My kids school is an !!!!

tandraig

completely agree with aliasojo - please dont back down on this - and if 20 parents have spoken with you already - then there are probably loads of others. would the head co-operate with you and send out letters asking all parents for their views on the cost and quality of the uniform? and in meantime have a little consideration and allow you some time while matter is under discussion?

dori2o

and lose more money being off work?

My priorities are to ensure we have enough money coming into the house, not to have time off work that is not warranted to attend these meetings.

I will have to have time off to attend this meeting, unless we can delegate somebody or get childcare for my kids so my wife can attend. But I get very little leave and that is saved for Christmas, Easter and a week or 2 in the summer hoidays to be with my kids.

dori2o

tandraig wrote: »

completely agree with aliasojo - please dont back down on this - and if 20 parents have spoken with you already - then there are probably loads of others. would the head co-operate with you and send out letters asking all parents for their views on the cost and quality of the uniform? and in meantime have a little consideration and allow you some time while matter is under discussion?

This is probably something that we will have to agree at the pta.

Amistoso_2

OP you don't need to justify yourself, the issue is the cost of the uniform and from what you have said lots of other famillies are in the same boat. It has nothing to do with wether or not you go to PTA meetings - not everyone does.
I knew the model parent brigade would jump on this

Ivory_Tinkler

I would have thought the uniform decisions/appeals would be better aimed at the governors of the school. The PTA do more fundraising than decision making and I really don't think they would be responsible for the uniform.

MrC_Beds

The central issue is whether this school is actually insisting that uniform is purchased from a single supplier and if so, what its justification is for essentially creating a monopoly.

Oldernotwiser

dori2o wrote: »

I can just see that the school has found a way to increase its revenue stream.
.

And what exactly is wrong with that? Presumably any funds brought in are going to enhance your children's education.

(Unless you think they're saving up for the staff Christmas party?)

tandraig

dori2o I meant could you speak on monday to the headmaster/mistress and ask if they would please send out a letter asking parents views? and to allow your children to wear their near uniform a little longer until the issue is resolved. the head may be unaware of how many parents have a problem. i would point out that you have spoken to X amount of parents and you all feel this is a matter which should be raised with the governers with some urgency. it really is a matter more for the governers than the pta unless as is the case in some schools the PTA really run things as the governers cant be bothered.

stardoman

mrcol1000 wrote: »

Thats all well and good but the OP flouted rules and got caught out. The OP can post about how hard he works (apologies for thinking they were female) and how much of a struggle it is but had they gone to the school before term started and explained their situation the school may have been able to help them. If they approached the school now they may still be able to help them. Grants or no grants the school can still help. My school use to encourage us to dump our ties at the school on the last day of term and then collected them up and gave them to new students who couldn't afford to buy one. That is just one of many examples of how schools help parents who can't afford the uniform.

Ahh - so only parents who can afford the uniform should sent their children to that school then? Despite it not being a private school. This is disadvantaging children and is not on imho.

And regarding blazers - our school actually had a coat with the school logo. It is made of fleece on one side and waterproof on the other - it looks nothing like a blazer. Luckily, it is not compulsory at my children's school so they don't have one.

Like the OP, we have our own home, work hard to earn money and do not buy designer clothes for our children. I have been able to afford the school uniform in the past and have bought the logoed items. This year is much tighter as DH has just had to take a 10% pay cut. The oldest is off to secondary and I have bought him most of his uniform from the school shop. Luckily the prices were reasonable for school unform with the whole thing coming to £70 including a calculator. My middle and youngest are wearing hand me downs this year apart from trousers which I managed to get for 60p for 2 pairs in a Sainsburys sale.

I think the designer clothes worn by those with less money are often fakes. I see them for sale in the local market - to the untrained eye they look like designer and have the logo but are cheap and rubbish quality.

Mandy.

MrC_Beds

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

And what exactly is wrong with that? Presumably any funds brought in are going to enhance your children's education.

(Unless you think they're saving up for the staff Christmas party?)

Nothing wrong with making a profit, as long as it isn't from a captive market.