School uniform and benefits

iluvmarmite

Dunroamin wrote: »

What would they do PE in if they didn't have kit?

As I said earlier, people on low incomes receive quite a decent amount of CB/CTC to provide for the child, including buying its clothing.

My granddaughters school have their own pe kit, logod polo shirt, logod white shorts and leotards for the girls and black plimsoles, all very expensive when a plain white polo shirt and shorts would do the exact same job and can be brought very cheaply at the supermarket.

mazza111

The idea is not old fashioned. Some local authorities still do it. Or they did the year before my DS(16) left school. IIRC it was £50 at the start of the school year to help with the cost of uniform, I don't think they do it outwith that time though, although I could be wrong. And of course different local authorities have different rules on these things.



George at Asda goes go up to big sizes but you may need to order them online.


http://direct.asda.com/george/school/teen-ranges/school-girls-blazer/G003876061,default,pd.html

Hope that helps a wee bit.

iluvmarmite

It's all well and good saying CTCs are there to buy this sort of thing but it's also there to help feed a child and buy everyday clothes for him/her, to pay bills to keep him/her warm and have light etc, it's not always enough to cover expensive uniform items and a lot of single parents have to go without paying a bill or something to stretch the money to pay for school.

Dunroamin

HotBubblegum wrote: »

But I dont think they have a week and half notice to get it all in..plus although we dont have the same council tax to pay, we have the same household bills and living expenses. I had an outlook pretty much same as you, because i have been working all my life and providing for my daughter as a single parent for most of it. But unfortunatly until you have experienced something like this, you will never know just how hard it is!! Its certainly changed my outlook on unemployed.

But you you knew for far longer than a week and a half that she'd be going to a new school and need a new uniform, even if some of the items are a bit more expensive than you expected.

Dunroamin

iluvmarmite wrote: »

It's all well and good saying CTCs are there to buy this sort of thing but it's also there to help feed a child and buy everyday clothes for him/her, to pay bills to keep him/her warm and have light etc, it's not always enough to cover expensive uniform items and a lot of single parents have to go without paying a bill or something to stretch the money to pay for school.

People receive around £70 pw in child related benefits. I already noted that food and share of bills has to come out of it but school uniform should be the next priority, certainly before buying out of school clothing.

butler_helen

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

That surely should be for parents to organise and run between them, not have some poor teacher running a swap shop.

I have no advice for the OP but hope she manages to get everything OK.

I went to a (private) school where the uniform costs were astronomic c£350 to kit out a year 7 new. But three times a year there was a "uniform sale" and it was rammed! Everyone donated their old stuff at the end of year 11 and given the rate children grow you could kit a child out for £100 and it be nearly new.

I would recommend this to any school!

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Go into the men's section for a large shirt.

Charity shops in the area may have some items.

And perhaps, if you can't find age/school appropriate clothing for her, this might be a good time to discuss with her seeing a GP with the intention of a referral to a dietician?

After all, only five foot three and size 18 clothing is suggestive of being morbidly obese at any age, never mind when just a child.

LunaLady

My eldest son's school dictate where you can but the uniform from (either John Lewis or M&S) they even give you the stock code.

When he started in September I had to pay nearly £300 for uniform before we had even got to books or equipment.

silvercar

We moved area to the west midlands at the beginning of Oct 2012. I approached the local authority so my daughter who has just turned 14, could attend a local school. I received the forms and sent them back.

I had to ring them just before Christmas 2012 as i had not heard anything and by this time my daughter had been out of school a long time. They said she was on a waiting list on a few different schools and all i could do is wait, but they would send an appeal form so i could appeal on her place on the waiting lists, which they did not send.

Then finally on 14th January 2013 i received a phone call from a school that had a place, we visited and formally accepted the place and i received my letter of acceptance yesterday 29th Jan with a start date of 4th February (next Monday).

Never mind the lack of uniform issue, I can't believe your daughter was out of school from the beginning of October and you were not on the phone to the local authority, your councillor, your MP etc to get her a place at a school!

If it had been me I would have been on the phone every day until a place was found.

She has missed nearly half the school year!

maplegirl2011

Bhs do a good range of generous fit school clothes. They go up to age 16. U can also try their sizes and then have a look on ebay. Lots of new uniform on there all the time.