MSE News: Schools urged to keep uniform costs down

sooty&sweep

My issue seems insignificant to some on here but my daughter's school uniform is green skirt / cardi + yellow / gold shirt. I can only buy the shirys at the specialist school wear retailer as none of the high street shops do this colour.

The problem I have is that in both reception & year 1 she's got paint on the shirts which won't wash out and because they are yellow you can't bleach the stains out. At £14 for two shirts I'm not going to keep buying more for her to get paint on so she had to wear stained shirts for half the year.

Jen

delain

Store twentyone (formerly QS) do passable gold polo shirts, they're online too if you're not near one.

Janepig

sooty&sweep wrote: »

My issue seems insignificant to some on here but my daughter's school uniform is green skirt / cardi + yellow / gold shirt. I can only buy the shirys at the specialist school wear retailer as none of the high street shops do this colour.

The problem I have is that in both reception & year 1 she's got paint on the shirts which won't wash out and because they are yellow you can't bleach the stains out. At £14 for two shirts I'm not going to keep buying more for her to get paint on so she had to wear stained shirts for half the year.

Jen

I find paint easy enough to get out (well the stuff they use in DD/DS's school anyway), it's felt tip pain that's a pain in the arris. I've got no issue with DS going to school with "stained" jumpers from felt pen - I think there's a difference in wearing jumpers with marks on them, and jumpers that are "grubby". As long as they are otherwise clean then they're fine imo.

I've got all DD's skirts and DS's trousers from the local uniform shop in town because they are the only ones that sell clothes that fit my children on the waist (DD and DS are "slim"). Supermarket offerings are like clowns clothes on them. So it does cost me more out of necessity. I don't like adjustable waists either, I find they spoil the look of the item and they're uncomfortable for the child. I also managed to get some trousers for DD from Next this year as they do slim fit trousers, which were about £9 per pair.

When DD goes to comp in 2 years time, they have to wear mint green blouses which is a headache as the uniform shop and one of the school jumper supply shops are the only places they can be got from. Boys however can wear white. How's that fair?!!

Jx

MoonJelly

I just bought school uniform for my son. He was homeschooled when we lived abroad but now that we are in the UK he will be going to the local primary. I have to say that despite buying most stuff from Asda and Tesco, the logoed jumpers and shoes were expensive. I haven't even got the plain tracksuit the school suggests for the winter months! :eek:

I'm also supposed to get the school bag from the school -I didn't see that one coming.

Janepig

MoonJelly wrote: »

I just bought school uniform for my son. He was homeschooled when we lived abroad but now that we are in the UK he will be going to the local primary. I have to say that despite buying most stuff from Asda and Tesco, the logoed jumpers and shoes were expensive. I haven't even got the plain tracksuit the school suggests for the winter months! :eek:

I'm also supposed to get the school bag from the school -I didn't see that one coming.

H&M do very reasonably priced tracksuit bottoms and jackets in a variety of colours. Well I also like them because the string around the waist isn't just for show but it does actually tighten the trousers!

Jx

LindseyandMatthew

My ds is going up to secondary school so has had to have the full uniform, its cost £198 for school blazer, tie, 3 jumpers, pe shorts, pe t shirts, pe training top and football socks (all from the school shop) 6 shirts, 4 pairs trousers, grey socks, trainers for pe, shoes and a coat. I didn't think it was too bad for all that he got.

My dd is starting primary and their uniform is grey trouser/skirt, white/blue/gold polo shirt and royal blue cardigan or jumper but as long as its in school colours they don't have to be logo'd

jellyhead

MoonJelly wrote: »

I just bought school uniform for my son. He was homeschooled when we lived abroad but now that we are in the UK he will be going to the local primary. I have to say that despite buying most stuff from Asda and Tesco, the logoed jumpers and shoes were expensive. I haven't even got the plain tracksuit the school suggests for the winter months! :eek:

I'm also supposed to get the school bag from the school -I didn't see that one coming.

I got the tracksuit from Asda. Our school just decided that everyone needs plain black, just after I'd bought, washed and name-tagged a tracksuit from M&S

Anyway, joggers and jacket were £6 each, but the joggers aren't gathered at the bottom.

valk_scot

I am quite happy with my kids' schools. They both have a dress code which means that they can wear generic uniform if they so wish as long as it's in the prescribed school colours and they stick to certain rules like no jeans or obvious logos. Our basic primary school uniform is black skirt or trousers, white polo short and maroon sweatshirt or cardigan. There is a tie and blazer but tbh no-one wears them apart from on their first weeks. You can buy sweatshirts/fleeces/polo shirts/cagoules through the official supplier who turns up at parents nights to take orders, then the garments are delivered to your child in school. They're robust and of good quality, my younger child wore her older brother's sweatshirts and they're still in good enough nick to pass on. There is a second hand clothes stand at the two annual school fairs selling outgrown donated uniform, no-one thinks twice about buying an extra sweatshirt or two there for sports activities.

My son goes to the local comprehensive, the dress code there is black trousers or skirt, white shirt or blouse, school tie and black jersey or cardigan. In S1 & S2 (we're in Scotland) there is an option to wear a white polo shirt and school sweatshirt. You're also allowed to wear any of the special printed hoodies from the various school trips. For sports it's black joggers or shorts, white or blue t-shirts.

It's all very down to earth and practical, the kids look smart enough and there's a range of price options from the cheaper supermarkets up to the badged items. It also means if you've got an unusually sized kid you can find uniform to fit...DS plays rugby at prop and he's built like a bull so standard sizes would never go over his shoulders, lol.

I think I would go a bit mental at a school that changed their uniform every few years and restricted the places you could buy it tbh. Why aren't the parents protesting about this balony? If enough parents said NO to these silly uniform policies at the schools what would the school do about it after all?

jellyhead

Well, at my son's high school when he didn't have the new tie they gave him detention every day until I bought one. Likewise with the PE kit that went missing.

MoonJelly

Janepig wrote: »

H&M do very reasonably priced tracksuit bottoms and jackets in a variety of colours. Well I also like them because the string around the waist isn't just for show but it does actually tighten the trousers!

Jx

Thanks to you and jellyhead for the suggestions. Today was open day at the school and I forgot to ask what colour are the tracksuits supposed to be. The PE shorts are navy blue and the regular trousers gray. Grrr...:doh: