Figure 1.--English state schools did not require uniforms. These younger children at a state primary school in the early 20th century wear a wide variety of different oufits. |
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The tradition of school uniforms developed at Britain's elite private schools, in typical British fashion referred to as public schools. Children at the country's developing state school system generally did not wear uniforms during the late 19th and 20th century. Britain was late to provide a free public education to children. Some European countries, especially the Germans had a much more extensive public school system. Britain had a great variety of state and charity schools for those who could not afford a private education. Children at these schools wore a variety of clothes. A school uniform consisting of a blazer, school tie, and dress pants has been widely worn by English boys since the 1920s. The style spread to many countries, especially English-speaking countries. This uniform evolved in the England during the late 19th century. Blazers were at first sports wear, but in the 1920s began to replace Eton suits and stiff Eton collars and by the 1930s had become the standard uniform at many private schools. While there were many similarities among the uniforms worn by British boys, there were a wide variety of color combinations and other variations. I have begun to collect some of the descriptions of uniforms at different types of schools and during different periods.
HBC on this page addresses the types of schools in modern England. Until the turn of the 20th century, however, there were a much wider range of schools. Scools were mostly a private matter as the Government did not play a major role in education until the late 19th century. Amazingly, the English Giverment did not build a state system of secondary schools until after World War II (1939-45). As aresult there was a wide range of schools. Some of these schools like grammar schools retained the names of early schools, but were different. Others like the public schools have continued many of their centuries old traditions. Other schools like dame schools, national schools, ragged schools and others have long disappeared from the national educational landscape.
One difficulty foreign readers have in following some English books in the different names used the various class "forms" or grades as Americans tend to refer to grades. Not only are different terms used, but their are also futher complications such as "the upper fifth". These complications are further compounded by the fact that the different clssess used at parimary schools are repated for secondary schools. Thus a boy might be in the 6th form at his prep school, but the next year begin the 1st form at his Public School. The ters for the different forms have also changed as there have been very significant educational reforms in Britain since World War II, especially the Educational Reform Act of 1944. These reforms have changed many of the class terms, especially in the state sector.
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We notice several different types of English primary and pre-primary schools in England. American would tend to call these schools elementary schools, although the term "primary school" is understood. There are both state and private (often referred to as independent) schools in England. The state primary schools are supplemented with Anglican and Catholic schools as well as a few other denominational schools which in England received substantial financial support. Private primary schools are also called preparattory schools in the sence that they prepare boys for the Public (private secondary) schools. Preparatoty schools do not incluse the eraly primary years which are called pre-prep and add some of the junior high years. There are also boarding schools, but this is discussed in the boarding school section.
The Public school has continued over centuries a the primary private secondary school, although early schools accepted younger boys. The state secondary schools which did not appear until the late 19th Century
have varied in type and philosophy as a sucession of English Governments wrestled with the issues of efficency and privlige.
Many secondary modern schools put considerable emphasis on uniform. Perhaps not as much as the grammar schools, as the secondary mdern schools did not seek to recreate public schools like the grammar schools. However, you can not make generalizations here. Much of the uniform rules and the enforcement of those rules were up to the individual headmaster. Also, the public in the years before the 1960s expected secondary school boys to wear smart uniforms. So even schools in rough areas had very stringent uniform requirements.
England's academically selective secondary-level grammar schools sougth to emulate the ethos of the public schools. While they were not boarding schools, they did try to follow the academic trends and emphasis on sport at the public schools. For the same reason, many grammar schools put considerable emphasis on uniform, but for financial reasons, many of the boys could not afford the rather substntial outlays involved in the miriad of public school uniform items. Grammar school boys in the 1940s and 50s commonly wore caps and blazers. The younger boys at many grammar schools also wore short trousers. Some schools required it. At other schools it was the parents choice.
Comprehensive schools did not begin to appear until thevlate 1960s or early 1970s. By this time school uniform was declining in popularity. Many of the schools gave no attention to it or did away with it all together. Other comprehensives continued the uniform inherited from the secondary modern or grammar schools they replaced. Many comprehensises today have a uniform of black blazer, tie, white shirt, and black or grey trousers.
The American and increasingly the modern British reader is acustomed to associating school uniform with exclusive public schools. In fact the first English school uniforms were introduced by charity schools like the hospital or blue coat schools. The boys at the public (private) schools wore their individual clothes. Many would choose outlandish styles. To end this and to discorage such attention to fashion, uniforms were gradually introduced in the 19th Century and were widely accepte by the late 19th Century. The uniforms worn were extrodinarily elaborate and included outfits for many different occasisons and sports events. Minor differences were established and enforced rigorously to show one's status. Junior boys could in some schools, for example, had to close all their jacket button. Boys at another school showed the status by the width and color of he ribbon on their straw boaters. Junior boys at many schools wore knickers or after World War I (1914-18) short trousers. Eton School played a major role in establishing Public Scgool uniforms and he Eton collar was widely worn for years. Beginning in the 1920s it was mostly replaced with Blazers and soft collars. The uniform at the moden school has been greatly simplified, but most schools continue to require the boys wears blazers or suits.
Most English schools were day schools, school the children went to during the day and came home in the afternoon. Some private schools, referred to as pyblic schools in Britain, however, developed as boarding establishments. This proved to be the case in Britain much more than any other European country. Some of the schools like Eton, Harrow, Rugby, and others are some of the most well known schools in the world. Many of these schools were very rough places for boys, as fictionalized in Tom Brown's Schooldays. School authorities in the late 19th century exeted more control over the pupils and man more schools were organized to provide educated people for Britain's developing industrial econonomy and expanding Empire. In addition many schools for younger boys, preparatory schools, were opened to better address the needs for pre-teen boys. Like the public schools, many of these schools were boarding establishments. An importnt institution at thee schools were the boarding houses.
The gender arrangements in English schools have varied depending on the type of school. Dames schools were generally coeducational. Early grammar schools and public (private) schools were for boys. Public school for girls appeared in the 19th century and most public schools were single gender schools until after World War II (19390-45). The various kinds of primary schools varied. These schools in the 19th century were often coeducational, but within the schools, boys and girls were often kept separate. This continued into the 20th century. Gradually the primary schools persued a policy of more mixing. Secondary schools were for the most part single gender schools until after World war II. We see some coed secondary schools in the 1930s, but this was not the general pattern. A example is the City Grammar School in 1938.
Education and religion in England are a little complicated and I do not fully understand the arrangements. Religious groups are allowed to set up or support schools. Most of England's major public chools and associated preparatory schools have connections o he Church of England. There are schools asiciated with other Protestant denominations and Catholics. I am less sure about other religions. The state system is more complicated. England primary and secondary schools are secular, but there are no prohibitions on prayers and I believe that there is required Religious Educatioin. At one time this was overseen by the Church of England, but I am not sure about the current content. In addition to the standard state schools, there were some faith schools that received state support. This included both Anglican and Catholic schools. The Labour Government in recent years has helped estabnlish Muslim, Hindu and Sikh schools in an effort to give them parity with Christian schools. I know there are primary faith schools. I'm less sure about secondary schools. As a result of a series of terror attacks in Britain, these new faith schools have been the subject of controversy.
A topic we have not yet addesssed is home schooling. This has become increasingly popular in Britain, especially beginning in the 1990s. It is almost universally a middle-class preoccupation, but a significant one in some areas. This is a result of a number of factors but Government meddling
with the curriculum, poor behaviour/discipline, insufficient support for brighter pupils etc. are often cited.
The standard English schools were primary and secondary schools. The ages vaied somewhat, especiall after the 1944 educational reforms. We note some regional variations in these schools. Some involved abreviations which are not readily recognizable to non-Englih readers. There were County Primary Schools (CP schools) outside of Inner London - the so-called "Home Counties". There were also Junior and Infant Mixed Schools (JMI schools). These were less common than the plain Junior School where the infants were in a completely seperate school. Some authorities - not Inner London - had First, Middle and Upper
Schools - being 5-8, 8-13 and 13-16 years respectively. A reader tells us, "I think Ealing (an Outer London Borough to the West of London) was one of these. Some of the boys at my Grammar School were from Ealing. I think - because of Ealing's school set up - they abolished the 11+ before most authorities and that is why a lot of these boys' parents took them out of the state system and sent them to private schools, including my school's prep department, as they wanted them to go to a Grammar school. Some of these state Middle Schools still had boys wear short trousers well into the 1970s when boys stopped wearing shorts in most secondary schools. Some of the boys objected to this as over the border in Richmond, which had a more common Infant, Junior, Secondary set-up boys could normally wear long trousers at secondary level - 11 years - not wait until 13 as in Ealing. Later these Ealing Middle Schools allowed boys in the last 2 years the option of long trousers so they were then the same as boys in the neighbouring boroughs."
There have been quite a range of different schools. Some are schools like dame, hospital, ragged, and other school types that are not well known today. We are slowly researching these different schools. We are now familiar with many of these schools lthough we are still reseraching the historical background. We have, however, come across some schools which are unfamilar to us. Hopefully our English readers will privide us some insights here.
Many English parents and educators have noted a discernable decline in both discipline and academic standards in English schools. The two of course are related in that unless a school has proper dscipline standards, even a small number of students can disrupt the academic program. The decline is notable especially in the state education system. A factor here has been the demise of the grammar schools, selctive secondary schools. This is part of an overall trend by left-wing educators to question the need for academic standards under tghe guise that they help to perpetuate class divisions and that failure can damage a child's self image. The result has been that students that now attend state schools now do much better on achievement tests. Thois discrepancy did not exist before the demise of the grammar school system. Many parents who did not attend private (independent schools) as children, now send their children to private schools if they can afford it. Educators can debate the philosophy/ideology involved. What an not be disputed is the academic results.
Some personal accounts are available describing the uniforms worn as schoolboys:
Related Links: Careful this will exit you from the Boys' Historical Clothing web site, but both sites are highly recommended
Boys' Preparatory Schools: A lovely photographic essay on British Preparatory Schools during the 1980s with over 200 color and black and white photographs.
Apertures Press New Zealand eBbook: New eBook on New Zealand schools is available
Apertures Press British Preparatory School eBook Volume I: New eBook on Brirish preparatory schools is available
Related Chronolgy Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[The 1880s]
[The 1920s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1950s]
[The 1960s]
[The 1970s]
[The 1980s]
[The 1990s]
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