“My school are wearing school uniform” said my friend, a head teacher of a boys’ school. I looked surprised! He qualified the statement by saying that the school he recently became head teacher of, had previously had no uniform, and despite cynicism from his staff, there had been a remarkable change in the boys’ attitude and self esteem.
The school my friend is a head teacher at is a special school for boys with specific challenges in the classroom. The school is small and was a failing school until my friend took over. In 3 terms he has dragged it out of special measures and the results for GCSEs are significantly better with many boys getting A*s. Previously C grades were celebrated.
When my friend, started at the school, the pupils wore scruffy jeans and no formal uniform. There was an unwritten agreement that a specific coloured sweatshirt could be worn. This was changed to a blazer, grey trousers, white shirt and a school tie. Within days boys were coming to school with pride. They LOVED wearing a blazer and tie, and looking smart. The staff ate their words, acknowledging their surprise and delight that wearing a uniform had such a significant effect on the boys.
I should say that these boys were all excluded from mainstream education for disruption in the class. As with some pupils that are disruptive, further tests revealed that these boys had specific learning difficulties, such as very low reading levels; dyslexia and other challenges. They had been labelled and in all honesty, didn’t DREAM they could be wearing something smart like a collar and tie and a blazer. The pride they have in their uniform has meant they hold their heads up and look more confident.
I am not an image consultant: i.e. I don’t suggest what people should wear, but wearing something that makes you feel good; confident and proud of yourself has an impact on your body language; charisma AND your voice. If you are standing upright with your head held high, your voice is more confident, and that has an impact on how others perceive you.
I was so thrilled to hear that a small detail like wearing school uniform could have such a positive impact on my friend’s school. So what can you do to create a positive impact when you meet your clients? Do leave your ideas below.
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I didn’t much like my school uniform but I think they are a good thing. It’s cheaper for parents, it does away with competitiveness and unkindness about clothes, and does instill a sense of belonging and pride.
I agree; in the case of this school, the pupils had been excluded from other schools and I believe they had a great sense of belonging to a community when they had a smart uniform. Also, on paper, some of these boys didn’t believe they would have a lifestyle where they would wear a jacket and tie, but there they were at school doing that! Thanks for commenting.
At my school, the uniform consisted of a jacket and tie, effectively – we had to wear black or grey trousers, and a ‘quiet’ striped shirt (this was the 70s, so loud shirts were a definite risk!), along with a sports jacket. I thought that worked quite well – it didn’t feel too uniform, and it gave people freedom to express themselves within fairly clear boundaries.
Hi David, thanks for contributing to the discussion. I think we all have uniforms – belonging to ‘Tribes’ or acceptable clothes to wear for work. Some uniforms can be very rigid: we hear of employees laughing at new graduates because they aren’t wearing a particular brand of suit for example, but it does help with a community identity. I suspect the boys are personalising their uniforms now – whether it be a badge or way they knot their tie!