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AIBU?

to think that 4 sets of footwear for school is excessive??

29 replies

NighteyesLovesGingerbread · 10/06/2015 16:08

DC1 obviously has a set of school shoes - these cost a fortune to get ones that stand up to the wear and tear.

They also need a pair of trainers for their PE kit, which is used once a week but must be in school all week, just in case.

they also need a pair of boots for when they go out on the field for forest school, which is used once a week but must be in school all week, just in case.

Now the school have said we need to provide 'flip flops or similar' with their swimming kit to walk from class to the pool (onsite). They swim once a week and guess what? the kit must be in school all week, just in case.

so I have to play for a duplicate set of boots, trainers and sandals which are worn for a maximum of an hour once a week (about 4 minutes in the case of the sandals) and because apparently we cant be trusted to send kit in on the right day it has to sit there all week.

AIBU to think that this is excessive? that surely they can use any of their school shoes/boots/PE trainers to walk to the pool? I feel I may as well just pay my salary into the school account!

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Stealthsquiggle · 10/06/2015 16:16

It's the usage that would annoy me. Actually, specifically, it's the flip flops, even though they are cheap - there must be a better solution.

My DC have a scary number of school-resident pairs of footwear for various things, though - 6 each Shock. Most (all except ballet & character shoes) do get used most days, though.

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Fatmomma99 · 10/06/2015 16:19

it sounds like your children are quite new at school (foundation stage-ish). Most schools like to have things like wellies because they often want to go outside.

There will be less of this as they move up the school.

But if cost is an issue, pop into the office and speak to the secretary. It's likely the school will be able to help you out in some way.

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Gileswithachainsaw · 10/06/2015 16:19

Yanbu.

although flip flops are cheap and wellies are fairly cheap the fact they need to be in school despite hardly being used means your basically paying double. It's ridiculous.

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NighteyesLovesGingerbread · 10/06/2015 16:20

I wouldn't mind as much if they were used more often, I don't see why I cant send the relevant things in on the right day and therefore only have to have one set of each. even if I buy cheap ones, say £5 a pair, that's £15. which doesn't sound much until you add it to the trips for this year (£45 so far) swimming (£20) donate a bottle/book/life savings things (£15-20 ish) - suddenly it is actually a huge amount of money!

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ludovica · 10/06/2015 16:22

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Superexcited · 10/06/2015 16:25

I would be annoyed about leaving them in school all week long but I wouldn't be annoyed about needing different footwear for different things.
DS (high school) needs school shoes, indoor trainers, outdoor trainers, rugby boots and football boots. It costs me about £200 to replace them all whenever his feet grow.

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OliviaBurtonWatches · 10/06/2015 16:27

I agree- don't mind having them but not keen on leaving them in school all week.

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diddl · 10/06/2015 16:27

The flip flops would be the only thing that it wouldn't bother me to buy and leave at school even if they were only worn for a few mins as they are so cheap!

Plus easy to slip on and off so I can see why they have been suggested.

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reni1 · 10/06/2015 16:30

Buy flip flops from the 99p store.

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TwinkieTwinkle · 10/06/2015 16:32

It drives me insane! I put my foot down with DS school and pointed out that they only do outdoor PE when it's dry and he could wear his gym shoes. I wasn't buying yet another pair of shoes for him to keep in school and wear once a fortnight. They backed down very quickly!

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redskybynight · 10/06/2015 16:36

Flip flops and wellies are pretty cheap and trainers and school shoes are universal so actually don't see this is unreasonable.

If you need any of the footwear at home to use after school then just take it home and bring back the next day!

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Chasingsquirrels · 10/06/2015 16:37

Flip flops are much better for the pool, not least because you don't want them tracking mud in from other footwear. They also only cost a couple of quid.

BUT the being in school all week is crap, they should be able to tell you when they will be needed or you should be able to send them in every day so that they are available for both home and school use

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NighteyesLovesGingerbread · 10/06/2015 16:48

redsky surely it makes more sense for me to take the kit in on the ONE day its needed rather than cart it back and forth every day?

chasingsquirrels - they have to go outside to get to the pool so it makes no difference from the outdoor/indoor point of view.

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redskybynight · 10/06/2015 16:57

I presume your school has the "just in case" rule as they sometimes need the footwear on days other than that normally specified ? Iknow the DC's school sometimes does extra games/PE particularly at this time of year when they have extra practices for sports day. So does make sense to have it in school every day. Do your DC really need trainers and flipflops and wellies at home every day?

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Soduthen116 · 10/06/2015 17:03

It gets worse op.

My dss needed school shoes, trainers, football boots, cricket shoes, rugby boots and walking boots all in one year and both together for school. And of course they grow so it's only for that one year! Angry

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NighteyesLovesGingerbread · 10/06/2015 17:04

boots - most definitely, we are a very outdoorsy family and have a stream at the bottom of the lane that we like to play in.

trainers - yes for general running about in the garden.

sandals - for everyday wear in the summer

so yes, I need all 3 at home.

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SaucyJack · 10/06/2015 17:07

Just don't even go there girlfriend....

Tho fortunately for me, I have two DDs that are only 21 months apart and I'm quite happy to re-use DD1 barely worn PE/swimming shoes for DD2.

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StonedGalah · 10/06/2015 17:08

I'm with you OP. Is it possible l can parent my own dc?! DD starts school in September. I'd be happy for wellies to stay in school during the winter but trainers would be coming home after PE day.

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Mistigri · 10/06/2015 17:27

Viewed from a distance, this British school obsession with shoes is so silly. My son in Y8 has two pairs of shoes, one pair of newish trainers he wears for school and one pair of oldish trainers that he wears to race bmx bikes. That is it! How do you all afford it? IF you have a couple of children at secondary school and especially if they are going through their adolescent growth spurt that's potentially the best part of a grand on kids' shoes every year!

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DecaffCoffeeAndRollupsPlease · 10/06/2015 17:30

If that sound ridiculous, imagine this- I used to have to have (black) outdoor and (brown) indoor shoes for school. There were pigeon holes to put your shoes in at the entrances/exits of the main building. Indoor and outdoor shoes for PE and Games, which sometimes needed specialist shoes- for example, hockey needed different specified shoes for grass, indoor, redgra, astro turf. Then tennis shoes, running spikes, the list goes on.

I think three pairs of school specific shoes is pretty standard and to be expected.

Stoned What will you do if the local school, or other school you choose for your DD has a requirement for trainers that remain in school all week?

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ninaaa · 10/06/2015 17:33

DD2 has also 4 pairs of school shoes.

1 pair outdoor shoes
1 pair indoor shoes
1 pair outdoor trainers
1 pair indoor plimsoll trainers

She is always forgetting and coming home in the wrong shoes (she takes a coach so I can't check) so I don't really see the point.

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Forgetmenotblue · 10/06/2015 17:40

It's fairly standard. And they need them in all week because in a primary school the timetable changes quite often, and lots of activities are weather dependent, so as soon as it's nice enough everyone will do a few extra outdoor games sessions to make the most of it!

Charity shop/eBay/ handmedowns/ supermarket cheapest versions/ school's own second hand shop or PTA stall.

(Used to be a teacher, 3 Dcs of my own all kitted in in second hand stuff as far as possible)

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dixiechick1975 · 10/06/2015 17:54

There seems to be a good trade on ebay for white PE trainers barely used!

Wellies we had to just provide in nursery/reception so just a couple of years of buying 2 pairs of wellies.

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Chasingsquirrels · 10/06/2015 17:56

Depends what sort of "outside" it is to get to the pool - ours is outside but just across the tarmac'd playground, so footwear wouldn't get muddy on that journey. But if the footwear is already dirty, and the pool area is wet, which ours is with kids getting in and out, then the mud transfers from the footwear.
Our school swim twice a week this half term, on a rota so we know when the ate swimming. 1 day with an external swimming teacher and 1 day with class teacher. There isn't much time for any class to swim outside this as the pool is in use by other classes. Reception sometimes do ad hoc sessions, but not the other classes.

The school can have any kind of "requirements" they like for items to be in school all week - and I'd be happy to comply with that for school hours, but I'd like to see someone tell my child couldn't take their own footwear home at the end of the day.

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dixiechick1975 · 10/06/2015 17:58

I think it is the norm for kit to stay in school. PE day may change - DD sometimes says x was going on it the hall so we are doing PE tomorrow. Or they wear the pumps with a costume in assembly.

I usually hand DD's down to someone. She has the biggest feet in the class so I can't get the same hand me downs.

I stock up in sales - next often have trainers half price in their sale or sportsdirect.

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