School Uniform Grants

Kimberley

I've just received £137.00 with a School uniform grant for 3 lots of school uniforms.

As i have two in secondary school and one in junior school, can anyone suggest a way to use the money and stretch it out so that all the money goes on uniforms and i don't have to put much to it myself

The junior uniform still fits my youngest, so i only need to replace the shirts. My daughters secondary uniform still fits her so again i only need to replace her blouses..

It's my middle son who i need the complete uniform for..

The Blazer for my middle son would cost £54 for a designer school motif one or there is a budget one for £38..

Now i believe that i should buy him the designer one as kids can tell the difference and my son is shy and he would be vulnerable to micky takers.. what would be the best way to go?

Designer or Budget?

skylight

Go designer - son will appreciate it! Tell him not to grow though!!


And how did you go about getting a grant for uniform - also having 2 in secondary 1 in nursery??????

Kimberley

I have two in secondary and one in the Juniors I'm on benefit so i get the school uniform grants

bargainaddict

Hi, can you tell me who you applied to and what the grant is called. I have a friend whose son is moving to secondary and she is on benefit and struggling to pay debts. Also, how do they work it out, is is a set amount per child. thanks for your help

Smiley_Mum

You should be able to get the forms from any local authority office and they are just called clothing grant application forms, well where I am anyway. Last year I applied and got £40 for my son who was starting school.

Here is the info from my local authority on it, just apply to your own LA for it.

http://www.highland.gov.uk/educ/general_information/clothing_grants.htm

skylight

Just checked out my Local Authority Website and they offer no help whatsoever with school uniform. Nice people.


As hubby has just lost his job and we have 2 girls starting a new secondary and a child starting nursery, plus blazers, plus knee high socks plus shoes, plus plimsoles arGGGGHHHHHHH....



(and pencils, bags calculator.................)

At least they can get free meals, which is something.

Smiley_Mum

Are you sure, I thought that all the LAs did the clothing grants.

skylight

No - its got it right at the bottom - definatley updated site, got the new term dates on it so the info should be up to date on it.

It does also say that the schools sell second hand uniform if we wanted it.

However, being an MSE'r, I do have the correct (geographical!!) telephone number to call Monday morning to ask anyway!

And I check out ebay a lot. Mind you, the PE kit alone is £40 for 3 items (x 2 girls!) - so may go down the second hand route and not tell my kids - they'll never know!

Smiley_Mum

Just found this information about the amount of money being allowed for clothing grants being slashed -

http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/index/pressoffice/press_index/press-040909.htm

gravitytolls

Norfolk County Council don't help low income/non earners either. I think it stinks, as there is a divide in schools where half teh kids wear shiny new uniform, some wear 2nd hand and others wear asda nearly the right colour no motif uniforms(you caught me).

Thankfully our children go to lovely schools where loads of kids wear 2nd hand and cheaper copies, and the school actively sells stuff too.

But uniform is extortionately expensive, especially when it's going to end up paint stained (it never washes out), or taken home and not returned. I'm sorry, but there are people who snip name tags out, I mark them all with permanent ink now.

Anyhoo, I think more help should be available, also for shoes too. Personally I wouldn't even mind if it was in voucher form to ensure that every parent spent it on uniform (I know the black market would still find a way).

Kimberley

Smiley_Mum wrote:

Are you sure, I thought that all the LAs did the clothing grants.

Not all no where my sister lives her borough scrapped them two years ago :mad:

It's £27.40 for junior aged and £54.80 for secondary aged. The total cost of my sons new uniform works out to around £136 :eek: that is with the PE and games gear as well..it's not including the stationary or bags that you need though.

So really even with the grant, although it helps a lot, you still have to pay out..thankfully the other two kids uniform still fits them :rolleyes:

I think the boroughs who scrap them are probably the ones that are largly populated with peeps on benefit and they couldn't afford it any more, that is what my sisters borough said when she asked why they were scrapping theirs..