MSE News: Schools urged to keep uniform costs down

delain

daska wrote: »

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DS2's primary school sell second hand stuff that is handed in to them and put requests and adverts in the school newsletters.

I meant the person I quoted who said their school said they didn't sell it... I know other schools do sell it.

The infant school here does it, you hand it in, they have sales each term at 50p an item and do very well. The juniors don't sell it but the pastoral care lady will take it and give it to the people who struggle with the costs.

ginger_tony

One of my kids left primary for secondary this year and his school shirts, tie, school jumpers with badge and some school trousers were all in good condition and could and will be used by others as l held them into the school for extras or if anyone has an accident etc. l paid £24 for three school ties this year which l feel is madness if i could have gotten a second hand one l would have been glad of it. I know people who have to get into debt so their kids can go to school with an appropriate school uniform.Surely this isnt right.People are stuggling financially l think there must be easier solutions to the uniform dilema.

elisebutt65

I bought one full set of uniform for my eldest when they changed uniform ( in his last year: typical!) then carefully cut off all the logos when he left and stitched them onto younger DS's when he started. So I have got away with polls & sweatshirts bought generically

Means I have to pick and resew everytime he goes up a size but it's saving me a fortune!

Rachel021967

My daughter's Secondary school insisted that girls skirt and trousers are bought through the school as the girls would wear skirts that left nothing to the imagination, and boys and girls would wear the trousers so they were off the hip with underwear in full view.

adea

The secondary school my daughter wants to go to insist on uniform being bought from one supplier, so for a basic uniform of cardi, jumper, 4 polo shirts and pe kit, comes to £120. that's without skirt/trousers, football socks,tracksuit and footwear.
They changed uniform starting this month, so 2nd hand stuff won't be floating around anywhere.

jellyhead

My son's high school have just changed to blazers, new PE kit etc. to reflect their new academy status. They only changed their last logo 3 years ago, meaning that the children going into year 11 are buying their 3rd uniform now, and there's no leeway to wear the old stuff for a year Luckily mine can wear what he likes in 6th form.

jellyhead

Our primary has just changed colour (to purple - yuck!) but they have decided (after a lot of complaints about the new logo I think) that we don't have to have the logo. The schoolwear supplier is as cheap as anywhere else for purple, so I've ordered plain uniform from there.

Perhaps if enough parents complained, some schools might allow non-logo items to be worn, as long as they are the correct colour?

On this subject, has anyone compared the quality and fit of different suppliers? Ours are 'woodbank' but I am wondering if Fruit of the Loom might be better quality, and less tight around the neck and wrists.

chirpchirp

DD's school has become an academy this year. The whole uniform has changed, including the colour of the shirt! The only thing which has remained is that they have a black skirt - which they all wear far too short.

The school have enlisted a uniform supplier which we had to order from through the school and had negotiated a good price for a first jumper, tie and blazer of £21. After this subsequent jumpers etc were more expensive. Whilst the cost this year of it seemed reasonable, I'm guessing that next year we will see a rise in price.

There is only one uniform supplier but I know from having been a school governor that schools were required to have two suppliers, this may be different for academies.

My son is at a voluntary aided school which also doesn't follow the old two supplier law. We have to buy his jumper (luckily everything else can be bought in supermarkets etc)direct from the school.

mumblub

my sons new uniform just cost me £105 and thats without shoes and schoolbag

mammyof7

mark61120 wrote: »

All of that pales into insignificance as my son's sixth form has decided that the need to wear business suits for school!
They will need two suits and constant dry cleaning as well as formal shirts and ties.

All because they have a public school just up the road who's sixth form have been wearing suits for the past two years.

My son year is going into upper sixth, but they wouldn't even allow them to carry on wearing the existing uniform until they leave next year!
Apparently, this was in response to pupils requests (yeah, right) and that the costings that they have done show it is comparable in cost to the uniform (white shirt, tie and black trousers with black cardigan if required)(again; yeah, right).

My son is a very similar age to yours (although he has now left education and is working) and at our 6th form there is no uniform at all. However the kids are expected to dress "smartly" (no shorts etc).

I personally think that the wearing of "business suits" is absurd. And I find it hard to believe that it is something that the kids actually requested :eek::eek::eek:. I don't disagree with a uniform (if thats the schools policy) but the idea of kids being made to wear buisness suits to attend 6th form just seems a very strange one!