Legal action against School due to the cost of School uniforms, Please advise

Valli

Given that the cost of bringing the legal action would be higher than the cost of the uniform - and probably for the whole time the OP's offspring is in the school then maybe it's not the wisest course of action.

You are, OP, entitled to stand for a role on the Governing Body then you could have an impact/effect on school policy!

Tiddlywinks

saayinla wrote: »

......... I have 2 set of twins one in year 4 the second in reception come September. Thats 2 pairs each for 4 kids... funny I know.

4 kids = 4 lots of child benefit... surely that helps!

pigpen

These prices are significantly reduced on last years... but here you go.. price list for the 'cheap' uniform I have to get for 3 of mine.. The scarf is laughable!!! The children aren't even allowed to wear hats or gloves on site and are not allowed their own coats.. that one REALLY annoys me! I'd just buy 1 coat for every day now I buy a school coat and a weekend coat.

I'll see if I can find the expensive uniform list, my last one left there last summer so I'm not sure how much their prices have changed in 2 years.

ETA .. These prices are cheaper too.. I'd LOVE to know why.. I might just email the governors.. See if I can get a refund!

clearingout

pigpen wrote: »

That is what 3-4 months of the child benefit goes on in here.. uniform and shoes.. then bags and contents.. that is what it is for!!

It isn't like having to buy it is a sudden shock it can be budgeted for throughout the year.. like Christmas!

you've seen the news? credit crunch? unemployment? high levels of redundancy? repossession figures increasing? you don't think that many families rely on child benefit for every day expenses and struggle to buy 3 uniforms at £44 per child for 2 - 3 children?

I am not entirely sympathetic - I am on a tight income and I manage expenses such as uniform with careful planning. However, my children's school doesn't insist on logo'd everything so we can fall back on supermarket basics that I throw into my shopping trolley across the year. I even keep a list on my phone notepad of what I've already got so I don't overbuy for one child at the expense of another. I like my children in clean clothes everyday and work on the basis of one full uniform per day - I have tried less but I find by the time I have washed and dried, any less than 5 sets and I can find myself struggling to get things dry or am washing with half full washing machines - not very cost effective. It also allows for holes to appear in knees and elbows without being forced to buy a new uniform half way through the year. The figures the OP quotes would cost me over £600 a year to send my children to school - that's without shoes and all the extras demanded of schools across the year. That's a lot of money for most families, let alone those on low income or who are struggling due to redundancy or marriage breakdown, illness or other unexpected, life changing event.

pigpen

clearingout wrote: »

you've seen the news? credit crunch? unemployment? high levels of redundancy? repossession figures increasing? you don't think that many families rely on child benefit for every day expenses and struggle to buy 3 uniforms at £44 per child for 2 - 3 children?

uniform is an every day expense though.. or do children who don't wear uniform go naked 5 days a week?

Surely we all wear clothes on a daily basis so what difference does it make whether it is called uniform or not it needs buying and fewer non-school clothes are needed in favour of the uniform.. Most school age children don't really need more than 7 days worth of clothes in reality. I cut back drastically on what mine get once they are in school.

scotnan

saayinla wrote: »

they are charging extortionate prices for the new uniform

I appreciate this is nothing compare to what some other schools are charging

I'm genuinely confused by this.

saayinla wrote: »

The same set of uniform cost far less if bought from else where

Again confused, if you can seriously buy the same uniform elsewhere (is it direct from the suppliers maybe?) then do so. If it's got the school logo on it then the school will have no idea where it comes from them or the suppliers.

Personally I think the prices are very reasonable but it's all relevant isn't it, if you can't afford it. Does your council have school clothing grants available, if so you could aplly to them to see if you are eligible.

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

4 kids = 4 lots of child benefit... surely that helps!

I was thinking that too

phill99

I know, I won't pay £44.26 on a uniform, but will spend £500 on solicitors fees.

Seems legit.

piglet74

That's nothing, I give more than that for the blazer alone, and the PE kit is like an "official" football strip, you can only get it from one store, its also dearer than your whole uniform, .. Legal action.. Surely not?

TinyToes

to me, those prices seem very reasonable. my childrens uniform cost is higher, although it is not compulsary i do like them to wear it and i pay the cost of it.

Spendless

Your price list IS expensive to what I pay for a Primary school aged child. The only item my daughter's school would like you to have (and 99% do) is the logo'd jumper and I've just looked up the price and the biggest size is £7.50. The rest logo'd polo shirts, pe kit, bags and coats are optional from school. I think that is what you are saying that you have gone from being able to have a shopping list like mine for uniform where the huge majority can be bought at a supermarket to having to buy everything via school at a more expensive price. Are other parents also complaining about the increased costs?