free xtra benefits???

mitchaa

bestpud wrote: »

However, on the uniform issue mitchaa, you must be living on a different planet, as the situation you have described is NOT the norm!

I'm not saying it can't be bought with IS money, as it can with a little forward planning (which most of us have to do!), but you are wrong to suggest it is cheap once they get to secondary school - it simply is not.

I have already proven the amounts received in CB are more than enough for school uniforms. A parent is given £978 per year for 1 child in child benefit.

A school uniform should account for about 10% of this. Where does the other 90% go? What about the vast amounts of CTC? (Min £2630 per year for 1 child)

Like i said, more often than not, this child income is spent on cigarattes/alcohol/sky and broadband subscriptions, mobile phones etc.

It surprises me the amount of people living in 'poverty' and not being able to buy a school uniform but yet have computer/broadband/Sky TV, mobile phone subscriptions and smoke 40 a day:rolleyes:

Your CB and CTC is not supposed to be for that, your IS/IB/JSA is.

Child benefits are for exactly that, to feed and clothe your children. There are absoloutly no excuses for child poverty, none whatsoever in fact.

The reason some children are in poverty is by the neglect and lifestyles of the parents ''stealing'' their money to pay for their said luxuries.

Ref school uniform, like i said before it must be regional but up my way all that dictates on what school you go to is the colour of tie. Black trousers, white shirt, black shoes and dark jumper is all that is required. I have family still in school i know what they wear. No logos on anything, PE kit is just sports kit, ie football tops, outside trainers etc.

It certainly is the norm up here in the NE of Scotland.

Still like i said before, the amounts received in benefits EVEN IF YOU ARE PAYING A COMPULSORY £300 PER YEAR is more than enough.

hazelbunny

mitchaa wrote: »

Sorry but that is absoloute rubbish.

The only thing that determines where a child goes to school is the colour of his/her tie up my neck of the woods.

As long as they are dressed in black/grey trousers, white shirt, school tie and shoes, that is all they need.

Ive never heard the like of needing football and rugby boots, fleeces, tracksuits and god knows what else. Is that a need or an optional, there's a big difference. Not all kids like sport, i highly doubt that girls would need to fork out for football/rugby boots.

PE for us was dress as you please, in football tops, casual t-shirts whatever.

As were all the schools in my area.

Im 25, not 50, i left school 8-9yrs ago and i know the rules where i am have certainly not changed.

So your ''MOST'' schools is a tad misleading;)

Asda yesterday released a whole school uniform for the pricely sum of £4, yes you read it correctly £4.

They do not need to be expensive especially on 4/5/6 yr old primary school children.

Your information is way off the norm. The majority of high schools DO have strict uniform policies which includes having the logo items from school suppliers.
Primary school uniform costs next to nothing, High School uniform isa different story.

mitchaa

hazelbunny wrote: »

Your information is way off the norm. The majority of high schools DO have strict uniform policies which includes having the logo items from school suppliers.

Really, says who?? You? Well maybe in your part of the country that is the norm, but in my part of the country it certainly is not.

Like i said it must be a regional thing, perhaps even an English thing, but i know the schools up my neck of the woods, Aberdeen/Aberdeenshire/Dundee/Angus/Tayside dont have the strict dress codes that are being sprouted about in this thread. Yes some of them will do, but most of them do not. So my info is not ''way off the norm''

My niece and nephew do wear school logo/colours but they are primary school kids, the secondary school they are going to does not have the same strict rules.

krisskross

I think some people are wildly overestimating what school clothing is needed for teenagers. One of our sons is a very tall lad, I used to buy his uniform the day before the new term started. He had to have a blazer and tie from approved stockists, this was the biggest expense. Everything else came from M&S. He needed footwear and underwear anyway so you can't possibly count those. He did have sports kit and aprons for DT and cookery. At todays prices I could kit him out for school for £150, and that would last him a year. I only ever bought 1 tie, 1 set of aprons etc, took the badge off the blazer and put it on a generic one when he grew out of it.

Buying school uniform is part of having children, parents are well recompensed for having children these days. I have seen many posts on these forums from people who are losing £100/week because their child is leaving full time education.

lighton

mitchaa wrote: »

Really, says who?? You? Well maybe in your part of the country that is the norm, but in my part of the country it certainly is not.

Like i said it must be a regional thing, perhaps even an English thing, but i know the schools up my neck of the woods, Aberdeen/Aberdeenshire/Dundee/Angus/Tayside dont have the strict dress codes that are being sprouted about in this thread. Yes some of them will do, but most of them do not. So my info is not ''way off the norm''

My niece and nephew do wear school logo/colours but they are primary school kids, the secondary school they are going to does not have the same strict rules.

Can you let us know which school this is maybe we can use it as an example ,as to prices because it would be great to actually know of a secondary schhol that has a cheap uniform

mitchaa

An example for what? The majority of secondary schools in the Dundee/Aberdeen areas do not have strict dress codes. If you really want the school name that they are going to and the 1 that i went to, pm me and ill send you the info.

I think we are going a bit off subject here, the O.P's children are just about to start schooling so they are a long way off secondary schooling. Even still, like ive already said the amounts received in child related benefits should more than cover the costs of schooling

lighton

mitchaa wrote: »

An example for what? The majority of secondary schools in the Dundee/Aberdeen areas do not have strict dress codes. If you really want the school name that they are going to and the 1 that i went to, pm me and ill send you the info.

I think we are going a bit off subject here, the O.P's children are just about to start schooling so they are a long way off secondary schooling. Even still, like ive already said the amounts received in child related benefits should more than cover the costs of schooling

I dont disagree with you there . I use my childrens cb to get there cloths etc they dont need them every month.I realise the op children were primary.But the thread seems to have swayed toward a debate on cost of school uniform when children get to secondary school and all the extras they have to have .
I just thought it would be good to have an idea of how prices differ from county to county etc maybe the goverment could then put a cap on the amount they are allowed to charge for these uniforms.

DdraigGoch

I have found that school uniform requirements are becoming more stringent over the years lately, though nowhere near as stringent as those I encountered when I went to school. For the record, both my children and I went to ordinary local schools, both primary/junior and secondary.

I could give current examples, but I feel this may not be useful.

lighton

DdraigGoch wrote: »

I have found that school uniform requirements are becoming more stringent over the years lately, though nowhere near as stringent as those I encountered when I went to school. For the record, both my children and I went to ordinary local schools, both primary/junior and secondary.

I could give current examples, but I feel this may not be useful.

It may help.Because i think the goverment should step in if schools are being allowed to charge some of these prices.And request that children should have this and that.

It should be across the board .

cheap_charlie

I just find it interesting that person protesting the loudest on this thread doesn't have children ;-)

ETA - doesn't have SCHOOL AGE children