Has your High School updated its branded uniform rules yet as per the new Government policy applicable from Sept26?

We only ever had 4 compulsory logo items: tie, pe shorts, games socks and pe top. Socks are £5, tie the same. shorts and are around£25 new, £10 second hand. Kids look smart.
Jumper is logoed, but not compulsory to be worn (we don’t own one), blazer is plain navy.
There are tracksuit bottoms, pe midlayer, a pe bag and a rainproof coat, but they are not compulsory.

I'm glad you posted this op because I've just checked and no they haven't! I've just sent them an email to ask them to clarify.

The OP raises a very valid point, and I bet there will be schools who don't comply.

I'm of the view that the only uniform should be the sports shirt given competitions with other schools, and instead have a dress code, more about what is not acceptable to wear.

I didn't know about this, my kids school only has the blazer, tie and PE top mandatory anyway

@Friendlygingercat

The ‘UK’ is not England.

The whole of the UK does not have mandatory uniform for schools.

Officially yes, but I am in Spain, and we viewed six schools before my son started this year. All had a uniform, usually the same as ours, a branded shirt/jumper and trousers/skirt.

You can wear an alternative, but we didn't ever see anyone who was.

Also change in uniform - is it really all ego driven by management/trust? Sometimes they change supplier to keep costs down? Have had a lot of supply chain issues since Brexit and another one coming.

The rugby kit is much thicker @TorturedParentsDepartment - it would get stained or torn immediately if they wore their summer cricket/pe/athletics wear instead. The hazards of winter sport contact rugby. I think DS wears it for hockey too.

We have identical PE kits for the whole academy trust - they wear bibs for sports matches and manage to play the other schools in the trust just fine that way. With the fact that 99% of schools are navy/black - the sports kits are going to look so similar they need to wear some other identifier for sports matches anyway.

I'd love to see a clampdown on the endless uniform and logo changes as well so the second hand market can recover - in the last 10 years one of our secondaries that has logoed all over the place has changed logo three times meaning old uniform is either obviously "old" or eventually "old logo jumpers can be worn up to x date" and then landfill.

It's one reason I like my kids' school Trust having basically identical uniform with just a different tie - more stuff available second hand for PE kits, blazers and the like.

“Yes of course. There are quite a few that don't. Quite a few London primary schools don't for example. Of state secondaries, I know that Fortismere and the BRIT school (also both in London) have no uniform and I suspect there are quite a few more, especially schools that cater to a more arty/left-wing demographic.”

On the flip side, we get a lot of communication from the police and council about anti social behaviour on buses and in shopping malls at the end of term (in particular) so I doubt the powers to be are that keen on doing in with school uniform entirely. It is a form of social control for teens.

My issue with school uniform is the microplastics in it leeching into children’s skin for years. I mean come on, how is this good for them.

That’s really good I hope others go the same way
I think all this over priced logo’d clothing is awful and I think the hideous kilts need to absolutely go, they are terrible, expensive and not necessary; furthermore the blazer and tie situation - I’m all for a uniform but even in work places, very few people wear ties and jackets these days that seems a dated idea really. Maybe polo shirts and sweatshirts would be a better option with plain bottom halves.

For blazers they should offer to just iron the branded logo on instead.

No changes, but the only compulsory things are tie (boys only), blazer, PE top. The jumper, hoodie and PE shorts are by choice.

When they do sport matches how are we going to differentiate the unbranded sides to the match? Isn’t that why they are branded in the first place because the kids prefer to wear one top rather than that colour thing vest over it.

Most of DS’ branded stuff is sports wear. They differentiate rugby vs cricket/athletics white.
Only the blazer is branded for uniform.

Yes my children’s secondary school is changing to only blazer, tie and PE t-shirt needing to be branded. Girls currently wear a branded skirt that is £25 each and blouses that are £25 for two. The blazer is £40 so quite reasonable.

Our experience is the opposite - our branded school uniform (particularly the blazer) is poorly made from awful polyester fabric. It is much poorer quality than the normal clothes we usually buy.

Yes of course. There are quite a few that don't. Quite a few London primary schools don't for example. Of state secondaries, I know that Fortismere and the BRIT school (also both in London) have no uniform and I suspect there are quite a few more, especially schools that cater to a more arty/left-wing demographic.

My two DSs are at the local high school (not UK). Between the two of them they need a minimum of 45 items of school branded uniform. There is also other unbranded stuff they need and other optional branded stuff. The items are expensive, but last so much longer than regular clothes. It ultimately works out cheaper than not wearing a uniform.

@GingerBeverage @Besidemyselfwithworry my DD school still has sew on (not iron on, you'd melt the blazer!) badges. Only for the blazer, nothing else has a badge.

Back in the 90s my Secondary had...
An odd colour blazer (£70!)
A particular style of skirt you could only get in the uniform shop (£30)
Particular colour blouses (£15 each)
PE skirt, PE knickers and PE shorts (ylu needed all of them), with logoed PE tops, and jumpets, and long socks (and normal PE socks)... the boys needed 2 different rugby shirts and a PE vest, and two types of shorts. Indoor and outdoor trainers, plus studded boots.

Eloborate uniforms arent new.

Yes exactly
back in the day we had school badges you could sew on jumpers and blazers. Makes much more sense and a branded shirt is just insane!

I meant mentally backwards, not chronologically.

Unfortunately , it’s not backwards, it’s the way progress is going. It’s new, not traditional.

30 years ago this wasnt happening. The bigger threat is in 30 years time it’s the norm in Scotland etc when they “catch up”
with those ways of thinking that ended England here

England is so backwards with basic issues and school. That’s before we even touch the sides of the actual education system. The idea of not being allowed to remove a blazer regardless of weather is fucking batshit. I couldn’t believe it when I first read that on MN. Pen licenses WTF? Attendance awards and punishments. Jesus Christ. Forcing parents to struggle to have a stupid logo on uniforms when supermarket uniforms are adequate. Madness. None of it is necessary to the child’s education.