Insight December 2022

First Day At School... A Mum’s Perspective

They say that our first day at school is one of the most remembered of our lives. As all parents know, it’s a day of joy and tears and of letting go (just a little bit) as our loved ones take their first steps towards independence. Which is why what they wear plays such an important part in this red-letter day for children all across the country.

‘Mia was so excited to wear her uniform, that she barely slept the night before,’ laughed Katie, whose five-year-old daughter attends Primary School in Wiltshire. Katie was recalling Mia’s first day and the joy she took in wearing her new uniform that morning. There’s no doubt her daughter’s excitement was shared by the hundreds of thousands of children starting school this autumn.

First days are milestones for parents too. ‘I’d barely slept as well,’ said Katie. ‘All of a sudden, I realised my baby is not quite so little! She’s making her own way in the world and I’m left at the school gates wondering how she’ll get on without me.’

This is why uniform, in a quiet and reassuring way, plays such an essential role in easing the transition for parents and their little ones.

Katie says, ‘It meant that Mia felt part of something, like she was part of a team —and that made it easier to join in and make friends.’

Is there ever a day when it’s more important to feel a sense of belonging? Is there ever a time when a child needs more reassurance that others are the in the same boat? Research confirms that these concerns are the same at secondary school, or at any age, when

“Wearing a uniform says we are one and together, that we take pride in who we are and the values we stand for”

young people move to a new area and need to fit in. If we are honest, they carry through to college and later life too. Wearing a uniform says we are one and together, that we take pride in who we are and the values we stand for. Those are big concepts for little people, but simply by looking smart and wearing the same clothes they are living these ideals every day. As children get older, they may want more style and individuality, but the sense of pride and belonging doesn’t change.

‘Going to school signified the next chapter in Mia’s life,’ says Katie. ‘Whether you burst into tears as she waves happily goodbye (like I did!) or hold it together until you get home, it’s such an emotional day.’ It’s one

that mum and daughter will remember too, she adds, ‘I’ll never forget the moment she left me, smiling and happy in her uniform, delighted to be there.’

Here at Banner we’re proud to give very child the chance to shine, and we know — as do our brilliant retail partners — that first impressions count. Starting school will always be a special day, and we all want those memories to be joyful. Perhaps, more than any other time, it’s an opportunity to win over hearts and minds, and show that uniform is not just about rules and regulations – rather it’s also about fun, freedom and our futures together.