School to become an academy - unfair uniform pricing

cottonhead

When our local school turned into an academy and changed uniform they provided one set of everything to every child free of charge. The blazers and coats have an emblem so have to come from the school but the trousers and skirts are just grey.
In most uniforms the trousers / skirts and shirts are normal ones you can get from any high street shop and just the supplementry bits you have to get from the school shop. Uniforms are supposed to be at a price that makes them affordable. I understand the schools view. Some parents will push the boundaries and allow kids to wear all different shades of grey or skin tight trousers or one kid has a baggy top and the other a tight one so it no longer looks like uniform. However they could still set rules but ones that allow stuff to be bought from normal shops. Do you have a home / school association ? Get them to represent parents views and see if the school will be a bit more flexible.

GobbledyGook

duchy wrote: »

I can't believe anyone would consider home schooling solely because they didn't like the school uniform policy

It's not just a case of not liking the policy though - what about those who can't afford it?

I wouldn't want my child educated in an atmosphere where an attitude of "if they can't afford it they shouldn't be here" prevailed.

The school my girls go to have gone back to an "old fashioned" school uniform of blazer, black skirt/trousers, white shirt, school tie and black jumper or cardigan. The only items that had to be bought were the blazers and ties. For the blazer the PTA and school organised a load of fund raising events and the PTA donated half of the cost to each child. They've also set up a blazer swap and sell event at the end of the year for parents. As a result of keeping it affordable and keeping the parents involved every kid, without fail, was in uniform for their whole school photo recently (and that is the case most days).

I'm a strong advocate of school uniform, but lots of schools are getting stupidly petty and greedy about it now.

jackyann

When one of our local schools became an academy, like cottonhead's, they provided a free uniform set to each child.
This is an abuse of power. I have been around local government & education all my life, and just realised that I don't know who you can complain to in this "academy" situation.
The Advisory Centre for Education are a useful body: ace-ed.org.uk

moomoomama27

My eldests school changed to an Academy last September, with a uniform. The total cost was about £200 for everything.

I personally was fine with this, the uniform was smart, reasonably priced PER item and because the trousers/skirts had to be a particular type it means that there is no ''her skirt is shorter'', ''your trousers are more fashionable''

When I consider how much I spend on their day to day clothes the cost of the uniform for a year (infact the PE kit and Blazer will do at least another year) it's not bad at all!

Mrs_Arcanum

moomoomama27 wrote: »

My eldests school changed to an Academy last September, with a uniform. The total cost was about £200 for everything.

I personally was fine with this, the uniform was smart, reasonably priced PER item and because the trousers/skirts had to be a particular type it means that there is no ''her skirt is shorter'', ''your trousers are more fashionable''

When I consider how much I spend on their day to day clothes the cost of the uniform for a year (infact the PE kit and Blazer will do at least another year) it's not bad at all!

Specific uniform with logo for DD £60.50 for 5 years (2 of each & 1 PE shirt).

DS I will not be so lucky with, so far £36.50 for 2 years but only one of each item as I knew he would grow more rapidly.

broad-sword_2

My little girl's school has applied for and will be an academy in September. The school council voted for a unform change and parents were polled. Result was parents 1 children 0. That said, whilst the school colour remains the same, it's being tarted up and we're advised to replace as we go along. I just wonder whether one of our sponsors runs a children's oufitters???
On a lighter note, we just paid a small fortune to get her togged out in her dance school's kit - suppose I'd rather lose an arm or a leg through choice....

divadee

My daughters school charge ridiculous prices for girls uniform. Only available at one sole supplier I have just bought some new stuff for September and the prices were

Striped blouse- £18.50 each

Pin striped skirt - £24.50

Blue jumper - £21.00

Blazer and badge -£41.50

Pe kit - £25.00 (artex shirt and shorts)

You can not get these items anywhere else as all striped or pin striped. Your lucky if you have a boy as they wear grey trousers and white shirts available from anywhere. It's the girls that get stung with the special blouse and skirts.

shellsuit

My teens school (which is going to be an academy soon) has a uniform (which has been going for a few good years now) that can only be bought from one shop, and everything is logo'd, so obviously it costs an arm and a leg. It does look really smart though, and does last, so no complaints there.

The thing that gets me though, is that years 7-9 HAVE to have the embroidered logo'd school bag too (which is crap and doesn't last a term) plus if they want to wear a scarf to and from school in the winter, it has to be a 'college scarf'!

I'm sorry, but at £15 for a scarf they can go and swivel! It's not a private school, yet they think they are. I'm suprised they haven't got the kids wearing blinkin' hats!

My son will be going into 6th form this year, which isn't so bad as the uniform isn't logo'd and is black so I'll be able to shop in lots of places and my daughter will be going into year 10, so she can choose a bag which is hardwearing and will last the whole year.

jellyhead

They're told which scarf to wear? Crikey!

Mrs_Arcanum

shellsuit wrote: »

My teens school (which is going to be an academy soon) has a uniform (which has been going for a few good years now) that can only be bought from one shop, and everything is logo'd, so obviously it costs an arm and a leg. It does look really smart though, and does last, so no complaints there.

The thing that gets me though, is that years 7-9 HAVE to have the embroidered logo'd school bag too (which is crap and doesn't last a term) plus if they want to wear a scarf to and from school in the winter, it has to be a 'college scarf'!

I'm sorry, but at £15 for a scarf they can go and swivel! It's not a private school, yet they think they are. I'm suprised they haven't got the kids wearing blinkin' hats!

My son will be going into 6th form this year, which isn't so bad as the uniform isn't logo'd and is black so I'll be able to shop in lots of places and my daughter will be going into year 10, so she can choose a bag which is hardwearing and will last the whole year.

:eek: Sixth form does not usually have uniform any-more as pupils can be from a variety of other schools. DD has been put with those from a small local private church school. There are 6 schools in the sixth form catchment areas who can choose from two sixth forms or non A level college, whatever suits.