Private school - uniform cost

Yes it's our experience. At primary it was cheaper, but from Yr 7 it's been over £1000

BTW @FrancyFancy I just updated the spreadsheet to include the new school shoes and plimsolls, which we bought from Clarks yesterday as late as we could to mitigate the risk of his feet growing in the interim between our buying them and his having to wear them.

The total is £333.40.

I probably could have cut the costs by attending a second hand uniform sale which happened a week ago, but we couldn’t make it. I think he’ll get a good amount of wear out of this uniform tho, so that cushions the blow a bit.

13 yrs ago it cost me £500 to kit out child going to an entry level ie one if the cheaper private schools. That was all new so could have been cheaper no doubt.

it would not surprise me at £1000 for all new now.

Depends on the school.
I totally agree with the comment above about being 'sweet' and how this may reflects the ethos of the school and the type of parents who actually like the idea of that!

Our school is not like this, however! Uniform are still expensive in comparison to a like-for-like items which are not school-branded which is utterly ridiculous and unjustified.

TBH, for us the initial purchase entering yr7 (DC went to a state primary) was a bit of a shock and expensive, few years ago it was c.£700 for a set with few key items as duplicates extras, but over the years this budget is not needed as a lump sum. You replace items as your child grow and some are good for the long term (we didn't change the blazer for 2 years).

Then there is a small exchange 'market' of second hand, sometimes free sometimes discounted at the school uniform shop so depends...

Bottom line, yes it's expense but you need to weigh the budget in the round. It won't be the only thing expensive in a private school.

And there is also an offset if you end up at a state school with uniform also..

Start an excel sheet!

"Perhaps OP consider local state schools instead."
Or a non-poncy private school. They do exist!

Many private schools have a thriving second hand shop , which is fine until they update the uniform and stop reselling items like sports kit while they phase new in.

Seems to be the school concerned not in general.

Perhaps OP consider local state schools instead.

DS' independent school...uniform costs

Blazer £100
2 x trousers £40
Tie £10
White shirts (Tesco, 5 £12)
Socks £5
2 x sweater £30
Plain black coat - no logos - can be any brand.
Blain black leather lace ups - any brand

Sports kit
PE top £15
PE shorts £15
Rugby shirt £20
Hoodie £20
Running leggings £25
Socks £10
Swimming trunks - plain black - any brand
Swimming hat £5
Sports bag £20
Trainers - any

DS (15) has grown 4" over summer so having to buy all new. It's just cost £442 including school shoes and trainers. Excluding a coat.

So no, independent school uniform doesn't have to cost £1500. That's just ridiculous.

Children don't need "distinctive and sweet" uniforms. Some parents do. Not sure I'd want to be friends with parents like that.

I work in a private school (not a teacher), if a child receives a full or nearly full bursary then they often get uniform and book costs included, sometimes trips too.

Not really your question, but I’d be kicking up a right fuss if I was at a school where the girl’s uniform cost significantly more than the boys. That’s not on.

This is so true. My 15 yo dd is wearing her friend’s age 10 skort rather than the ladies size 10 skort I bought. A friend, who has moved school gave her a now defunct netball top, another friend a defunct PE top. Dd likes these 3 items better than the shiny, new stuff I bought her when she joined the school a couple of years ago. The school has changed suppliers so you can’t buy any of this kit anymore but the PE teachers still tolerate the girls wearing it. This gives her a real sense of belonging, I think.

2 kids in private (secondary) in the SE. They moved school this year so I had to start again and I got everything on the uniform list except (for one thing) for £160 for the two of them at the second hand sale.

There is always more PE kit than normal day wear. You do not need to buy duplicates - just be prepared to do a 30 minute wash a few evenings a week.

it was roughly the same in their last school. Maybe a little more. The second hand sale is an absolute must (and also where you will find the more rational parents…).

There is an enormous difference between the uniform list and what they actually NEED.

Lots of people saying this is the norm for uniform costs when other posters have literally said that they've kitted out their DC for £200 or so so it isn't the 'norm'.
It's normal in SOME private schools. It's like any post on MN about private schools. Someone asks about fees and there's a pile on about how you should expect to pay £30k a year with a 1000% annual increase. In SOME private schools, yes.

Where I am the annual fees are half that, uniform is half M&S, half thrift shop and trips aren't compulsory. Still expensive, still a privilege but not all private schools are the same!

It’s normal uniform prices but my kids are at a public school and absolutely everybody dives in at the second hand sales and also on the WhatsApp groups things are always being given away. So: yes huge outlay for the first year and it will hopefully be the only time you have to fork out that much.

This is the norm for private school. Summer uniform, winter uniform, lots of sports kit and everything to be from the specific supplier. You won’t have to buy everything each year, buts it’s easily £1k to buy the initial collection (once past the nursery stage).

If you sign up for private school, you’re agreeing to basically any cost they throw your way. Numerous school trips ‘added to next term’s fees’. We just got a letter saying all Y7’s need a laptop or tablet for September.

The costs only start with the fees.

DD was at a very well known home counties prep and uniform did cost that much new, however there was a fabulous second hand uniform shop in the school which her granny volunteered in so we got everything very reasonably and granny sorted it all! We also would get given hand me downs from friends older daughters.

I remember the cape (yes, cape) cost £130 new six years ago so goodness knows what it would be now!

Well now I feel victimised 😂😂😂

Of course it's totally ridiculous but they make it so expensive for a reason. They don't want any lower middle class riff raff who can just about afford the fees getting in. Because it's not just the fees, it's all the extras as well and they make sure these all add up. A lot.

Meant to say this is primary school. Mostly cost a couple of hundred no where near 1100 that seems very extravagant

My kids are in private school. We can get generic trousers and shirts. The only thing we have to buy through school is a blazer, jumper, pe top, pe jumper, tie, cap and coat. Most of It can be brought bigger so it lasts for longer. A lot of people come and go so you can always get bits for cheaper then they are. And things like the tie and blazer last. We have needed a bigger blazer this year but haven't brought one since year one. He will be in year 4 when he returns. Plus a new pe top as he had grown out of his other one. The rest we buy in the sales and go one size up so will last.

Not quite that for my DC’s prep, no. But think it was definitely around the £1100 mark excluding shoes and cricket kit.

Around £900 each, excluding footwear. I usually buy trousers, shirts and socks from M&S, as they’re excellent quality and wash well. Everything else is from the school uniform shop.

You could significantly reduce that by using the second hand shop (usually run by the PTA).

Our school requires black leather school shoes, normal trainers to wear at playtime, white trainers for sports, wellies for forest school and football boots. So it’s 5 pairs of school shoes each!! Plus we need extra trainers and wellies for home, as the ones for school use stay there during term time 🤦🏼‍♀️

DD's primary uniform had mandatory coat/hats but many people used the second hand shop at the school. The shop was always well stocked and, because the coats and blazers were hard wearing many went there still looking in good condition. I suspect some items had been used by several children in the end. You could donate uniform to the shop - you got a percentage of the sale price if it sold.

We used to be able to get everything online or via JL,, though specific uniform supplier if we wanted new.

It didn't come to that amount though, even with PE kit, ballet kit, etc. it wasn't cheap but I guess it's part and parcel of choosing a specific school.

No that's absolutely not the norm. DS starts at an independent prep this year, we ended up buying his entire uniform from the uniform shop even though technically the shirts and shorts / trousers do not have logos and can therefore be bought elsewhere, but for the sake of a few £ I simply couldn't be bothered. I bought enough uniform for him to wear new every day (so I only have to wash once a week) Including the usual as well as blazer, duffle coat etc, summer and winter hats, logo book bag, logo water bottle, all name tags, 2 x PE kit, swimwear and towel, but not shoes - it came to £500. Probably could've got it for £450ish if we had got the shorts / shirts elsewhere though. Even that I thought was a bit steep! But we will have 3 boys at the school so I fully intend to pass the expensive stuff down to his younger siblings. £1500 is absolutely horrifying