My kids school is an !!!!

dori2o

Well the kids went back this week,but yesterday we got a letter from the school (only 2nd day back), my daughter has just given it me now.

We couldn't afford to pay the prices wanted by the school uniform shop, £18 a jumper, £15 a cardigan, £30 a coat, all because they have the school logo on, so we went to asda and bought their range of clothes for them (in the right colours of course).

This letter says our kids are now in VIOLATION of the school dress code,as set by the govenors and they will allow them to come to school in it for the rest of the week, but must return to school next week in the required uniform. Apparently a few of the parents have this letter.

This is not a private school, it's a C of E Primary/Junior school. I didn't think they were allowed to do this.

Well they have a shock coming their way, if they want my kids to go in their logo'd school uniform,they can pay for 3 sets for each child, because at the rip off prices they charge I certainly ain't paying for it.

MothballsWallet

There's a mum in Coventry who raised this exact thing, and she was interviewed by our local radio station about it. So, you're not alone, and I agree that schools shouldn't be allowed to do this.

IMO, it's creating a monopoly for uniforms - and I though monopolies were illegal in this country, or does that not apply to schools who can do what they want?

onetomany

this is so wrong i would fight it our school allows it , i buy second hand jumpers tho

kymbogs

hiya , just a suggestion but a friend of mine had a similar issue and she managed to find out that she could buy the school emblem/logo as a patch which can be ironed or sewn on to a regular jumper, maybe your kids school sells these?
Hope you get sorted

mrcol1000

If you can't afford the uniform you should have contacted the school. They can give you/sell you second hand uniform or some schools offer help towards uniform costs. Have you tried talking to them about this rather than jumping up and down? They may have school badges you can sew into their Asda clothes.
If you don't like the school's policy you don't have to send your child there. Surely this policy was made clear to you when your child was accepted at the school?
I went to a CofE school and it was much better than the school my brother went to briefly before going to my one. You should be grateful the school is trying to teach your kids belonging, loyalty and dispcline. I am sure there are other parents which would gladly send their child to the school in their place if your that upset by their rules.

mrcol1000

By the way its no wonder we have a society of kids growing up with no respect for rules and the law when we have parents kicking up a stink because their child is told they have to wear the school badge to school or have to take their holidays during school holidays.

MothballsWallet

mrcol - the uniform thing I understand, but I do not understand why schools are allowed to take advantage of parents by saying "you must go to shop X to get the uniforms: no questions, no alternatives, that is it."

Then shop X charges an arm and a leg for what you could get in somewhere like, say, Asda or Tesco (other shops are available) cheaper and then the logo could be added.

It's like the schools sign these shop exclusivity agreements and then let those shops charge whatever they want and don't care.

dori2o

What has wearing an overpriced, uniform made from cheap material that looks as though it would only last 6 weeks got to do with them teaching my kids.

Is a uniform they demand that my kids wear suddenly going to make them better learners than they would be by me sending them in Asda's uniform.

I already pay for my kids to attend school through my taxes, plus I pay for every other thing the school asks for, and believe me they ask for a lot, it's at least 1 letter every week asking for money for something.

The school isn't even that good, it's recently come off the ofsted watch list,and wasn't our first choice of school but we have no choice in where we send them.

They are not winning this, if they suspend my kids for this then I'll go to the press. I wouldn't mind buying the Schools branded uniform if it was realistically priced. This is pure profiteering on behalf of the manufacturer, the school uniform shop (Monkhouse) and the school who must get a cut of the money somehow.

I have enquired just now about the iron on/sew on badges but they don't do them as they require all children to wear the uniform as sold at Monkhouse.

Takoda

Do you know any of the other parents who have had a letter? If you don't they should be easy to find just look for kids without a logo on their uniform and go and have a chat to their parents.

Find out what the others are going to do. It will be easier to fight it if there are a group of you.

Write to the governors. They are the employers of the Head and teachers and if you write to them they will have to discuss your issues at the next gov meeting. Yes they may have decided it would look nice if everyone had the same uniform with the right badge but they CAN'T insist on it!!!

They may be able to come up with a compromise eg. have badges produced that parents can sew onto Asda type jumpers.

They cannot refuse to let your child come to school just because they don't have the right uniform so technically you can send them in whatever you like as long as it doesn't contravene health and safety regs eg no six inch stilletos. :rotfl:

You're making an effort to buy the right colour uniform so don't worry about it.

Don't give in and buy overpriced stuff - your kids will lose it/have it borrowed/pinched by another child/grow out of it quickly/chew the sleeves etc It isn't worth spending a fortune on it.

If they want your child to have a badged jumper for school photos etc they could borrow one from lost property for the photo and then give it back. Or borrow another child's jumper (from another class). There are loads of ways around it.

I'm a teacher by the way - have been for 20 years.

Write to the governors - state your case politely - don't rant.

But do it quickly and inform the Head that you have done so - ideally send him/her a copy of the letter. They won't be able to do anything until it has been dealt with at the meeting.

HTH.

Takoda - enjoying my last days of freedom - we go back on Monday.

jamespir

mrcol1000 wrote: »

By the way its no wonder we have a society of kids growing up with no respect for rules and the law when we have parents kicking up a stink because their child is told they have to wear the school badge to school or have to take their holidays during school holidays.

you dont have kids do you you shell out hundreds of pounds for the uniform because it has the school label on two weeks later is ripped because the school made them do pe or something in it where as you cna buy exact same uniform from asda for 3/4 of the prize


my advice to the op see if you can get some school logos ( your local school shop should sell these ) and iron/sew them on theywont beable to tell the difference

mrcol1000

MothballsWallet wrote: »

mrcol - the uniform thing I understand, but I do not understand why schools are allowed to take advantage of parents by saying "you must go to shop X to get the uniforms: no questions, no alternatives, that is it."

Then shop X charges an arm and a leg for what you could get in somewhere like, say, Asda or Tesco (other shops are available) cheaper and then the logo could be added.

It's like the schools sign these shop exclusivity agreements and then let those shops charge whatever they want and don't care.

Because the school gets kickbacks from the shop. They either get a set fee or a percentage of each item being sold. Its one of the ways the school makes up the funding shortfalls as cost of running the school rises but the budget decreases. Really you can't blame them.