In the south west of England, schools are already leading the way by adopting an alternative to formal, traditional uniforms. They’d like to adopt more functional active uniforms that are conducive to physical activity and comfort. This movement is part of an increasing awareness around a need among educators and school districts to reimagine how we’re dressing children for a changed and changing world.
Glyn Jones, head teacher at Blue Coat Primary School, said the hands-off approach to planning was crucial in enabling this shift. He remarked, “Schools need to adapt to a changing world. The clothes that adults wear to work have changed; seeing somebody wearing a suit or other formal clothes is a rarity, so schools need to reflect this.” He touted the work of children’s advocacy groups. These organizations are working to create uniforms and other equipment that allow kids to run, jump and play.
The Active Uniform Alliance, a collaborative of creative organizers and artists, is at the helm of this movement. They are calling on schools to implement activity-friendly uniforms that allow robust movement. Blue Coat Primary School in Oldham is considering scrapping its uniform altogether. The idea is to help students be confident in whatever they’re wearing.
Paula Phillips, head teacher of East Wichel Primary School, told us about her experience in moving to an active uniform. “The children are much more comfortable and we can jump up and get active at any time in the day,” she explained. East Wichel Primary has since dropped the requirement for a specific uniform altogether, and this has been found to save families considerable money. Moreover, students spend less time in PE class because students don’t have to spend time changing clothes there either.
At Chilthorne Domer Church School, a proposal to reintroduce school uniforms ignited a fierce dispute between parents and guardians. Nichola Chesterton, head teacher at Chilthorne Domer, agreed that this was a polarising issue. More than half the students in the oldest grade at the school now choose the regular uniform. This is indicative of the deep divides in opposition to the perceived impact of the issue.
In recent years, schools in the region have begun adopting active uniforms, prompting discussions in other institutions about making similar changes. Glyn Jones reiterated that allowing children to be comfortable in what they wear would lead to increased activity levels among students.
Paula Phillips added that it has definitely helped children’s wellbeing since she implemented the change. She stated that after the challenges posed by COVID-19, many students struggled with mental health issues and reduced physical activity levels. Since the onset of Covid, we saw an especially scary increase in children facing significant challenges with their mental health. The kids were on screens more and less active than ever, so we realized as a school that we needed to do something to go above and beyond,” she said.
Schools are front and center making the case for more active uniforms. The impact of having an environment that promotes play and movement has a positive ripple effect on children’s school experience.
