To be pissed off at the complete change of school uniform?

[MycatsaPirate]

DD2 is in year 6 and has another two years at her middle school.

Just before Xmas an email was sent to parents asking if they would be prepared to pay 'a little extra' for a better quality blazer and asking if they agreed with ties being compulsory. Just to state that DD doesn't wear a blazer and I have never seen a child at the school in one at all.

Their current uniform is grey logo jumper (£22 from uniform shop), light blue shirt (high street), grey skirt or trousers (high street and girls can wear either), black shoes and grey or black socks. PE kit is a logo rugby top £22 from uniform shop), black shorts or joggers and a blue polo shirt.

All the kids always look very smart and neat walking to and from the school.

Today DD came home and told me that 2 children from years 5, 6 and 7 were picked and asked to model the new uniform.

This consists of long checked skirt for girls (no trouser option and will only be available in uniform shop)
Checked trousers for boys (again, uniform shop and apparently they look like Rupert the Bear trousers)
Navy blue logo jumper (uniform shop)
Black/Navy tights for girls with black slip on shoes
Not sure on shoes/socks for boys
White or pink shirt for boys and tie
White shirt for girls and tie
Blazer. (uniform shop).

None of the parents are happy. Especially the year 7 parents whose DC only have a year left at the school! This is coming into effect in September. There has been no parent consultation at all except for asking about a better quality blazer.

It's a new HT and she seems hellbent on making her mark but I am so pissed off that the majority of the uniform is now only going to be available in one place and that place is bloody expensive!

I doubt there is much that can be done now, but really, it's not like it's a private school!

[TheSecondOfHerName]

The checked trousers sound... er... interesting.

[TheSecondOfHerName]

Especially when worn with the pink shirt.

[iveburntthetoast]

Does the HT have an investment in the local uniform shop?

I'd be pissed,too.

[CremeBrulee]

Sounds like a fund raising idea - will the school make a profit on the new uniform sold via the uniform shop?

[TheWitTank]

They tried to do this at our primary (really random purple and yellow uniform and horrible design). All parents complained and it was pulled for a sensible option of royal blue and grey.

[OneWithTheForce]

Whoever decided that uniform watches too much US tv! I'm envisioning Carlton from the fresh prince!

[HelenaDove]

Schools have had their budgets cut and are happy to point this out to parents but it never seems to be reciprocated.

Many schools seem unwilling to acknowledge that parents are on a budget too.

[afterthis]

Slip on shoes for girls is so so impractical too!

[MycatsaPirate]

I'm not sure about the uniform shop. It's in the next town over and provides uniform with logos on for a large number of schools. Having already had to kit out DD1 from that shop from scratch (over £300!!) I am seriously hacked off!

Yes the checked trousers sound hideous. Apparently children at the school were asked to help design a new uniform (one of the parents said this on the parents page on FB where we are all trying to work out how much this hideous outfit is going to cost us all). I can only assume they picked the worst one imaginable.

I don't mind about the blazer and tie so much but the thought of having to pay for an overpriced checked skirt which I will have to fight to get my DD to wear is just too much.

The PTA are compiling a list of questions for the HT about it from all the parents. Then we will lynch her :o

[MuddlingMackem]

Sounds awful! And I'd be fuming at the removal of trousers option for girls, how pre-womens' lib.

[ChippyMinton]

Any chance your DD is pulling your leg?

[TheSecondOfHerName]

I'm imagining something like this, but with a pink shirt.

[TalkingofMichaelAngel0]

I have always had to buy new uniform every year as my children grow. Is that not the case with all children? If so the tears left surely wouldnt make a difference??

[BarbarianMum]

Well if none of the parents are happy they need to take it up with the board of governors who get the final say.

Our new head is bringing in a new school logo but there is no phasing out period for old one, you just won't be able to buy it any more.

[TheSecondOfHerName]

Apparently children at the school were asked to help design a new uniform

Perhaps that's how the Girl Guides ended up with their new uniform...

[bunnylove99]

YANBU. I would fight this all the way! Being forced to buy from overpriced specialist suppliers instead of the high street is ludicrous (unless you are a fancy private school? ) and should not be accepted by parents. I would request a one to one with the HT and ask her how she thinks the low income families are going to be able to pay for this. (I'm not making assumptions here about your personal circumstances - you might be minted for all I know, it's irrelevant when a whole school is to be considered).

[BarbarianMum]

Apart from anything else I'd completely flip at the skirt and slip on shoes only option for girls.

[SomewhatIdiosyncratic]

Sounds hideous! Maybe you could DIY checked trousers with supermarket ones and tippex Slip on shoes for girls? Really? How are they expected to move? I have never been able to wear slip on shoes without pain- totally inappropriate as a compulsory item for children to be walking to school/ playing/ moving around school.

Uniform should be practical and affordable to the catchment of the school. Changing a uniform can be useful as a boost to the tone of the school, but certainly shouldn't be seen as a panacea in its own right. Silly if they're smart anyway.

[RitaCrudgington]

Get together and mount a petition. In particular a) Why? b) it's particularly harsh on the year 7 parents and they should be excused c) girls need a trousers option d) refer them to Department of Education about cost considerations www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/514978/School_Uniform_Guidance.pdf in particular insofar as that applies to Rupert Sodding Bear trousers.

One of my DC's school recently did this but

[ConvincingLiar]

Sounds hideous. I've heard of other schools giving notice and allowing new and old for a period of time. Although you might have to buy for growth, might you not be hoping to buy second hand or use for siblings?

[RitaCrudgington]

..but at least they phased it in over the course of two years so nobody ever had to buy a uniform for a single year.

[SomewhatIdiosyncratic]

PS the Girl Guides were consulted with their new uniform. They asked for a more feminine option with the dress. There is a decent selection of items, not one set item. I like the brighter colours as they're more distinct from the adult uniform.

[Wishforsnow]

But surely you would have to buy new uniform every year? Do parents not realise that there is a cost of uniform that they should budget for when having kids. It's been the same for over 60 years. Shouldn't come as a shock.

[RitaCrudgington]

That's the treble cost of new uniforms: you have to replace the old ones, you can't buy the new ones second hand and you can't sell your old ones second hand.

[RitaCrudgington]

Seriously Wish, nobody ever replaces a blazer every year unless they're terminally wealthy or their children are catastrophically messy. And the removal of the second hand option makes a big difference to the cost.