A Guide to Branded Workwear for Schools & Nurseries

Staff workwear plays an important role in schools and nurseries.

It helps employees look professional, makes team members easy for children and parents to recognise and can create a stronger, more consistent identity across your setting.

But choosing the right uniform isn't simply about adding your logo to a polo shirt.

Staff may spend their day moving between classrooms, playgrounds, outdoor areas, sports sessions and trips. Their clothing needs to be comfortable and practical while still representing your organisation professionally.

Here are the key things to consider when choosing branded workwear for your school or nursery team.

1. Start with how your staff actually work

Different members of your team may have very different working days.

A nursery practitioner could spend time sitting on the floor, taking part in activities and moving between indoor and outdoor spaces.

A member of the premises team may spend much more of their day outside.

Office and reception staff may need something slightly smarter and more customer-facing.

Before selecting garments, consider:

• Where employees work
• How active their role is
• Whether they regularly work outdoors
• How frequently garments will need washing
• Whether particular roles have additional clothing requirements
• How formal you want the uniform to appear

You can then build your workwear around your staff rather than expecting one garment to suit everyone.

2. Polo shirts are a great starting point

For many schools and nurseries, the polo shirt is a practical foundation for staff uniform.

It's comfortable enough for active roles while providing a smarter appearance than a standard T-shirt.

Polo shirts also provide an ideal area for a small embroidered school or nursery logo on the chest.

They're available in a wide variety of colours, making it relatively straightforward to coordinate the garment with your existing branding.

For teams wearing polos throughout the working week, providing several per employee also allows for regular washing and rotation.

3. Consider T-shirts for more active roles

Not every member of staff necessarily needs a polo.

T-shirts can work particularly well for:

• PE and sports staff
• Holiday clubs
• Outdoor activities
• Nursery teams
• Events
• More physically active roles

They can also provide more flexibility for larger printed branding.

For example, you might have a small logo on the front and larger school, nursery or programme branding across the back.

4. Add layers for colder days

Staff often move between indoor and outdoor environments throughout the day.

A simple layering system gives employees more flexibility.

For example:

Base layer: Polo shirt or T-shirt
Mid-layer: Sweatshirt, hoodie or fleece
Outer layer: Softshell or jacket

Using the same branding and complementary colours across these garments keeps the team looking consistent even when different employees are wearing different layers.

5. Think about outdoor duties

Playground supervision, outdoor learning, school trips and arrival or collection times can all mean employees spend significant periods outdoors.

That's where appropriate outerwear becomes important.

Depending on the role and environment, you might consider:

• Fleeces
• Softshell jackets
• Insulated jackets
• Waterproof outerwear
• Hi-vis garments where required

Don't simply choose an outdoor garment because it looks good.

Think about when it will be worn and what level of warmth or weather protection your employees actually require.

6. Choose colours that complement your identity

Schools and nurseries often already have an established colour palette.

Your staff workwear can reinforce that identity without necessarily matching every brand colour exactly.

For example, a school with blue and yellow branding could choose:

Navy garments + blue/yellow embroidered logo

rather than trying to source every garment in a very specific shade of blue.

Neutral colours such as navy, black and charcoal are particularly useful because they're practical and can work with a wide variety of logos.

You can then introduce brighter brand colours through embroidery, printing or selected garments.

7. Make staff easy to identify

One of the biggest advantages of branded workwear in education and childcare settings is identification.

Parents, visitors and children can quickly recognise members of the team.

A consistent uniform can be particularly useful during:

• School trips
• Sports days
• Outdoor events
• Open days
• Holiday clubs
• Collection times
• Community events

Clear branding can help staff stand out while reinforcing the identity of the school or nursery.

8. Should different teams wear different colours?

Potentially.

Some organisations use different garment colours to distinguish between departments or roles.

For example:

Nursery practitioners – one colour
Management – another colour
Sports staff – sports-specific garments
Premises team – practical workwear
Holiday club team – dedicated branded clothing

However, I'd avoid creating too many completely separate uniforms.

Using a shared logo, colour palette and branding style helps maintain consistency even where garment types differ.

9. Get the sizing right

Comfort is particularly important for staff working in active environments.

A garment that looks professional but restricts movement isn't going to work particularly well in a nursery, classroom or playground.

Make sure employees have access to appropriate sizes and fits.

Don't assume someone's normal high-street size will automatically translate to every workwear garment, as sizing can vary between manufacturers.

Check the measurements for the specific garment before ordering.

Our Size Guide can help your team choose appropriate sizes before personalised garments are produced.

10. Embroidery works particularly well for school branding

For polo shirts, fleeces, sweatshirts and jackets, embroidery can provide a smart and professional finish.

The left chest is one of the most popular positions for a school or nursery logo.

It's visible without dominating the garment and works across a wide variety of clothing.

Printing can also be useful, particularly for:

• T-shirts
• Larger back designs
• Sports clothing
• Holiday club clothing
• Events

You don't necessarily need to use the same branding technique on every garment.

Our guide to Embroidery vs Printing for Workwear explains the differences in more detail.

11. Keep the branding simple

School and nursery logos can sometimes contain quite a lot of detail.

There may be:

• Crests
• Text
• Establishment dates
• Straplines
• Multiple colours
• Fine details

Not every element necessarily needs to appear on every garment.

For example, a simplified version of a logo may work better as a small embroidered chest design than an extremely detailed crest containing tiny text.

Your artwork should be assessed before production to determine how well it will reproduce at the required size.

Our Artwork & Logo Guide explains more about supplying artwork for personalised workwear.

12. How much uniform should each employee have?

The right quantity depends on how frequently the employee works and wears their uniform.

For a full-time employee, an example starting allocation could be:

These are illustrative rather than fixed quantities.

Someone wearing branded clothing every day may require more garments than an employee who only wears it occasionally.

We've covered this in more detail in How Many Workwear Garments Does Each Employee Need?

13. Create different packs for different staff roles

Standard workwear packs can make ordering much easier.

For example:

Nursery Practitioner

4 × Branded polo shirts
1 × Branded sweatshirt
1 × Branded fleece or softshell

PE / Sports Team

4 × Branded T-shirts or polos
2 × Branded hoodies
1 × Branded softshell
Suitable sportswear

Premises Team

3 × Branded polo shirts
2 × Branded sweatshirts
1 × Branded softshell
Suitable work trousers
Required protective clothing/PPE

Office / Reception

3 × Branded polo shirts or smart tops
1 × Branded fleece or softshell

These can then become your standard allocations whenever somebody new joins.

14. Think about washing and durability

School and nursery uniforms can be worn frequently, particularly by staff working directly with children.

Garments therefore need to cope with regular washing.

When comparing products, consider:

Durability
Care instructions
Fabric
Comfort
Colour retention
Expected lifespan

A cheaper garment isn't necessarily better value if it needs replacing much sooner.

This becomes even more important after you've invested in having the garment professionally embroidered or printed.

15. Plan for new starters

Once you've established your uniform, keep a record of exactly what you've selected.

Record:

• Product
• Colour
• Branding method
• Logo
• Branding position
• Standard allocation

Then when a new employee joins, you only need their role and sizes.

This can make uniform management significantly easier, particularly for larger schools, nursery groups or organisations with multiple locations.

Creating a uniform that represents your setting

The best school and nursery workwear should be comfortable for employees, practical for their roles and instantly recognisable as part of your organisation.

You don't need every employee wearing exactly the same garment.

Instead, create a coordinated range that allows different teams to wear clothing appropriate for what they do while maintaining consistent colours and branding.

At Monkey Business Workwear, we can help schools and nurseries choose garments, coordinate their workwear range and professionally embroider or print their organisation's branding.

Looking for branded workwear for your team?

Tell us what you're looking for and we'll help you find the right garments and branding options.