Memories of school uniforms, and PE kits in particular, tend to stick in the mind whatever they were like – scratchy, heavy, too hot, too cold, too short… So it’s perhaps not surprising that past research has tended to find that many teenage girls specifically don’t feel especially at ease in the clothes they wear for sports at school.
Now hockey ace Tess Howard MBE, part of the Team GB which reached the quarter-finals in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, has teamed up with academic Dr Alice Porter, a diet and physical activity specialist at Bristol University, to make school PE kit more fit for purpose.
18th August 2025
A recent study from Bristol considered how PE kit can influence the way girls feel about their bodies, and even their involvement in school sport and their attitude to it. The research involved focus groups and interviews with girls aged 12 and 13, along with their PE teachers, from co-ed secondary schools across England.
The research found that female secondary-school pupils would play a more complete role in PE sessions, and feel less self-conscious, if they had greater control over what they wore during lessons. Equally, if regulation kit felt too tight or revealing, girls with lower self-esteem were potentially less likely to play a full part in PE classes.
Dr Porter told journalists: “When girls don’t have any choice over their PE uniform, this can be a deterrent to their participation, particularly those who are self-conscious or who lack self-confidence.”
At the same time, the study identified potential solutions – such as allowing girls to choose the leggings, jogging bottoms or shorts they wear for PE. Many also wanted the choice to add extra layers of clothing to cover up any parts of their body which made them feel uncomfortable.
Another recommendation from the qualitative study, published in the journal BMJ Open, involves offering uniforms in different styles to suit all pupils, and not gender-labelling them, so girls can choose items which make them feel most comfortable.
Because some participants also disliked changing for games in school cloakrooms, another idea is to let students wear their kit all day on PE days.
Based on the research, free national guidance and support for schools on inclusive PE kit, policies and practices has been developed. And Tess Howard is behind the initiative, called the Inclusive Sportswear Community Platform.
“PE kit should never be the reason someone stops playing sport or feels unable to fully participate,” the hockey star stressed.
“Kit is a public health issue, and it’s a barrier that can be lifted. Far too often, traditional sports kit policies inadequately support the diverse needs of pupils and forget the purpose of sport – to have fun. We’ve used this research to provide powerful insights to create practical advice and solutions for schools.”
How an outdoor gym can help
Outdoor gyms help remove the problem of self-consciousness by being inclusive, supportive and non-competitive. You can wear what you like and work out when you want, for example at less busy times if you prefer. These amenities also provide an effective, full-body workout regardless of gender, ability or fitness level.
Fresh Air Fitness is the leading, award-winning UK supplier of outdoor gym equipment in myriad different setting from schools to care homes to corporate campuses. And we’ve previously written about the importance of women and girlsparticipating in sport and physical activity. Equally, we fully appreciate the importance of PE in secondary schools, in terms of both physical and mental health.
Yet we know that negative memories of PE classes can put people off exercising for life; for example if you aren’t picked for a team or don’t have ball skills or perfect hand-eye coordination.
So join the many secondary schools who are already benefitting from using our wide range of outdoor exercise equipment. A facility like this could make a real difference to your pupils. But we’re not just for schools. We help many other communities, too. Get in touch today with any queries and for an initial consultation.
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