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AIBU?

To think this is fecking expensive?

88 replies

Littlefluffyclouds81 · 01/07/2015 20:20

I bought dd1's uniform for secondary school today. It has to be ordered from a certain supplier online, as it's all got the school logos on.

I didn't go wild, I bought 2 kilts, 4 shirts, blazer, tie, PE kit (2 t shirts, tracksuit, shorts, skort, swimming hat), and one knitted jumper. It came to £257, and I still have around half of the things on the list to get, e.g shoes, tights, sports bag, gum shield, shin pads and loads more. I reckon all in it's going to cost about £500.

Is this normal? Seems like a lot of money to me. It's a state school btw.

OP posts:
BikeRunSki · 01/07/2015 20:23

My neighbours have warned me that our local high school uniform cost them £300 for the logo'ed stuff, do sounds about right.

DS is still at First School. We also have Middle a School with another uniform!

Chottie · 01/07/2015 20:24

Is there a second hand uniform shop at the school?

haveabreakhaveakitkat · 01/07/2015 20:24

Ridiculous Shock. Our secondary only require jumpers to have logo on. Everything else can be bought from supermarkets etc.

Can you get anything second hand?

Littlefluffyclouds81 · 01/07/2015 20:25

No Chottie there's not :(

I'm going to miss the days of being able to pick things up for £4 in asda!

OP posts:
NRomanoff · 01/07/2015 20:26

Was about the same at ours! But we got a blazer, 2 shirts, a skirt, a full Pe kit free. It's an academy and they do this every year. So we are lucky that the extras we needed only cost us £75.

She still needs a bag, school shoes and Pe trainers

NRomanoff · 01/07/2015 20:27

Ours all had to have a logo too. Even the shirts and skirts

Littlefluffyclouds81 · 01/07/2015 20:27

It's one of the best state schools in the country, it's a boarding school too, and they seem to have the uniform values of a private school.

All well and good unless you're a skint single parent like me!

OP posts:
Theas18 · 01/07/2015 20:28

About right. I'd say 2 kilts is too many unless one fits now and one is the next size up to grow into and use in an emergency. That's all. Almost never did a secondary girl need a change of skirt in a week here - boys - yeah well... Mud.

Hope the pe kit is big. You will thank it for lasting from 11-16. Again the boy needed a new set a couple of years in.

SaucyJack · 01/07/2015 20:29

The school the DDs go to insist everything is bought from the uniform shop.

Expensive for parents, but I bet it saves so so so much grief all round.

No bullying over non-branded PE for starters.

NRomanoff · 01/07/2015 20:30

I do think it's extortionate. We don't get a free one next year so I will have to save or replace in bits. We are ao lucky to get the basics free

SaucyJack · 01/07/2015 20:30

The school they will go to I mean. They're still at primary.

MarchLikeAnAnt · 01/07/2015 20:31

Just buy cheap shirts etc and get them embroidered.

Littlefluffyclouds81 · 01/07/2015 20:32

I've bought everything big :) she's going to look like she's wearing my clothes!

She has on ongoing bladder problem so I think just having the one kilt would be a bad move! She's generally a mucky pup too and gets yoghurt etc down her school clothes most days.

OP posts:
Hellochicken · 01/07/2015 20:43

Thats really expensive!!
I'm only on primary school but thought ?70 all in was bad!

Littlefluffyclouds81 · 01/07/2015 20:45

Start saving now! Grin

OP posts:
ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 01/07/2015 20:48

That's more than my DC's private school and they have a second hand shop too. Only the jumpers and some of the sports kit is logoed.

CakeNinja · 01/07/2015 20:49

Op I hear your pain :(
Junior uniforms used to cost £350 for the 2 of them for the year, including school shoes and lunchboxes etc.
Just had the price list for new secondary school and it's coming in at about £330 for 1, they need Blazers, logo'd skirts, tshirts, bloody logo'd PE kits with house socks, swimming kit, the bloody works. This does not include anything like coats (to be worn over a blazer?!, school bag, £30 locker fee and apparently compulsory payment to iirc the governors - hopefully ive got that wrong, or the pta, can't remember which now).
Middle of the road state school Shock ouch.

lunar1 · 01/07/2015 20:51

That's more than our private school uniform! And we have a second hand shop too. Plus parents of older ones often hand things on.

Littlefluffyclouds81 · 01/07/2015 21:26

Glad IANBU!

Just looked at the list and realised I forgot to buy the sodding sports socks from the supplier so I'll have to pay another postage charge too! Aargh.

OP posts:
wannabestressfree · 01/07/2015 21:33

Please remember not to purchase all the 'extras'. We have loads on our kit list that the students never use eg school scarf and coat (it's vile). Buy the basics and wait...,

ChuffinAda · 01/07/2015 21:33

I'm dreading it. All the schools round here have their girls in kilts and naturally they're all different colours and can only be bought from named stockists.

jelliebelly · 01/07/2015 21:35

That's ridiculous and way more expensive than our private school uniform - is there a 2nd hand shop? If not you ought to start one / ours is fab!

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SueDunome · 01/07/2015 21:43

Did this school happen to hold its Year 7 Induction Day today? If so and I have the right school, you don't need to buy shirts from supplier, they're just plain white and supermarket ones are fine.

RoobyTuesday · 01/07/2015 21:49

That is a ridiculous amount of money - how on earth do they think most parents can afford that?
It might be worth knowing but you can nominate your school to tesco online embroidery service and then buy the uniform from tesco with the logo on.
My son plays football and rugby so had to buy all the school kit on top of uniform and it still only came to about £80.

CakeNinja · 01/07/2015 22:11

Sue my dds new senior school has had 2 induction days, yesterday and today, along with the 4 other local senior schools!
Dds new school uniform had stated all items (apart from boys trousers ffs) have the official school logo and they issued a list of approved retailers. One family run uniform shop and one retail unit on a retail estate. Both the same prices.
It sucks.
But we can afford to do it, and chose to send dd here knowing this. That's not to say I'm happy about forking out the best part of £500 and therefore 1K when both dds are there Shock
They have had an issue in recent years where girls wore skirts that became increasingly short so have instructed that only logo'd skirts are now worn with the waistband initials are on display at all times thus cracking down on rolled up skirts.

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