School Uniform !

mumps

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Presumably you have the normal consumer protection if you buy items through the school - if they're not fit for purpose return them!

But if we had got his changed he wouldn't have fitted in with all the other faded sweatshirts in his class, as poet123 pointed out its all about a sense of community and belonging. They all have lovely new navy blue sweatshirts in September and faded ones by Christmas, they generally fade at about the same rate, you can spot the ones who dont wash uniform as often as they dont fade quite so quickly. This is where the pride comes in, a faded sweatshirt shows your mom does wash it regularly.

Oldernotwiser

mumps wrote: »

But if we had got his changed he wouldn't have fitted in with all the other faded sweatshirts in his class, as poet123 pointed out its all about a sense of community and belonging. They all have lovely new navy blue sweatshirts in September and faded ones by Christmas, they generally fade at about the same rate, you can spot the ones who dont wash uniform as often as they dont fade quite so quickly. This is where the pride comes in, a faded sweatshirt shows your mom does wash it regularly.

But there must be people who buy new sweatshirts during the year. What about people who lose them (or get them pinched)? What about those who have a growth spurt?

I can't believe that a class of 30 kids all buy new sweatshirts at the beginning of term (no hand me downs or bought secondhand?) and all still own the same sweatshirts at the end of the year!

AnxiousMum

mumps wrote: »

But if we had got his changed he wouldn't have fitted in with all the other faded sweatshirts in his class, as poet123 pointed out its all about a sense of community and belonging. They all have lovely new navy blue sweatshirts in September and faded ones by Christmas, they generally fade at about the same rate, you can spot the ones who dont wash uniform as often as they dont fade quite so quickly. This is where the pride comes in, a faded sweatshirt shows your mom does wash it regularly.

Or......it could also show that they have one for each day of the week and school uniforms all get washed on a Friday!

poet123

mumps wrote: »

But if we had got his changed he wouldn't have fitted in with all the other faded sweatshirts in his class, as poet123 pointed out its all about a sense of community and belonging. They all have lovely new navy blue sweatshirts in September and faded ones by Christmas, they generally fade at about the same rate, you can spot the ones who dont wash uniform as often as they dont fade quite so quickly. This is where the pride comes in, a faded sweatshirt shows your mom does wash it regularly.

:rolleyes: the sense of pride or community does not come from the nuance of the depth of colour of your sweatshirt, rather that you are all wearing a sweatshirt in the school colour and with the school logo.

If everyone complained, all the sweatshirts would be the same, and the supplier would be aware his card was marked re quality, which for £36 it certainly should be.

Zara33

mumps wrote: »

But if we had got his changed he wouldn't have fitted in with all the other faded sweatshirts in his class, as poet123 pointed out its all about a sense of community and belonging. They all have lovely new navy blue sweatshirts in September and faded ones by Christmas, they generally fade at about the same rate, you can spot the ones who dont wash uniform as often as they dont fade quite so quickly. This is where the pride comes in, a faded sweatshirt shows your mom does wash it regularly.

:rolleyes: How about the parents who use a wash in dye.

AsknAnswer

Loopy_Girl wrote: »

I am one of 'those childsmile people' and the reason we phone and check is that many people tick the wrong box by accident. It also gives us a record of your daughter's dental health throughout her school life so that we can see how her dental health is doing and forsee any potential problems. The actual data used is figures only so that we can produce our figures to the Scotish Government so that we can continue to get the funding for this very worthwhile programme we do in the schools with also includes the fortnightly flouride mouthwash and also the brushing of the infants teeth.

And having juice in a bottle all day is just rotting her teeth as she has sugar and citric acid continually washing over them every time she takes a sip. Suppose that is going back to forseeing the dental problems. Mind you, I knew that even before I worked in dental:rolleyes:

The woman on the phone from Childsmile explained all of that. I still refused to allow the sharing of my daughters data. I have no desire to argue with you and have nothing against the childsmile programme. But two things I object to: the first being the insinutation that I am an idiot and cannot work out which box to tick out of two and am interrupted by a phone call at work - a number which was not provided to childsmile but which is on the school records and for use in an emergency only; the second is being given a lecture about how to take care of my daughter's teeth. So I would like to point a couple of things out:

The boxes are there to be ticked. One or the other, it's very simple and very plain. I am more than capable of deciphering between "yes" and "no". My daughter has a dentist whom she sees for her check ups and whom keeps detailed records of her dental health.

The juice she has in her bottle is freshly squeezed juice, with pulp which I give to her as one of her "five a day". She does not drink directly from the spout either as it is something I do not encourage as I am perfectly aware of how that over a prolonged period of daily use can interfere with her oral health and speech. She does not have sips of it "all day" - it is for drinking during her mid morning break along with the fruit she gets to eat at that time, which she has done since she was weaned off the breast.

Furthermore, when I was a child, promotion of dental health was certainly not as big it is now. We had it all. Fizzy sweets, sugar coated cakes, fizzy juice, cremola foam (dear God how I miss Cremola foam) - I could go on all day about the complete and utter disgustingly unhealthy foods and drink that passed our mouths and into our gullets every day. I have never in my life had a severe dental problem. Not once. Never had to visit the dentist for anything other than a routine check up, where the dentist almost always compliments me on how lovely my teeth are. Neither have my six siblings had dental problems, but my seventh sibling has admittedly got three filings. I'm all for keeping teeth healthy but there is a lot of scaremongering about health, dental or otherwise. Scotland as far as I am aware has the worst dental health in Britain. However, in spite of that there are a few of us who are capable of understanding even the basics of good dental care. My daughter very rarely gets sweets. She is not permitted fizzy juice. She rarely gets cakes. There is obviously the exception of a sweet treat, but only very occasionally - treats are normally given in the form of a visit to somewhere fun rather than the offering of confectionary. Not soley because I want her to maintain healthy teeth and gums, but because I also want her to maintain healthy organs and arteries. Teach that to them when they are young and they will be equipped when they are older.

mumps

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

But there must be people who buy new sweatshirts during the year. What about people who lose them (or get them pinched)? What about those who have a growth spurt?

I can't believe that a class of 30 kids all buy new sweatshirts at the beginning of term (no hand me downs or bought secondhand?) and all still own the same sweatshirts at the end of the year!

To you, anxious mom, poet123, and Zara33, I apologise, i did not realise we were having a no sense of humour day today (does it cost the same as a non uniform day?)

mumps

poet123 wrote: »

:rolleyes: the sense of pride or community does not come from the nuance of the depth of colour of your sweatshirt, rather that you are all wearing a sweatshirt in the school colour and with the school logo.

If everyone complained, all the sweatshirts would be the same, and the supplier would be aware his card was marked re quality, which for £36 it certainly should be.

I am guessing that the kick back on £36 is pretty good and that is why the school has stuck with this supplier through thick and thin, I can assure you parents have complained, for many years, but they have a monopoly. Surely that is the point, if the school uniform is a black blazer I can go to M & S Tesco or wherever but if it is a blue sweatshirt with the school logo that can only be bought from the school they can charge what they like whatever the quality.

mumps

Zara33 wrote: »

:rolleyes: How about the parents who use a wash in dye.

It would spoil the logo.

poet123

AsknAnswer wrote: »

My child's primary school charge for school uniform. It HAS to have the name of the school with their logo on, and the children are all expected to have either a jumper, cardigan or hoodie (yes they do sell hoodie's lol) from the school. They are red in colour.

I bought DD red cardi's off ebay, far cheaper. Her pinnafores and trousers came from Tesco.They are exactly the same as the school's, without the logo or school name. Fourth week into school, and unusually I am collecting my child (childminder normally collects as I am still at work usually), I get met by the receptionist who tells me I have to purchase a uniform complete with the school logo, for my daughter. I tell her I have no intention of parting with money to pay a ridiculous price for a few logo'd jumpers that she will outgrow in a term or so, and point out that the cardi's she has are exactly the same and would only be noticed as different if you were looking for the logo which is quite small. The head teacher then spoke to me, and insisted that DD absolutely HAD to be in logo'd school uniform. Again, I refused, stating that if school is going to dictate what my children wear, and set it at a ridiculously high price then they can damned well pay for it. I'm all for school uniform and being smart. I'm not all for the prices they set.

For me it wasn't even about affording it. I'm as capable as every other person of saving a little aside each week, knowing full well a year before my DD was due to begin school that she was expected to wear logos. My principle of point was that the prices were ridiculous and why should a parent have to put aside the money to save up when they can purchase perfectly good and perfectly smart school uniform elsewhere that are exactly the same with the exception of the logos. I'm not paying near £100 each term for a picture, and that's all there was to it. Well, it wasn't all there was to it, there was also the "your child is not allowed juice in her water bottle, we only allow water or milk - school policy" and being contacted by these childsmile people (who come to school to flouriode all the children's teeth) by phone to ask why I had ticked the box on the form which says I don't want details of my children stored or shared. I just feel it's another dictatorship and big brother.

In the end I told the head that if my daughter was sent home from school that it would be considered a denial of her right to an education, and that if she was denied her education over the sake of me refusing to fork out £100 for a picture, I'd take it to the education board, and reminded her that her role is educating my child in reading, writing and arithmatic. My role is to parent. I don't tell her how to teach so I don't expect her to tell me what I can or cannot give my child to drink, frown on me for refusing the sharing of my child's data, and dictate how much money I SHOULD spend on a uniform. I've heard no more about it since our little, erm "discussion"

The Head has probably given up and earmarked you (quite rightly imo) as a difficult parent.

I assume you read and digested the school prospectus before you accepted the offer of a place at that school for your child? If so, I would expect the details and expectations of the uniform to have been spelled out in that document. By accepting the place you signed up to adhering to that standard, yet you blithely disregard it because it doesn't suit.

Remove your child, and seek a place at a school more akin with your needs, don't let the education of your child have a bearing on the decision, make it purely on the basis of whether the uniform policy fits your ethos.:rolleyes: