To think this is mad for primary school uniform?

I hear ya.

I personally think uniforms are good, don’t have to think about it and everyone is the same - but only when reasonably accessible. It’s a shame sometimes the areas that can least afford it sometimes don’t embrace pre-loved.

Fab she has you and extended family to all chip in 😊 I can now afford it but we all remember it was tight growing up and so always all chip in for stuff the DC/neices/nephews need.

I thought the government had brought in legislation to change the uniforms to ensure parents weren’t being priced out of being able to afford them? I’d seriously contact your local council to find out?
Our kids primary was only logo on ties - everything else was fine from supermarkets, etc. Now in secondary, only blazers have to be logo, which seems completely fair and reasonable to me.

Have you read about what primary school children are required to have in Ireland, parents literally have to give the school hundreds of Euros to cover the required materials inc. books and stationery and a hundred Euro "voluntary" payment that isn't voluntary, and that's even before they get to uniform.

I really don't understand why schools do this. Before retirement I was a primary school deputy and school governor for many years. Our first question to ourselves when considering any changes of any kind was always how will this impact less well off families. We didn't feel that saying that they could buy second hand was a solution either. Why should children from poorer families be condemned to second hand clothes? There's nothing wrong with second hand, but there is when that is the only option open to a family. Being smart was important, whether something was branded or not was not. The one time we did a major uniform change, we said children could continue to wear the old one until they grew out of it or it fell apart.

It's total madness and absolutely should be banned. The very expensive independent tailors in our town is the only place that sells uniform for all four of the local primary schools, it's a racket. At nearly £20 per jumper it's a piss take. Half the kids are on free school meals as well.

That’s far too much. Ours is in an affluent area but all you need branded is cardi/jumper, PE top and book bag. You can have more but this is the minimum. They also have a swap shop (free) and they put out the lost property that’s never been claimed which can be taken for free too.

Our school tried to bring in a new shirt style and tie with little notice. Dd had one more year of uniform and her existing uniform was in good condition. Lots of us emailed the school and they agreed to have a year's grace before bringing it in, apart from the new year 7s.

That's madness. Our school changed the uniform about 6/7 years ago, but they're still allowed to wear the old version - plenty of people have hand-me-downs that are still going strong! The cost of school uniform is one of my bug-bears, though - why they can't make it all supermarket-bought, and just sell sew-on badges (which can be removed and reused) for a couple of things is beyond me.

It's awful that they're changing things and increasing the number of logo items imo. I agree with you op. They're primary kids FFS!
DS didn't need anything to be branded and the school got great results. No need for all this nonsense.

Since September 2022 schools are no longer allowed to enforce branded uniform items.

I agree, it’s madness. I’m a primary teacher with DD1 attending my school. By the end of July she was in trainers as her shoes had a hole in and no one blinked an eye. I genuinely don’t notice what children in my class wear unless it raises safeguarding concerns (e.g. ill-fitting, inappropriate for weather etc). Headteacher makes a the ppint clearly to new parents that branded cardis/jumpers are entirely optional and that supermarket are fine in the school colours.

I just don’t get why uniform suddenly has to be a big issue at secondary. Suits and ties are on their way out in the world of work; surely just regulate colours of polo tops/jumpers/bottom halves and shoes etc and save time arguing with teens?

I would wonder how much they actually enforce it. My son’s primary uniform list has logo jumper, gold logo polo and book bag. I bought it all the first year but as things needed replacing I’ve bought plain supermarket items and yellow polos when I couldn’t find gold and they’ve never once said anything. If they are strict on it I would definitely raise the legislation with them.

yup I would write to the head and the board, and the local paper if you don’t get a result

if they are going to be robust enough for years of hand downs, which is only realistic if the school can pay for it, if the parents can’t.

We're in Scotland and the exact same. Nothing actually has to be branded and the school actively encourages buying supermarket or second hand. Our uniform is navy too 😊

This is what my mum did as well. Especially once year when the school introduced only black shoes after my shoes had already been bought in the sale, not in black.

Which is fine if there's other decent local options that have more relaxed uniform rules. If every local school has uniform rules like yours, then people don't really have the "don't apply then!" option.

Ours is polo shirts - logo is £7 I think but not compulsory. Jumper, logo is £13 but not compulsory. Trousers / skirt etc, any in correct colours. Pe - white polo / t-shirt, black bottoms, unbranded trainers. No set pe bag although there is a school one, and water bottle. Every kid is given a plastic book bag and whilst I did buy one for eldest, no one really uses them - plastic ones are larger.

It's also compulsory school meals in infants, no lunches brought from school

A few years ago our secondary school decided to change the uniform from logo hoodies/t-shirts (good quality, unisex) to shirts, ties, jumpers and blazers. The information was in an end of term letter for the start of the new term. I had just bought 3 new hoodies for ds, the school shop was still selling them and lots of families had either bought or had perfectly good ones to hand down. The parents complained and it didn’t happen.

Schools cannot enforce branded/logo items.

Unless my little one has a serious growth spurt - she’s going to barely be in 2-3 clothing by the time she starts school- and that’s if I size up to give her growing room. I’ve been helpfully told by a couple local schools I can get her things tailored. She’ll be 4! I full expect her to destroy those things playing outside and I’ll be genuinely disappointed if she comes home tidy.

To add, when I was in primary, my mum sent me in all unbranded things, and when the head raised it with her she basically said, "What are you going to do about it? She's here to learn. I'm going to keep dropping her off in these clothes, and I'm not picking her up early just because she hasn't got fancy clothes. So you can either send her to walk home alone aged 5 and have whatever happens to her on your conscience, or you can teach her in the clothes I've sent her in." And we didn't hear any more about it 😬

In Wales primary schools aren't allowed to enforce branded uniform so a supermarket jumper would be fine. Not sure if the same in England though