needs to wash and wear well unless you are happy to keep buying replacement items. Some schools have uniform on sale at their open days or have second-hand uniform sales.

When you have purchased all the items of uniform you require get it ready before the first day back to school. Remove any tags and make sure it’s clean and pressed so your child feels confident and ready for the new academic year. It’s wise to purchase name labels to add to their uniform and belongings, with so many other pupils wearing the same items it’s easy to get cardigans and blazers mixed up.

Also, children have a habit of misplacing items (especially if they are moving from class to class). Make it easier for them to be reunited with their items or easier for yourself if you find yourself wading through a sea of blue pinafores and PE shorts in lost property, by making sure every item is labelled with name tags.