School Uniform Supply Monopolies

Tigsteroonie

Think I'd better start saving now ...

dinkytoy

My sons school uniform is changing after the summer and we have just been sent the new price list and its all from one supplier and very, very expensive for what seem to be poor quaility (example) items but only time will see what they wash/wear like.

Its unbelievable in this day and age that we as parents can be held to ransom and our children punished if we cant afford to buy the items the school demand our kids wear from the supplier of their choice and from a limited range of items which are unsuitable for some pupils and a lot of parents pockets!

My sons school will have no uniform jumpers/sweatshirts come September, just a cotton shirt and blazer with no outdoor coats allowed no matter what the weather yet the teacher can wear coats and Ive even seen teachers in coats while teaching because the class rooms on one block are freezing so it one rule for them but another for the kids who are often more vunerable to the cold and wet than adults are.

nikki1520

I've just been to the parents meeting for my little man's first school. Again, one supplier with extortionate prices. The children are divided into groups and when they were reading out the list, I was wishing for a red or blue polo shirt for my son, as I know these can be bought cheaply, but no, I got emerald green.

Lovely colour, but only available from the single supplier at £7.50 each. Aaargh! Have looked everywhere, but no joy..

I spent more on 2 polo shirts and one sweatshirt than the entire rest of the uniform from m&s- wonder which will be the better quality? Not holding my breath for m&s stuff looking shabby first!

I think it's really wrong. Luckily we can afford it, but I feel for families with several kis who are struggling!

[Deleted User]

nikki1520 wrote: »

I've just been to the parents meeting for my little man's first school. Again, one supplier with extortionate prices. The children are divided into groups and when they were reading out the list, I was wishing for a red or blue polo shirt for my son, as I know these can be bought cheaply, but no, I got emerald green.

How unfair for parents of "green" children or "yellow" for that matter i presume, although around here, yellow is easy to find due to a some schools have it as a base colour.

Nikki, out of interest, are they split into houses straight away and then wear the co-ordinated tshirt throughout? That would be unusual around here except for PE. My sons school has a "every one wears the same" uniform but the pe shirts are different for infants and juniors, yet my friend's school in the same town has the same standard uniform, but the pe shirts are split into the 4 basic colour groups.

pigpen

TechnoBadger wrote: »

Indeed they cannot they enforce it, but primary schools near me have suddenly started having a requirement for jumpers / cardigans with a STRIPE! These MUST be worn and bought from their chosen supplier! There's now no chance of parents 'getting away with' a plain one from M&S. They're acrylic jumpers / cardigans which don't last as long as a good sweatshirt. And they cost more of course... Now call me a cynic if you like but I think this trend has more to do with suppliers protecting their 'patch' by suggesting 'improvements' to schools. There's less chance of a competitor coming along and fancying his chances with what is effectively custom-made uniform. For the schoolwear supplier this is job done. For the school's parents this is extra expense for uniform that probably won't last as long as what they had before.

So don't get them.. they cannot send him home or kick him out of the school

Deleted_User wrote: »

The items in red are the "compulsory" ones and to be honest as no one wants their child to be different EVERY child has them.

The only rule is uniform has to be worn, my only complaint is i wish my kids school would change the sweatshirts to a v neck jumper, much smarter in my opinion and allows the children's neck to be less restricted and easier to put on.

NONE of it is 'compulsory' and they cannot make you put your primary aged child in it..

The head is on a power trip and passing false info..

Don't get me wrong I am all for uniform.. it makes my job of dressing them easier but I can't stand lies!

jellyhead

Bailey that's bonkers, making them all have the same PE bag and sun hat! Some 4 year olds can't read the names very well, and how confusing when they all look the same! It's much faster in our school because very few children have the same PE bag or sun hat.

There probably is a school logo PE bag and sun hat, but school are very clear that they do not expect children to have everything logo'd, or even anything at all. The uniform supplier has stopped putting the logo on the PE t-shirts and now charges £5 for one plain white t-shirt!! School told me I'd be better off getting one from Tesco.

Our school is very sensitive to the demands on parents pockets, but I suppose if everyone else bought the logo then I wouldn't want mine to be the only child without it. We are lucky that half the school don't wear the logo.

shy-but-need-help

My oldest is starting high school after being homeschooled and the prices are a shock, home educated we have to supply all of her educational materials which can add up but at least I can see some merit in that but school educated the price of uniform is shocking! We're looking at over £200 just for the logo'd stuff- even the bl**dy football socks have the school name on and what took the biscuit at open night was being told they all have to buy a specific calculator as all students in the school have to work from the same type.

I also have three in primary but theirs isn't as bad although I'm knarked that you can only but it at one shop and their jumper quality has really, really nose dived in the last couple of years.

mumto2loves

i'm sure i must have got it wrong otherwise someone would have mentioned it, but when i was at a new parents meeting the other day at my sons infant school, the head teacher definately said something along the lines of because of the new rules about uniform monopoly they now have to have 3 different outlets for their branded uniforms.
they have always used john lewis (at least the last 5 years since my daughter started there) but now they have 2 local shops selling it as well. - incidently they all charge the same price.

TechnoBadger

mumto2loves wrote: »

...the head teacher definately said something along the lines of because of the new rules about uniform monopoly they now have to have 3 different outlets for their branded uniforms.

Having spoken to the OFT recently I don't believe that there's any particular law that says a school cannot choose just one supplier. There may be 'rules' from individual local authorities - which one is yours please?

they have always used john lewis (at least the last 5 years since my daughter started there) but now they have 2 local shops selling it as well. - incidently they all charge the same price.

Funny, that!

[Deleted User]

Pigpen i meant "compulsory" in quotes in the loosest sense, in as much as they know they can't demand those jumpers but 99.9% of the kids wear them and they like the kids to look the same.

Jellyhead, the school hat isn't compulsory but there if you want to buy it, Jack will probably wear the same hat he's worn the last 2 years, there is a lot of growing room in it, it was deliberately bought in the school colour and embroided with Scammell Jack on it, so he knows its his and it can't be replicated. Btw Scammell isnt our surname, just a passion of DH's and Jack's.