MoneySaving Poll: Are you allowed to buy cheap school uniforms?

Former_MSE_Liane

Poll started 28 July 2014

Are you allowed to buy cheap school uniforms?

Does your child's school let you buy from supermarkets, or are you restricted to a specific shop?

Which of these is closest to your situation? You can vote in each category if you've got children in different schools.

Vote in this week's poll

Did you vote? Are you surprised at the results so far? Have your say below. To see the results from last time, click this.

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double_mummy

no option for all items must be purchased from the school!

Mrs_Arcanum

double_mummy wrote: »

no option for all items must be purchased from the school!

That would class as a set supplier.

Only things we have to have for senior school are a badged polo shirt & sweatshirt. Plus a winter sports top & a badged sports polo.

My daughter lasted from year 7 to year 11 with the polo shirts. I got a replacement sweatshirt via freecycle. Boys tend to grow too much for the same savings. At least they are of a good quality so you don't mind too much. What I get cross with is the VAT charged. :eek:

happyinflorida

At my son's state school everything except his trousers had to be purchased from the school - all very expensive and poor quality.

Very annoying AND you haven't got this answer.

donny-gal

My Great Niece goes to a Comprehensive Academy, and they asked the children to vote on to whether they wanted a logo on everything, which the children did, now nothing, not even PE kit can be bought other than from the school. Very expensive, and not a well off area either. DG

atolaas

My son starts school in September. We're allowed to purchase uniform from the local supermarkets. I took full advantage of Aldi's school uniform sale last week. All kitted out for £30, which included a winter coat and school shoes.

economum

How do you vote in more than one category? I have one child at primary and one at secondary.

Flick216

I went to a private school and the uniform had to be purchased from a specific place. There were no substitutes and it cost a fortune! The blazer was about £100 and I am going back to the 80's :eek:

My boys went to a state school and apart from the tie and badge we could get the uniform from anywhere. There is little point paying for good quality stuff when they will grow out of it before it wears out. The only exception to this is the shoes - they always had good shoes.

2childmum

At local secondary schools around here even the skirts/trousers have to be from the school supplier and have logos embroidered into the waistband. At my daughter's now ex-school, there was a blazer and a school coat both with the logo on, as well as the skirt and jumper, and all the PE kit had logos as well - the only thing we could buy anywhere was underwear, and the shirts, but as they had to be a certain style even that was restricted. Everything had to be ordered on line, by a certain day each month to get it delivered to the school on one day a month, or rather steep postage and packing to have it deliver to our home. If it didn't fit we had to pay to send it back and pay another p&p charge to have the correct size sent. This is a comp in a not-very-well-off area.
At the grammar my son has just left he only had to have the school tie, and the blazer, and even then you could iron the badge on a generic one, although the shade of blue was slightly different which my son didn't like, and actually the suppliers were no more expensive than places like M&S. It was the PE kit which was the killer - 2 sets (one outdoor, one indoor), with the logo, and initials had to be embroidered on. The last set I bought came to over £60, not including trainers and football boots. There were two school shops which we could go and buy from.
I find it strange that the uniforms at the comps seem stricter than the grammars!
Son now needs a suit for sixth form - now that is expensive!

carryonjulie

happyinflorida wrote: »

At my son's state school everything except his trousers had to be purchased from the school - all very expensive and poor quality.

Very annoying AND you haven't got this answer.

This is true of my daughters school. Even the skirt has to be from EXPENSIVE set supplier. Are the schools in cahoots with the supplier? Do they get commission?