When my daughter started school, I remember being in the M&S on Argyle Street (Glasgow), in the school uniform section in the basement and thinking… I don’t know what I am doing here.
Then another mum came over to me and was the exact same...It was the week before she started primary school and it was all a bit of a mystery.
So unless you know people whose kids are already at school and you can get advice from them, I thought it might be helpful for me to give you a little bit of advice, based on my own lived experience.
First up, remember the start of the school year is August in Scotland and it can still be pretty warm, shorts, summer dresses and tank tops are great, especially as classrooms are quite warm.
Second up, don’t buy too much. I think the following will absolutely do:
- 3x cardigans/jumpers/sweatshirts
- 3x skirts/pinafores/trousers/shorts
- 4x polo-shirts/shirts
This will be enough to get you through the week and a hot tip: polo-shirts are easier than shirts with less buttons, so they might be good starting point for wee ones.
Kids also do PE at least twice a week, so some joggers, gym shorts or leggings and plain t-shirts are useful. But lots of schools either let the kids wear gym kit on the days they are doing gym or in P1 sometimes they don’t bother with changing because it can take too much time and be a bit much for the little people.
Our kids both wore trainers throughout school, which was great for running around the playground. Some schools suggest blazers and school wear with logos, but neither are necessary. They are expensive and when it comes to the "cost of the school day" policy, very few schools, if any, would ever insist that you spend too much money on this type of thing. I didn’t buy any at the time but got second-hand items at the school uniform stall.
Finally, get a Sharpie and make sure you write their names on the labels, so that when it gets left in the playground or even dropped in the classroom, you can get it back. This is super helpful for schools too - who have lots of lost property to deal with.
And remember, every school wants your child to have the best experience, be happy and enjoy learning. So, don’t worry too much about uniform, best thing is that they feel comfortable and ready for school.
So good luck from Leila and Anton, these guys are both in high school now... they grow up fast.
Izzie x
To help with the costs, enjoy 20% off on all P1 kids school uniform. You can use this online or at our Warehouse Wardrobe; simply enter code P1UNI20 at check out or quote when paying at the till.