Where do you buy school uniform?

Savvy_Sue

I am sure there was something in the Mail on either Sunday or Monday about the OFT taking schools to court if they didn't open up the stockists for school uniform (and no I didn't buy it, I picked it up on the train!) It read as something which was definitely going to happen rather than a consultation, IIRC.

The school my boys are at has the same rule about trousers: girls are ONLY supposed to have trousers from the school supplier, boys may have any plain black ones. If I had girls, I would have a good look at the school ones and then go and buy the closest I could. They admit that they do it to avoid the girls 'stretching' the definition of 'school' trousers to include more fashionable styles.

buxtonrabbitgreen

The thing that annoys me is having to buy football boots. Neither of mine are interested in football, so won't use them apart from at school. And then they only have football for one term a year so every year I have to buy new ones to replace the hardly used ones. I also have to buy the school logoed jumpers £15 each and they get one a year and I just darn the elbows till the end of the year. They moan about the fact that i bought them both rugby shirts that rub thier knees when they run LOL . also the school polos are only for the summer term so another waste of money at £11 each. The school has just introduced a new supplier for PE kit, supposed to be better quality. I should think so at £4 for a pair of socks, and they have changed all the colours as well, so no getting away with it. The only good thing is that they can continue in thier old pe kit till they grow out of it. So i won't be feeding them any more. ha ha

anniebooklover

My DD starts at DS's high school in September. His uniform is black blazer with badge, black trousers, white shirt and school tie. I can buy the badge and tie from the suppliers for a total of £15-16. The rest I can buy from ASDA, BHS, etc, quite cheaply. DD's uniform on the other hand is: -

Lovely (not) royal purple skirt - £16.99
" " " sweater - £16.99
white revers blouse - £6.50:eek: (didn't pay that as I got her THREE for £6 in BHS!)

PE Kit made up of: - skirt, knickers, shorts, polo-shirt and sweater (bought these). Football socks and white gym socks (haven't bought them yet). Each clothing item needs to have DD's name embroidered on it at a cost of £1.75 per item! :eek: I can't do that kind of job myself so it seems a bit of a rip-off to force parents to pay that for EACH item.

The skirt and sweater plus the PE kit can only be purchased from the designated retailers. We have two and both charge outrageous prices. I bought one of each item for PE and one skirt and sweater. With the embroidering costs the total bill for DD's uniform was £119.53 and that doesn't include all the other bits and pieces she needs like shoes, trainers, etc.

Thankfully DS didn't need his PE kit replacing this year or the bill could have been almost double!

I know that paying for DS and DD's uniforms would have been easier if I had budgeted better throughout the year but even so, these prices are extortionate compared to the clothing you can buy in ASDA, BHS, Tesco, M&S and the likes. I could probably have bought 2 or 3 of everything if I hadn't been forced to buy DD's clothing from a designated retailer.

helenhugs

Sounds like I have it easy. I do have 4 children 3 of whom are in school, 1 who is starting this year & 1 to start next year. School jumpers have the logo on & are great quality, they cost £7.50 everything else I get from tescos or asda unless I see a good sale on in a different shop lol. polo shirts don't have a logo on & the school do offer book bags, hats etc but all are reasonably priced.
I think its disgusting the price some people have to pay for their uniform. My friend has a seperate infant/primary school & even though they have the same name they change all the colours so they can't wear the same uniform, sounds like a complete con to me, they also have to order all the jumpers etc & they cost £16 each.
Our school arent strict on the uniform the only rules they have really are no fleeces & no logos other than the school one which sounds fair enough to me
Hugs
Helen

Savvy_Sue

buxtonrabbitgreen wrote: »

The thing that annoys me is having to buy football boots. Neither of mine are interested in football, so won't use them apart from at school. And then they only have football for one term a year so every year I have to buy new ones to replace the hardly used ones.

Oh, you and me both, buxton rabbit! Thank goodness that's all over now: you go into a sports shop and start looking at the cheapest boots (£15) but the useless assistants can't find them in the size you need and start trying to flog you boots at £45 each and don't believe that any boy could possible dislike football as much as my lot do!

wannabedebtfree_2

I have yet to buy my kids uniform, but it will definately be at Asda!

Last year I bought at Asda:

DS was starting secondary so it was:
Blazer - £10
2 prs trousers - £12
4 shirts - £6
PE stuff - £4

DD still at primary:
2 skirts - £8
Trousers - £4
4 polo shirts - £6
3 sweatshirts - £9
PE stuff - £6 (including plimsolls)

SO it was £65 but there was a voucher in the newspaper that one of the sales ladies told me about so I got 10% off, so for just over £60 that was all of their clothes sorted, shoes were an additional £35, and the other PE bits for my son (like shin guards, gum shield, football boots etc) were an another £40ish from Sports Soccer.

My daughter moves up to secondary next year, and depending on which school she goes to is a massive difference in the uniform cost, with one it will probably cost around £250 to kit her out, the other about £60, but I've left the decision up to her, whichever school she is happiest at will be ok with me (I'll just sob when I have to go to a certain shop and buy a certain jumper for £18 instead of about £6 in Asda!)

jockettuk

Asda and tescos for me to.. except for the items that have the school logo on which have to be bought from the school

piratess

the school my eldest attends (secondry) dont have their uniform anywhere else other than John Lewis! .. so expensive as this is where i have to buy jumper and shirts from and pe tshirts! ... In the prospectus it states that girls must wear navy blue trousers or skirts and boys are allowed to wear black or navy!
Ive questioned this with a friend of mine who is member of local council and she has told me that the school is not allowed to do this as is discrimination against girls! by not giving them a choice! ... my daughter has worn black all year as she moved from another school and some others also wear black and i wrote a letter stating that it is discrimination and ive not heard anything back hehe .. hehe oops rant over LOL

Penny-Pincher!!

We can only buy DD's uniform from 1 shop in the UK! I wont state the expense, but it is ridiculous!!! Luckily, OH runs the 2nd hand shop and have only needed to buy a skirt for sept costing £30

PP
xx

welshflipper

i dont know if anybody has noticed that there is a post in freebies around page 3 that gives you a £25 voucher to use at tesco on clothing also says it can be used for school uniform im also sure asda will take this voucher also,im sure we will spend £25!!!