Figure 1.-- The prefects at this prep school wore little metal badges. They came in different shapes. There were several ways of designating prefects. The prefect at the school here wears a stripped tie. The others boys wore plain blue ties.
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Figure 1.-- The prefects at this prep school wore little metal badges. They came in different shapes. There were several ways of designating prefects. The prefect at the school here wears a stripped tie. The others boys wore plain blue ties. |
We have noted several different ways of identifying the prefects which varied from school to school. The best known method was the use of metal badges which had "Prefect" spelled out. They came in a variety of different shapes. These seem particularly common in the 1950s, but we still noticed several schools using them in the 1980s. At some schools prefects wore destinctive ties. A school with a solid-colored tie, might have a stripped tie for the prefects. We also noted embroidered or colored patches that might be worn on jumpers. We have noted them worn on jumpers or sweaters. These same patches were also used to identify houses. Some schools had garter tabs to identify houses, but we have never noted them being used to identify the prefects. At some prep schools, only the prefects were allowed to wear long trousers. We believe this was formerly more common earlier, but by the 1980s many schools were allowing all but the younger children to wear long trousers.
The best known method was the use of metal badges which had "Prefect" spelled out. They came in a variety of different shapes. These seem particularly common in the 1950s, but we still noticed several schools using them in the 1980s.
At some schools prefects wore destinctive ties. Often this was done rather than wearing badges. The two methods were not commonly combined. This varied from school to school. Many schools had solid colored ties. These schools might have a stripped tie for the prefects. This was the most common circumstance when ties were used to identify the prefects. Schools with striped ties used destinctive ties less commonly to identify the prefects. But patters such as a shield or different cilors might be used. Neither of these were very common.
We also noted embroidered or colored patches that might be worn on jumpers. We have noted them worn on jumpers or sweaters. These same patches were also used to identify houses.
A reader writes, "I was fascinated to see a boy in one of your pictures had a purple garter tab visible. I have thought in the past that schools could use colour-coded
garter tabs to denote for example year groups, or prefects and when I saw that picture I thought: "Now there is obviously a school somewhere that did! Can you confirm this? The only garter tabs I've seen before are green scouting ones or in some of your pictures blue or red ones with kilts." Of course there are a very large number of schools in Britain. We can not say definitely that garter tabs were not used to identify prefects. We never saw it. We did note colored garter tabs at some schools, but they were used to identify houses.
At some prep schools, only the prefects were allowed to wear long trousers. We believe this was formerly more common earlier, but by the 1980s many schools were allowing all but the younger children to wear long trousers. We often had lunch with the children during our visits and had fascinating conversations. I recall one boy who had just been appointed a prefect and he was very proud of his new status. He explained all about the prefects at the school and why he was now wearing long trousers. He was of course the only boy at the table with longs.
