To be annoyed at the school for changing the uniform...again

[Meandyouandyouandme]

DD2 is in y9, when she started at her school they changed the uniform from polo shirts and jumpers to blazers and ties, so fine I had to buy her uniform anyway, but my DS was going into y11, and I had to buy him new blazer, tie and trousers, that he wore for about 9 months. So I was a bit annoyed at that, but accepted the schools reasoning that they wanted everyone to change together.
The school has a lower and upper school, so currently the year 7&8s wear a navy blazer and 9,10&11 wear black, they also wear their own ties in upper school. So in September my DD started wearing a black blazer, so now I have bought two blazers, and about 6 ties as we thought they were for three years. Now the school have decided that the upper school have to go back to the blue blazers, as they look smarter and have more wearability apparently. I don't know about that as my DD hadn't worn her black one long enough for it to wear out yet, or I have a magic washing machine
I wrote to the school to complain about the waste of money and resources, and that my DDs uniform fits fine and isn't worn, and why can't they phase the change in gradually. The reply was the usual uniform helps learning and there was a consultation., blah blah.
AIBU in being really pissed off at buying a third blazer in as many years because the school can't make it's mind up, and to have had two different blazers in the first place?

[missymayhemsmum]

yanbu. the school is being utterly ridiculous and elitist. Complain to the governors

[AChickenCalledKorma]

I've love to see the research that supports the assertion that changing from black to navy blue "helps learning" .

I'd expect a blazer to last at least a couple of years and would have thought a school could allow a year's transition for an expensive item like that.

[Babyroobs]

We have the same problem, 2 schools merging and I have to but 2 new sets of unifrom. We got the letter on friday and it has to be ordered and paid for by may 22nd. I have added up i have to find around £170 for 2 new Blazers, tie, PE Polo shirts and Fleeces. I knew it was coming but just don't feel they have given us anywhere near enough notice !

[balletgirlmum]

That's ridiculous.

When ds's school changed uniform new students had to have the new straight away but existing students had a 2 year wearing in period.

[LittleprincessinGOLDrocks]

YANBU and I feel your annoyance!
DR has been at her school 4 years and in that time has had 3 uniforms. It was green when she first started, then they changed to red about 2 years in and this year (mid year too so was in red September to March) it changed to turquoise!
It was so frustrating as her reds still fitted and all had to be replaced. Plus the uniform has to have the logo on, as you can't buy that colour anywhere else, so it was expensive.

[Losingmyreligion]

YANBU. That's outrageous. Not sure what you can do though as Governors have probably approved the changes. I'd probably refuse to buy the new stuff until the old clothes needed replacing but they might send the children home for being incorrectly dressed.

[FromSeaToShining]

YANBU. Arbitrary uniform changes do my head in.

Unfortunately, there probably isn't much you can do. Now if the headteacher were as sensible as Miss Keith (at least in this regard), there would be no need to buy new uniform until the old one wore out. And it would be a privilege for your family to wear navy rather than scarlet. (Sorry, just having a Kingscote flashback.)

[pointythings]

That is appalling. The secondary my DDs go to went to blazers and ties when DD1 started there in Yr7, but Yr8 and up were allowed to wear the old uniform - it was phased out through natural wastage. DD1 is now in Yr9 and 99% of children now wear the new uniform, they have just replaced as they have outgrown the old. A thoroughly sensible approach and really, one that should be enforced by law as schools clearly can't be trusted not to take the mick.

[saveforthat]

When
my ds school changed to blazers a few years ago, the blazer and tie were given free to existing pupils you just had to buy trousers and white shirt

[bruffin]

DCs school are changing uniform from September to a kilt. Only the new year 7s have to wear it, so its being bought in gradually. If dcs school can do it, i don't see why other schools cant be sensible about it as well.

[MythicalKings]

YANBU. Uniform doesn't help learning, there's no evidence whatsoever.

[honeysucklejasmine]

When I started my school (as a teacher) the students wore green, but they were bringing in a new uniform for year 9. Year 11 could keep old green one, and so could year 10 for as long as it fit, but wasn't available to buy. By the end of the year pretty much all of year 9 and 10 were in the new one.

Then academy happened and uniform changed. For year 9, now 10, it was their second uniform. For year 10, now 11, it was their third. The only saving grace was that it was free.

Then academy fell through and it changed again. Year 9, now 11, are allowed to wear old one but year 10 and new year 9s are in a new one which was paid for by parents.

[Gatehouse77]

Our school changed the uniform but it has been phased in as people needed to replace it, and new students would buy the new uniform. However, you could still buy old style from the 2nd hand shop.

So, I would say your school are being unreasonable expecting parents to fork out immediately.

[Meandyouandyouandme]

Thanks, I knew it was ridiculous. We had a new head in January and he is busy making lots of changes, fair enough, but when we've just had changes in uniform recently anyway. We are supposed to send money in tomorrow with our orders, so basically it was mooted around February/March that it might be changing, and then we got the order form last week. I can imagine there's a few familes who genuinely can't afford to suddenly buy new uniform with two weeks notice.
Sorry just remembered that the school also has a new more vocational part in years 10&11, students usually do Btecs not GCSEs, and they are being allowed to keep the black blazers despite their dubious wearability.
I will contact the governors tomorrow, that's a good idea. My DD says the worst of it is the new pleated skirt, as they currently have a straight one with a split up the back. Not much chance of folding over the top on a pleated skirt.

[GnomeDePlume]

uniform helps learning - ah yes, the magical, educational properties of polyester.

YANBU

There is no evidence that school uniform in fact has any benefit at all. At the most you get some half-baked anecdotes that stem entirely from mufti days.

[Meandyouandyouandme]

Your replies are making me even more cross, I don't understand how they can't see the waste environmentally, and of money! The teacher's reply was just nonsensical, I know two schools in this area who phased new uniforms in also, so why does mine have to do it like this twice! I am fuming

[Tanith]

Winchester College have no uniform.
It doesn't appear to have affected their learning.

The reasons the school have given are ridiculous.

[Meandyouandyouandme]

Yes it became an academy when my DD started in year 7. I don't mind the uniform thing, just the bloody chopping and changing!

[Meandyouandyouandme]

That's a lot Babyroobs, where do they think families can just conjure up all this money, without much notice.

[Topseyt]

It is totally ridiculous, and done without any consideration to parents who may be struggling on a tight family budget which then goes belly up because of yet another needless uniform change.

My eldest daughter's secondary school was forced to change uniform a few years ago because the supplier went bankrupt. She was in year 11 at the time and in her last few months of needing school uniform. Fortunately, they did phase it in from year 7 upwards, so I didn't have to buy anything. That didn't stop her having a final growth spurt though, and shooting through her stuff only four or five weeks before leaving day. One very officious deputy head did try to say that either I bought the new uniform (which would obviously hardly be worn as her younger sisters were going to different schools) or they would be giving detentions. I had to phone and point out how unreasonable this was, and that I couldn't see any justification for spending hundreds of pounds on it. Money I did not have at the time.

They suddenly magically found her a skirt in their second hand store, and stopped threatening me.

The whole thing can be so ridiculous.

[Meandyouandyouandme]

Sounds like a lot of schools can't make their minds up, it's just so annoying.

[highkickindandy]

We are in Canada. None of our local schools have a uniform, it's just not the way here - despite this disadvantage early in life, the kids seem to learn to read and write - magical educational properties of polyester - love it !

[Meandyouandyouandme]

They don't generally have uniform in Europe either, and they seem to do ok

[Icimoi]

Why did I just know this was going to be an academy?

I suggest you refer them to this guidance which puts a lot of emphasis on the question of cost. It refers in particular to the School Admissions guidance which says “Admission authorities must ensure that [...] policies around school uniform or school trips do not discourage parents from applying for a place for their child.” It goes on to say "No school uniform should be so expensive as to leave pupils or their families feeling unable to apply to, or attend, a school of their choice, due to the cost of the uniform. School governing bodies should therefore give high priority to cost considerations. The governing body should be able to demonstrate how best value has been achieved and keep the cost of supplying the uniform under review."

[Musicaltheatremum]

Even my kids' private school allowed a year or two to phase in changes. Absolutely ridiculous.