School uniform and benefits

mumps

satarical wrote: »

Well done!!!!!

Children must be your first priority. Whether it be clothing or food. The last thing a child needs is to be made to feel 'different' - they must be able to fit in with their peers.

My twin girls cost us a fortune when they started grammar school, especially the school holidays to the Alps, America as well as the Great Wall of China that they had to go on to be with their friends.
School uniform is a very important part of being 'the same'.

My 12 year old grand daughter came home a week or two back and asked (because mum suggested!!!) if we could buy her two horses!! Uhhh - two? Why two? 'Because my friend has two and I just love going riding with her on their farm - if I had two then she could come riding with me?'

That might sound over the top but to her it was very important.

Don't you think children also need to learn that they can't have everything they want? I have had four go through grammar school and they did some trips and not others. Not all children do the trips, mine would work out with their friends which trips they would try to go on e.g. one wasn't keen on skiing but the other three all loved their skiing trips.

To be honest I would be horrified if one of my children suggested that one of my grandchildren should ask me for two horses, to be honest I would be horrified if they were to ask for anything. I give them lots and I give it gladly but they would get nothing if they started asking for it.

ETA Just noticed your username LOL.

krisskross

Dunroamin wrote: »

School uniform is dirt cheap these days and not that expensive even if bought from exclusive shops. You seem to think that £150 is a high price to pay but that doesn't seem a lot to me to buy the clothes a child will be wearing 5 days a week for about 40 weeks a year. There are many parents who would baulk at this amount but think nothing of paying the same price for an expensive pair of trainers and a couple of pairs of designer jeans.

Sometimes it's all about priorities.

£3 a week out of the benefits payable for children seems very little to pay for school uniform.

children from poorer families are very well provided for financially. Just a shame that the parents see it as money into the general family pot and not to provide the stuff for the children.

[Deleted User]

What Council are we talking about please?

Birmingham? Sandwell? Walsall? Staffs? Dudley?

plum2002

assj wrote: »

What Council are we talking about please?

Birmingham? Sandwell? Walsall? Staffs? Dudley?

I think the OP has been scared off so we are unlikely to find out

Dunroamin

mumps wrote: »

You might be surprised at how much "special" uniform items cost from these suppliers. My DD, she left school four years ago, went to a school with a smart uniform but some changes were made. As one example the girls could no longer wear the sort of white blouses you can buy anywhere, you know long or short sleeves, open collar. These blouses could be bought for about £2 each. Suddenly they had to wear a white blouse with an open collar, looked identical under school jumper, but with three quarter sleeves and designed to be worn over skirt not tucked in. They cost £16 each and for the life of me I can't see what they added of any value. My daughter never had one of these blouses as girls already at the school could continue to wear the original blouses until they needed new ones. She never needed a new blouse!

I very much doubt that I would be surprised as when I went to grammar school (many years ago) everything had to be bought from the local expensive department store. We had to have tunics, shirts and jumpers in the winter and dresses in the summer, as well as a blazer, beret and regulation mackintosh. There was also PE equipment, science and art overalls, regulation shoes (Clarks only) and even indoor shoes.

My dad was a postman, my mum did some cleaning and there was no financial help. My parents made sacrifices, worked longer hours and prioritised school uniform over clothes that are worn out of school which many people aren't prepared to do these days. So you can see that I do actually have experience of coming from a low income family and having to buy expensive uniform items.

FBaby

dori2o wrote: »

BUT, why on earth should it cost £150+ for a school uniform. There is absolutely no justification anyone can give for the costs to be so high.

Totally agree, that is ridiculous and I would complain if that was the cost of the uniform at my daughter's school even though I could afford it.

And whilst some people do get benefits there are other things that those benefits are spent on. School dinners (not everyone gets them free), bus fares, school trips, stationary, sports equipment (football boots, hockey sticks, tennis gear etc). Thats without mentioning non-school related spending.

All these won't even come close to the amout low income families receives in child tax credits and child benefit if shopping wisely and in advance.

I have no problems buying school uniforms. What I have a problem with is schools forcing you to 1 supplier who just happen to be amongst the most expensive places to shop.

Totally agree

People claim it is to stop the stigma of children who have asda trousers etc as opposed to expensive brands, yet these same people say you should buy the stuff 2nd hand. Isn't there still the same stigma that you have 2nd hand clothes as opposed to cheaper alternatives?

I am a high earner and buy my son's trousers at Asda (and two years in a row on sale!). They are perfect. I used to buy shirts and polos there too but have found that all in all, M&S do better value that last longer.

If I put my child in clothes bought from Tesco alongside a child who bought theirs from the schools supplier, I can guarantee nobody would tell the difference, or think that one was better than the other.

Absolutely.

mumps

Dunroamin wrote: »

I very much doubt that I would be surprised as when I went to grammar school (many years ago) everything had to be bought from the local expensive department store. We had to have tunics, shirts and jumpers in the winter and dresses in the summer, as well as a blazer, beret and regulation mackintosh. There was also PE equipment, science and art overalls, regulation shoes (Clarks only) and even indoor shoes.

My dad was a postman, my mum did some cleaning and there was no financial help. My parents made sacrifices, worked longer hours and prioritised school uniform over clothes that are worn out of school which many people aren't prepared to do these days. So you can see that I do actually have experience of coming from a low income family and having to buy expensive uniform items.

My experience of grammar school was very similar, my sister went to another grammar school that had even more ridiculous requirements. I have never lived on benefits as a child or adult but I think changing a perfectly reasonable £2 blouse for another one, that looks identical under the jumper, at £16 is plain ridiculous.

If we are looking at priorities I can think of alot of things that would have been more useful. As an example I never bought the expensive blouses, I seemed to mysteriously have a stock of the old blouses that lasted till she left school, but I did buy her the most expensive scientific calculator on the school suggested list, she did A level maths, further maths and physics so I thought this was justified. I also paid for some books the school suggested. To me these were priorities not an over priced blouse.

FBaby

krisskross wrote: »

£3 a week out of the benefits payable for children seems very little to pay for school uniform.

children from poorer families are very well provided for financially. Just a shame that the parents see it as money into the general family pot and not to provide the stuff for the children.

I think that is the key issue. It is definitely not the case for ALL low cost families, but I do think quite common, especially after Christmas when tax creditds and benefits went to pay for luxury items.

Providing children with the ability to build their self-esteem is probably the biggest gift a parent can give a child. That includes doing everything to help them adjust well to school life. I can't stand teasing on the basis of appearance and have made sure to teach my kids not to judge on the cover, but the reality is that if, as a 13yo you feel embarassed about your look, it is going to affect how you feel about yourself and inevitably how you relate with others, so even in a perfect world where they would be no teasing/bullying because one is different, it would still be more difficult for such a child to mix comfortably with his/her peers.

Poppy9

mumps wrote: »

but I did buy her the most expensive scientific calculator on the school suggested list, she did A level maths, further maths and physics so I thought this was justified.

I am intrigued at what this expensive calculator is. I just had to buy a new one for DD as she said the display was fading on her original (bought in 2006) so bought the same one (Casio 85) as school specify Casio but it's under a tenner which I think is quite cheap.

DD does Math, Chem & Physics A level so it takes a battering and the other one lasted 6 years so this one should see her through uni.

dori2o

I can only say again I don't agree with the excessive cost, and despite what the school may say, my daughter will be having Tesco pants/skirts and a plain white polo shirt for PE next year.

I would much rather spend the money we will save n other things for the benefit of the kids, which will provide for them far better than the uniform will.

As for the comment earlier about how I would probably not baulk at spending x amount on trainers or clothes, the vast majority of the stuff in my wardrobe comes from 2 places, Primark and the local hospice charity shop. Mt trainers come from wherever I can get them for less than £20.

So no, neither I nor my wife would spend more on our clothes than we do on the kids uniforms.