Teacher’s Guide to Choosing the Right PE Kit for Primary Schools
When setting school uniform standards, ensuring pupils have the correct PE kit is key to encouraging participation, comfort, and confidence in physical activity. A modern, practical physical education kit helps children feel ready to participate in moving and learning, and reinforces your school’s expectations for behaviour, appearance, and safety.
In this guide, we’ll go through the essential items to include in a PE kit, what to consider and how to communicate standards clearly to parents and carers. It is important to remember that every school is different; what works for one school may not work in another. When choosing your PE kit for school, think carefully about your school and the children and what will work best for them.
What Should Be Included in a Primary School PE Kit?
A typical physical education kit for primary pupils should be simple, affordable, and suitable for a range of indoor and outdoor activities. Most PE kit lists will include:
- A plain t-shirt or polo
- PE shorts
- Joggers or leggings for colder months
- A hoodie or sweatshirt for outdoor PE
- Trainers with non-marking soles
- A labelled PE kit bag
Most schools try to keep the colour of their kits simple to make them as easy to obtain as possible. For example, schools will often ask for white tops and black shorts, which can be easily purchased in a variety of places. Some schools may also allow skorts to be worn as part of their PE kit.
Some schools also require additional safety kits, such as gum shields and shin pads, when pupils participate in certain activities. It is important to consider whether this is necessary for your school, as it can depend on the type of activity being taught, such as hockey, as to whether you need additional safety kit. For guidance, it is best practice to refer to the AfPE book Safe Practice in Physical Education, School Sport and Physical Activity.
Some schools also include guidance for PE in the summer months, especially in warmer weather. Items such as hats and sun cream are a must in warmer weather. You can find more information about this in our blog on ‘Teaching safe PE in the Heat’.
Tips for Setting Clear Expectations
When introducing or updating your school’s PE kit standards, consider:
- Including visuals of the correct kit in your kit policy.
- Clearly listing items like PE shorts, t-shirts, and trainers.
- Providing a suggested supplier or shop to make sourcing easier for parents.
- Making reasonable allowances for religious or cultural clothing needs.
- Ensuring any updates to kit policy are shared well ahead of time.
- Encourage parents to clearly label their child’s PE kit to help minimise lost kit.
A well-thought-out PE kit policy supports not only consistency and inclusion but also sets pupils up for success in their physical education lessons. With the right physical education kit, children can move freely, feel confident, and stay focused on enjoying their PE in school.
Need help embedding high-quality PE into your school day? Check out our lesson plans, resources, and curriculum mapping tool designed specifically for primary PE teachers.