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Almost all British prep schools require the children to wear uniforms. These uniforms have varied widely from school and over time. The uniforms range in formality and at many schools are adjusted seasonally. Many schools require the children, boys and girls, to wear neck ties, but quite a number of schools are now more casual about uniforms and use open collars. Some times this is part of the seasonal change. Caps were once almost universal, but are now worn at only a few schools. Many schools have colorful blazers, bit they are usually not worn for classes and other activities. Some schools have corduroy uniforms. School scandals were once very common, but now not as widely worn. Grey short pants and grey or black long trousers are common for the boys. Many schools have the girls wear grey skirts, but various styles of dresses are worn at other schools.
Virtually all prepratory schools require uniforms. Most early prep schools in the 19th century did not have uniforms. We have seen several ptep schools in the early 20th century that did not have uniforms. After the turn of the 20th century, however, the trend at most prep schools was to adopt uniforms. The number of prep schools without uniforms dropped sharplu in the 1910s. Virtually all prepschools by the 1920s had uniforms and this pattern has continued to this day. There are currently a few that do not, but the number is extrmely small. There are many variations as to just what the uniform is, but virtually all British prep schools have uniforms of one form or the other.
Prep schools have varied greatly over time as to the formality of the uniform. Uniforms were once very formal. Pupils had a daunting list of uniform items. The Eton collar was widely worn until after World War I (1914-18). Through the 1950s most prep schools has rather extensive, formal uniforms. Ties were worn at virtually all schools. This began to shift in the 1960s. Quite a number of prep schools adopted more casual uniforms. Caps became less common. The major change was in the every day uniform. Boys mostly wore sweaters and shirts tob class. Blazers were rarely worn during the day. Some schools began dropping the tie for everyday wear, but this varied from school to school. A few schools adopted a more casual corduroy uniform, but even these schools usually required a tie. Most schools, however, still had a formal uniform for special occasions.
Until after World War II, it was mostly Britain's private schools that had uniforms. An exception here was the grammar schools (state secondary schools), but the ethos and uniforms of the grammar schools was based on the public (private secondary) schools. The uniforms at private schools were both elaborate and expensive. As a result, the school uniform has a class image in Britain. And because the issue of education in Britain has been polarized along class and political lines, school uniforms were caught up in this debate. Headmasters often viewed the boys as walking advertisements for the school and insisted that the boys wear the uniform correctly. Different headmasters had different ideas on this. Several garments were often of particular concern. One contastant refrain at many schools was "Pull your socks up, boy". One of the reasons often given for school uniforms was that it helped to eliminate class differences. When children were all dressed alike, no one could come to school in better or more fashionable clothes than other students. Another advantage made for school uniform is that it is an inexpensive way of outfitting children for school. Again the issue is complicated by the fact that British private schools were elaborate and in reality required a substantial outlay. Another argument made for school uniforms is that it helps to establish and maintain discipline. Of course discipline is not an end in itself. But it is a simple fact that wothout discipline, effective teaching is impossible. And one of the reason for the excellent results achieved at prep schools is the disdcipline standards at the school. The question here is to what degree a school uniform contributes to discipline.
The school schedule affected the uniform in many different ways. This varied from school to school which adopted a range of different rules. Day schools and boarding schools tended to have different rules. And this has varied over time with schools gtending go adopt more informal approaches to the uniform in recent years. Day schools generally expected the boys to dress up in their best uniform including blazers and ties and at one time their caps on the way to school, in part to create a good impression of the school. Once at the school the boys might take off their blazers or wear them. This varied from school to school, some cvhools having rules hike ohers did not. Boarding schools varied, although normally the day boys were expected to dress up when coming to school in the morning and going home in the afternoon. During the school day the boys mostly wore just their shirts with jumopers on cool days. In the afternoon the children change into gym togs which varied, depending on the games which varied seasonally. Sometimes all that was needed was to put on sneakers. Other times games gear was needed. At a few schools the children ire their iown clothes in the evening, but this was not very common. Then on saturday there was free afternnons. Some schools allowed the children to change into their own clothes. The children dressed up in their best uniforms, commonly blazers abd ties on Sunday for church services. A few schools had blazers for normal school wear, but grey suits for church abnd specialm occassions. There were also seasonal changes in the uniform.
Some of the basic garments commonly worn at prep schools have included peaked caps, blazers, white and grey shirts, sweaters, short pants, kneesocks and school sandals. Many other garnents have been worn. Several schools adopted corduroy uniforms. The popularity of these and other uniform garments has varied substantially over time. Eton collars were once de regure, but largely disappeared in the 1920s. Caps were once worn by nearly all boys, but are now worn at only a few schools. Grey shirts were very common for everyday schoolswear. White shirts might be worn for dress up occassions. After World War II siome schools introduced Artex shirts for the Summer term. Sweaters were a staple at most schools where the blazers were not worn in the cassroom. Some schools had corduroy lumber jackets worn with cord shorts. Most boys since World War I wore short trousers, but this began to change in the 1970s as fewer British boys wore shorts, especially during the Winter. Long trousers became increasingly common, especially for the older boys. Boys wearing shorts commonly wore kneesocks called turn-over-top socks. Some schools had the boys wear ankle socks during the Summer term. Sandals were worn at many schools. The most popular style was the closed toe sandal wuth a center strap. They were worn by both boys and girls.
A variety of different materials are used for British school uniforms. The materials have variedovert time. Flannel was once a very important material. It was used for both blazers and trousers. Gaberdine was once widely ised for overcoats. Artex was a popular material for casual summer shirts. Many schools by the 1970s had short pants made from Terylene rather than flannel. It was a popular material, because unlike flannel, it permanently held the crease. Some schools had corduroy uniforms or even more commonly, corduroy shorts.
Boys of prep school age, especially the younger ones, could care less about taking care of their uniform. Their primary interest is having a good time. And when they have free time or recreation periods, they go at it with little thought of their uniforms. The girls are henerally more concerned as are some of the older boys. But protecting their uniforms is for most of the boys the furthest thing fom their minds. Thus we see boys playing sports in their full uniform, including ties and blazers. This is fairly common at day schools. We see piles of blazers and jumpers serving as rounder bases or football goal posts. The day schools for the most part do not address this problem. It is generally considered to be the boys' and their parents' responsibilities. The boarding schools on the other hand do take responsibility and are much more likely to have rules about what can be worn when and the use of protective clothing. This is one reason the boarding schools have the boys put away their blazers.
Of course the trend toward more casual clothing is in part a way of addressing this problem.
The various prep schools had a wide range of rules which varied greatly from school to school. Almost all the schools had uniforms. Many schools required the children to wear their uniformas all the time they were at school. Other schools allowed the children to change out of their uniforfms after classes or for free time in the evening and on the weekends. All schools required the children to wear their uniforms when traveking to and from the school. Another common rule was for the children to wear coveralls, wellies, or other protective clothes when playing outside or when engaged in activities like gardenong in which they might get their uniforms dirty. With a 100 or so active children, this rule was not easy to ebforce.
British public schools were initially boys' schools as were the first preparatory schools. Gradually girls' schools became an increasingly important sector of the independent education sector. After World War II, many boys schools shifted to coeducation. There is now a strong girls element in the British independent schools sector. The Girls
Schools Association, for instance, has a large number of schools up and down the country. Uniforms for the girls have been stronly influenced by the uniforms at boys schools. Items like sweaters, ties, and blazers are worn by both boys and girls. With very few exceptions, however, British schools have insisted that girls wear dresses and skirts rather than shorts and trousers. Here there tends to be far more difference in the Summer and Winter attire of girls than boys. Quite often the only difference between Summer and Winter for boys is ankle socks and short sleeved shirts, but the girls go from skirts, pullovers & knee length socks or tights, to Summer dresses, white ankle socks and sandals.
When we visited the schools, the children seemed on the slender side. There has since been a very noticeble increse in the number of over-weight children. This appers to reflect both the diet and activity level of the children. Atletics and sports played a major role in virually every school we visited. This haas apparently changed to some extent. The children with the advent of computers have many more been enducemebts to amuse themselves at home, often in well appointed bedrooms. We suspect that the trend toward heavier children is more due to the home than school, but many schools in recent years have reduced the sports/athletics program. This is trend most noticable in the state sector. A school wear retailer in 2007 announced it was expanding its range of larger uniforms in response to demands from parents having difficulty finding garments for their outsize children.
National Schoolwear Centres will now trportedly stock its stores with 52-inch-chest blazers, trousers with 42-inch waists and shirts with 17.5-inch collars. These are sizes for children in senior schools. Prep school children are now, however, wearing sizes formerly reserved for stuents in senior schools. Tese are sizes that were were formerly only offerred by special mail order.
