Peaceful Primary: Uniform Tips!

It's that time of year, getting ready for the new year. Chances are your child has grown out of their uniform and will need some new ones. But how can you go about balancing price vs quality? Read on my friends!

NOTE: this mainly applies to public schools, but may also apply to some private schools. Take careful note as all of the points may not necessarily apply to you. This also mostly applies to primary school students, but I'll also take into account some high school ones.

• First, check with your school regarding the uniform. Many schools will have samples in the front office, or alternately their uniform room (if they have one). Sometimes they'll provide a list in the school handbook or on the website of what is acceptable. Usually, there is some degree of leeway.
• Secondly, schools will use the terms "dress code" and "uniform" interchangably. Unless they are an alternative school that doesn't rely on a uniform (and there are a small handful of those in Australia), they pretty much refer to the same thing. 

To address this, I'll go down each item of clothing individually. 

Tops:

• Many schools are switching over to identifiable polo tops that might have certain features such as piping or a different coloured collar to the rest of the shirt. Despite this, many schools will still allow students to wear plain shirts in similar colours provided they're otherwise plain, or with a school-sold iron-on/sew-on logo. You can usually purchase the plain shirts from Kmart, Target or Big W where they're available in a variety of colours (usually yellow, sky blue, navy blue, maroon, bottle green or red) 
• If you do go with the "put school logo on shirt" option, please consider getting the sew-on option where possible. Iron-on logos tend to fall off or fall apart.
• Try as you might, but if your child's uniform has a white shirt, that shirt will get stained by the end of the day. If your child's school demands that they wear a white shirt, please question why this is the case and/or if there is an alternative, especially for primary school students.  
• For winter, most schools will allow students to wear certain long-sleeved shirts underneath or they may have a long-sleeved alternative. I would recommend these two unless your child gets hot really easily, over wearing a jumper if it's not quite that cold in the morning.
• If you do opt to go down the jumper route, please label them with a label that is ironed on or stitched-on and has their name printed on it-not handwritten. Please do not write their name on the tag-it will fade off over time (even sharpies). All it really needs to be is your child's full name, don't put their class or year level on there. (it confuses the staff especially if the school is a large one.)
• Also, if you do go down the jumper route, this is one time when I would not only recommend ordering from the school directly, but also going a size or 2 up. While they can get expensive, they are generally much easier to identify from a distance and if your child is of the absconding type, they're going to need all the identifying clothing they can get.  
• For younger children, it is generally not a good idea to give them a hooded jumper for school as it can get caught in things and is a choking hazard. Keep it for outside of school and if they do opt to wear a hoodie at school, make sure the cord is removed.  

Dresses: 

• Unless your child's school says otherwise, PLEASE keep these for summer only. They're far too thin for winter, even with tights and a jumper.
• Some smaller public primary schools will allow for the checked dresses available from the likes of Target and Kmart, while larger ones will have their own dresses that need to be ordered directly from them. The difference between the Target/Kmart ones and the direct-order ones is that the direct-order ones typically have their own pattern (as opposed to the generic blue/red/green-and-white gingham), the pattern is all over the uniform (while the generic ones typically leave the collar and cuffs white) and they're generally cut a little easier for movement (the generic ones tend to lack this) 
• While it is unlikely that your child will lose their dress of all things, it does happen, so the rule about iron-on/sew-in name tags applies here. 
• Finally, if your child does wish to wear a dress to school, please make sure they either wear sports underwear (this is typically in black, navy, bottle green or maroon and is plain), tights (if the weather is slightly cool but not cold enough for pants/jumper and if they're not going to be doing PE) or bike shorts (if your child is still quite young and/or prone to "accidents", I would not recommend this as it's another thing that will get wet) underneath. Your child and the school will thank you for it. 

Pinafores:

• again, unless your child's school says otherwise, keep these for winter only. They're generally too thick for summer. 
• If the school pinafore is one that has a detachable bib and the overall pattern is the same as the school skirt, buy a pinafore one or two sizes up if you can. When your child gets too old for the pinafore (or if the school asks that students above a certain age not wear the pinafore), you can just remove the bib and voila! Extra skirt! If the bib isn't detachable, you may need to get creative with a sewing machine or have it professionally altered. Either way, you can still get some wear out of it once they're too old for the pinafore. 
• You may need to tack the hem up a bit for length. This also helps get the most wear out of the garment. 
• If your child is wearing a pinafore to school, the same rules about underwear and sew-on tags apply. 

Skirts/Shorts/Pants: 

• If you can find double-knee trackpants, get them. It will save you (and them) money in the long run. (It simply means that there's an extra layer sewn into the knees of the trackpants, so if the top layer wears out, the bottom layer will cover up any signs of wear from a distance.)
• For "summer" skirts, shorts and skorts (this also applies to dresses), get your child to kneel down while wearing the aforementioned item of clothing. If you can fit an entire palm width between the bottom of the garment and the floor, then it's too short for them. If the hem of the skirt/shorts/skort/dress is being knelt on, (unless the school says otherwise), it's likely too long and may cause problems unless you tack the hem up. (Some private schools dictate the skirt length to be somewhere between knee length and mid-calf)
• To get the most out of the skirts or dresses (or even shorts), tack up the hem with a handful of tacking stitches when you buy the item. As your child grows, the hem can be taken down. If you are going down this route, it's best to buy a size up to account for this. 
• Skorts are a godsend if your child wishes to wear a skirt and be active. What is a skort? Typically, it's a pair of shorts with a panel across the front that gives the appearance of a skirt from the front. Some manufacturers (Target included) will also advertise skorts as being of the "skirt with built-in bike shorts" variety, rather than the "panel across the front" variety. This generally means that if they are on monkey bars or in PE, they won't be flashing all and sundry and they can still move very freely.  
• For shorts, try and refrain from getting basketball shorts unless it's part of the PE uniform. They tend to not last as long as the shorts marketed as "school shorts" because the material is also thinner and softer. The "school shorts" are more durable and will last much longer. Boardshorts are also a no-no as they're generally too thin. 
• For girls in the middle years (year 5/6-9) and beyond, they may wish to wear "trendier" pants. If they do wish to wear these, please refrain from purchasing them from anywhere apart from Target/Big W/Kmart/Lowes, shops designated as "schoolwear" shops (that is, they ONLY sell schoolwear/workwear) or from the school directly.
• Parachute trackpants or parachute shorts are also another acceptable option for primary students (secondary students not so much), but may be discouraged for noise reasons. If your child does opt to wear these, check them regularly and make repairs as needed as the material is quite fragile.   
• For private schools and nearly all public high schools, trackpants, leggings or yoga pants are a big no-no outside of PE or Dance lessons. Even then, for PE lessons, they may ask that your child wears a set "PE Uniform" or "Sports Uniform" for obvious reasons.  
• Finally, make sure that the pants have pockets and check the pockets regularly before washing. Many a notice has gone into those pants and wound up shredded all over the washing! 

Socks/Tights/Pantyhose:

• While most, if not all schools will have a rule on what socks are to be worn, how much they enforce this rule varies. For private schools, this may be enforced more heavily than public schools, especially if they dictate that the socks need to be a certain length (they'll then insist that they're a certain colour as well and/or dictate that they come from the uniform shop) and usually comes down to the teacher's discretion. 
• While it may be tempting to do, please do not send your child to school in socks with adornments around the ankle (such as pom-poms, bracelets or frills). They will get dirty, torn or lost quite easily. 
• For dignity's sake (and also hygiene), please do not send your child to school in socks with sandals (unless the sandal is completely enclosed-something like this is OK to wear socks with) 
• Take advantage of any sales throughout the year and stock up on socks regularly. I would also recommend that if you have multiple children in the house, to buy multiple sets of socks with different coloured toes/heels or even different colours entirely and allocate certain colours to each child. Using the "sew thread"/nailpolish method doesn't work if it fades or that area develops a hole. Kmart and Big W are great for these-they don't need to be pricey. 
• If your child wishes to wear tights to school during winter, there are two general rules for this: the first is that they're required to be footed tights (footless tights look like leggings) and the second is that they're generally required to be one of the school colours or alternately white or grey. Keep this in mind when shopping. 
• For high school students, they are generally given the OK to wear tights as part of their winter uniform. At this stage, they'll likely insist on them being a certain "denier." This just means that they're more opaque and less sheer. If they don't, 70 denier is generally a good thickness (anything over around 100 stops being tights and starts being leggings). Footless tights are generally a no-no. 

Shoes:

First off, before I go into my tips, take note that most, if not all private schools, dictate the wearing of black leather "school shoes", with variants on style as needed. That said, this information is still handy for sports uniforms, so don't discard this section entirely. Most of this section also really only applies to students under the Year 10 mark-students in Years 10-12 may have the rules on their dress code relaxed a little, so keep this in mind. 

• General no-nos for shoes at school are flip-flops (aka "thongs"), ugg boots, slippers, fancy shoes (i.e. the kind you might have your child wear to a wedding) including thong-like sandals, clogs or variants of these (i.e. Crocs), ballet flats (even if they have straps), shoes with high heels/wedges/platforms or anything that could be construed as otherwise inappropriate. 
• Good options for your child would either be the black leather "school shoes" that are worn commonly by private school students (these may have a heel, this is generally accepted provided the heel isn't stupidly high), sneakers, canvas lace-up shoes (think say, a pair of adidas vs. a pair of Converse for what I'm getting at), slip-on canvas shoes, boots or sandals where the toe and heel are completely covered. 
• It may be tempting for your child to get the "REALLY COOL" shoes, but unless their feet have stopped growing, it'll be cheaper for you (and them) to avoid these shoes. Also, please do not send your child to school in heelies or variants of this-they are generally frowned upon for safety reasons. (Skate shoes also tend to have a short lifespan both in quality and in fashion) 
• If your child cannot tie shoelaces, please do not send them to school in lace-up shoes. 
• For high school students, sneakers, lace-ups, boots or Mary Jane style shoes are an absolute MUST for OHS reasons. Even if they are not taking technology, PE, Science or Home Ec subjects, that does not mean they will be avoiding those classrooms or spaces.

Hair, Makeup and Accessories.

• Check with your child's school on acceptable haircuts for both genders. There will be some leeway on what is considered to be unacceptable, but the gender divide on hair is more prominent in the private system than the public (that is, girls might be OK with long hair, boys not so much). 
• For boys, shaving designs into the head, rattails, mullets and similar are generally a good way to get written off as a troublemaker or bogan by both teachers and students. For girls, any sort of "trashy" hairstyle will get the same treatment. 
• For both genders, go easy on the hair products. While you may have heard the trick about using hair products to prevent head lice from invading your child's scalp, it doesn't work. (I'll cover the dreaded head lice in another post) 
• Many schools (both public and private) will encourage or insist on your child using hairties or clips that match the school colours. These are quite easy to obtain from most shops and supermarkets and may also make it easier for you when you're doing their hair. Some schools may also have these (along with ribbons) in their uniform shop. Keep these in a separate bag/pouch so they don't get lost. 
• Regardless of whether or not you use the "school colour" hairties, I highly highly recommend going for the snagless elastics. The ones with the metal bit on them WILL get caught in your child's hair at some stage, whereas the snagless ones do not have this issue. 
• Also, pony up a bit for these-while it may be tempting to buy the super-cheap bobbles and hair ties from the local Reject Shop, they fall apart quite quickly, aren't as secure and also may contain other bits or pieces that will catch on hair. Save them for home. 
• If you have multiple school-age children (regardless of the school they attend), it may be worth making up separate "hair bags" for them. Purchase a cheap makeup bag (they're readily available at department stores, chemists, supermarkets and such), add a hairbrush, comb, nit comb (just in case), a supply of hair ties, ribbons, clips and bobby pins and voila! It also helps reduce the risk of headlice.
• Makeup for primary students is a flat-out no-no. Makeup for secondary students is also generally a flat-out no-no, however some schools may allow for it provided that it's discrete and not immediately obvious (for example, if your child is wearing a light foundation and maybe a hint of lipgloss, it will be more accepted than one who is wearing a bronzer, eyeshadow, mascara and so on). 
• Jewellery tends to be limited to watches, studs or sleepers (and even then I recommend studs as sleepers can still catch on hair or other students may pull on them) and maybe an item of religious significance (schools may vary on this). Occasionally, a necklace may also be worn if it's of a modest nature. This is almost entirely for OHS reasons over any reason to squash fashion trends. 

Commemorative Tops:

These are usually doled out in Years 5-7 (depending on state and school) and Year 12. I would suggest ponying up for at least 1 jumper and 2 shirts if they provide these as an option. Even better, go for 3 shirts if you can stretch it that far. Why 3? One can be signed at the end of the year, 2 for wearing during the year. For the jumper/jacket going up a size is recommended.

Exemptions:

Most schools are not that heartless and will understand that from time to time, things happen. By law or by policy, most public schools will make exceptions in their dress code for the following reasons:

• Financial hardship (this is on a case-by-case basis and the school may be able to work with you for being able to afford the uniform.)
• Cultural or ethnic (this may be a little rarer nowadays, but may be that for example, your child might be allowed to wear certain items during certain times)
• Religious (this one is a little easier to modify and most schools are now incorporating parts of this into their standard dress code. What this may typically look like is the allowance of a student to wear religious dress provided it's in the school colours. Note that schools can and do check up on these things and will not simply take your word for it.) 
• If you are a brand new student (this ground is a little harder to prove nowadays given that most parents would have their child settled into the area well before they move schools. That said, as some schools are tightening uniform policies to include items that can't be purchased from Kmart, it's a little harder)
• If there's a genuine medical need for it (this might be that for example, the student can wear a sandal to allow for a swollen or infected foot that's being treated, or that they can wear shorts to allow for a knee brace/cast)
• Mobile or transient students (the school would be aware of this. Examples of this might be families where one or both parents are in the defence force, emergency force or where one parent is escaping an abusive relationship) 
• Any other situations (these are assessed on a case-by-case basis)

These are not automatically granted however and parents do need to take their case to the principal as soon as they are aware of the matter (for example, if it's a surgical thing, making the school aware before the surgery). Some states will require it to be done within 3 weeks of the term. These exemptions are usually temporary although in some cases, they may be ongoing. If your child is attending a K-12 school, any exemptions may not necessarily apply when your child moves overto the high school.

Schools may also insist that students with exemptions are restricted to certain areas of the school during recess and lunchtime. While this may seem like a case of putting on a "front" and that the school cares about image more, this is actually more so they can be easily located and not mistaken for a non-student.

For private schools, the same general principle applies. 

FAQS and other questions:

What about hats?

There are generally 3 varieties of hat available to school students both primary and secondary. They are a bucket hat (aka "fisherman's hat), wide-brimmed hat (sometimes called a "Greg Chappell" hat or "cricket hat") or a legionnaire's hat (which is a caped baseball cap). The school will typically ask that your child has a school hat and this is not a bad thing. In order I would recommend going for a bucket hat, legionnnaire's hat and wide-brimmed hat. Why this order? Wide-brimmed hats don't always grow with your child's head (of the other two, one is typically larger to allow for this and the other is adjustable) and a lot of them do not have a breakaway cord, thus making them a choking hazard. If you do opt for a wide-brimmed hat, make sure that it has a breakaway cord. 

If my child can't tie shoelaces, why should I not send them to school in lace-ups?

Part of being at school is learning to gain some degree of independence. By this age, your child should be able to dress themselves and thus this extends to shoes. Shoes with buckles (such as sandals) or shoes with velcro are generally easier for little hands to manipulate and helps them work on those fine motor skills needed for tying up shoelaces. Save the lace-ups for when they're at home and get them to practice tying them right then and there. I would only recommend replacing laces with elastic if your child's school absolutely demands lace-up shoes and no other alternative, simply because as your child's foot grows, the buckles/velcro can be adjusted, elastics don't always have that luxury.

Do you work for Kmart/Big W/Target? You keep mentioning them! 

I'm only mentioning them as typically around this time of year, they will start stocking most "staple" uniform items such as polo shirts, shorts, pants and so on. Some of these items are good for private schools if they're not too picky about the school logo being on the clothing. If you're not wanting to fork out $50 for a shirt, then those three can usually provide stuff of a semi-decent quality. 

I don't want to go to Kmart/Big W/Target, can you suggest anywhere else?

Lowes (Australia Lowes), Best n Less, any shop that designates itself as a schoolwear shop and some workwear stores. And yes, Lowes do sell school uniform "staples" for both genders-they are not just a menswear store. For dresses in either category, unless your child's school allows for the colour-and-white gingham, they'll need to go direct to the school.

Why do you discourage writing their name on the tag, even if there's a space for it? 
The problem with those particular tags is threefold:

-They generally do not hold ink very well and even laundry pens can fade or smudge over time.
-If your child has a sensory issue and can't cope with the tags on the clothing, they generally need to be cut off (it's not always just that the tag is rubbing because it's moving, it may also be the composition of the tag fabric) negating the need for it.
-Finally, there's generally not enough space for a full name to be put on there so if your child has a long name, they can't really have the name on the tag and use short forms/nicknames generally doesn't work.

The added benefit of the iron/sew-on labels is that they can be put in a place that's not immediately irritating to the student (such as on the bottom) and they can also be firmly ironed/stitched into place reducing the irritability issue. Many, many places will allow you to order custom-made printed labels with your child's name on it and if you own a labelmaker, the two main varieties sold in shops (Brother and Dymo) sell label "tapes" that are of a fabric nature.

Why are ballet flats not an allowed option? They cover the toes and feet! 

They're generally forbidden for the following reasons:

-They slip off easily.
-While they do appear to encase the toes/heel, not all varieties of ballet flat do this. (most in fact, only just cover the toes)
-They provide very minimal support for the foot, especially when you're active.
-The sole is also often very thin.
-It also minimises that "cost" thing, as ballet flats can run the gamut from $5 at Kmart to $150 in some places.
-Finally, ballet flats also tend to fall into that realm of "party shoes."

Canvas slip-on shoes and canvas flats that look like ballet flats do generally have a lot more support and coverage, but for fairness sake, the latter tend to be banned.

What about if my child has special needs?

If your child has special needs, the same rule around exemptions applies. I would suggest talking to your child's GP or therapists about modifications. Alternately the school can also assist.

What about if my child has an injury?
For temporary injuries, the rule about exemptions does apply. Generally speaking, if the area needs to be kept "exposed" or covering it causes discomfort, schools will relax a little on the coverage rules. If your child breaks their arm/wrist, it is still possible to get them into their school uniform tops/shirts-you will need to lift their arm right up and it'll take some time to slip the casted arm/hand into the sleeve. Then simply replace the sling (if they have one) and you're done! For winter, you may need to use a jacket instead of a jumper.  If your child breaks/sprains their leg/ankle/foot, the same issue applies, or you may need to buy an item of clothing the next size up to accommodate the cast. Some schools may allow for a loaner if needed, but check with them first.

You don't mention blazers...why?

These are almost entirely restricted to private schools, although some public schools will either provide or loan/hire out blazers for official functions. If they are required, they're usually only for students in Years 6 and above, although some schools will insist on them for students as young as year 2 (Kindy and Year 1 students generally tend to be exempt). In this instance, the main tips for them are pretty much the same everywhere: stick to 1 blazer (as they are PRICEY), get it dry-cleaned regularly (some schools provide this as an option) and make sure that your child is aware of the protocol with said blazer (such as when to wear it, take it off and so on).

Why/when do public schools loan out blazers?
Typically this is for formal events or occasions where the standard school uniform won't cut it. Typically that same uniform will already have a white button-up shirt (or in some cases green/blue) or school dress as part of it, but the blazers tend to clarify exactly where they're from. The events include things such as inducting school captains, Open Day (worn by students acting as tour guides or similar, parents do see students in the actual uniform), representing their school at memorial events, graduation (rarely, but it does happen), photo day (SRC only usually), greeting MPs or foreign dignitaries and some competitions. Your child will usually be advised if the blazer is needed or they will be provided with one.

My child attends a private school and I can't afford the uniform, what should I do?

Both public and private schools will regularly keep a stock of pre-loved uniform pieces. There's usually nothing wrong with these, just that they've previously been worn by another child. Some schools will also hold secondhand shop days with the same idea. Check with your school's uniform shop to find out how this works for you. If you'd like to repay the favour, a lot of schools will encourage this, sometimes under consignment (meaning that you will get some money back when another parent purchases the garment) sometimes simply as a donation. Check with your school's uniform shop on how this works and what condition the garment needs to be in. For hygiene purposes, old sports uniforms (not the PE uniform, this is more sports team competition uniforms), socks, some skorts, bathing suits (some schools do demand this too) and hats are generally not allowed to be sold or donated.

My child keeps losing clothing, what do I do?
Aside from labelling the everloving crap out of everything (it is possible to get labels printed with your child's name for a fee in some places, alternately a labelmaker and fabric tape are available from Big W, Kmart, Target and Officeworks for around $50-$60 total), there are a few things you can do.

-Check the school's lost property box regularly. Once a week will usually be enough.
-Understand that the most common items to go missing are hats and jumpers. Lunchboxes may also occasionally go missing if your child's school does not get kids to eat in their classrooms first (or if your child puts other items in there) .
-If your child attends any sort of after-school care program, check the lost property box there as well!
-If your child is continually losing items despite efforts on their end (as well as yours), it may also be a sign of bullying or another psychological issue and it may be worth taking further action.