Cost of school uniform

@JustWingItLifeEyelinerEverything perhaps what we need to do (as a society) is install the values that it doesn't matter what brand/make of clothes somewhere wears and that people like different styles and it's ok to experiment with clothes right from Reception age upwards.

This is all ok in theory @Needmorelego
In practice there is a problem of social exclusion by the kids if you don't meet expected standards of brands. A kid is described as cringe if he she doesn't wear what others do. Kids can be shortsighted and cruel. And I am talking here what is experienced by the kids of my friends from Poland. It is terrible but that is how it works among teens in any country.
The uniform regulates social inequalities but honestly it should be something more comfortable and subsided+ mostly off the Tesco/Asda etc uniform range.

And no, my son is raised in Uk, still in primary so the brand awareness wasn't an issue even. I just know how it works in the countries where there are no school uniforms.

@JustWingItLifeEyelinerEverything you don't have to buy "brands" though. As a parent you say "no" - you can't do that if there is an ugly uniform you have to buy. You have to buy it.

But whatever they wear you have to buy and it costs. Especially that if there is no uniform children seem to care a lot about brands 🙄.
Uniforms should be simply more subsidised by government and non branded, Tesco, Asda trousers, skirts and shirts should be allowed everywhere.

The other one our school does that I really like is that all the schools in the Trust (there's only two secondaries) have the same blazer and PE kit and it's just differentiated by the different school ties.

Means there's much more uniform around available second hand for people to buy. They've also kept the logo stable for a very very long time so second hand uniform remains viable for much longer (unlike another local school who seem to have corporate logo ADHD and change it every flipping second).

That's fantastic if the school know the entire manufacturing process and supply chain is also sustainable. A couple of schools I know tried to apply for a green award based on having one or two items of recycled uniform. They couldn't tell you anything about where the recycled waste come from, how it travelled and what happened to the manufacturing waste.

It's the branded PE kit that really grates. Fair enough, a blazer (although they could sell pocket badge patches to see on a generic one), but they want branded shorts, polo,.jumper,.leggings and socks!!! And they're all polyester crap. The socks are £13 alone.

Our high school polled the children and now black trainers / black denims ( no rips) are on the list, white shirt and a school tie. DS costs a fortune regardless as he shoots up every month and needs new shoes every other month ( growing rather than ruining them ) My younger cousins are 6 4” with size 14 feet

My DS starts Y7 in September and he has compulsory grey trousers with a teeny tiny school logo at the top that no one can see with the blazer on top. What's wrong with plain M&S which are less than half the price!!

This is a standard state school in a low income London Borough.

The PE kits some schools demand are ridiculous if never worn outside school PE lessons

£37.50
It's called an eco-blazer

The cost of some of our items went up when another stockist was added because bothe stockists sell fewer items and they lost the economies of scale.

On the upside, I suppose at least two local businesses are now being supported rather than one.

That's amazing wish all schools would do stuff like this. Out of interest how much does it cost? As if it's cheaper or the same price as other blazers that would be fab!

Our blazer is made from recycled plastic bottles.

Compared to what we paid that's cheap.

it is illegal for there only to be one stockist. Make a fuss.

Also really unethically produced too.

Ours is pretty reasonable in terms of the "mandatory" logoed stuff - blazer, tie, PE t-shirt and they tell you to get the rest from wherever has the sales on.

We bought optional logo cardigans (they are nice quality and still look like new after a year to be fair), PE leggings (they're allowed any as long as logos are less than credit card sized) and a PE long sleeve warm top - but we really didn't have to.

They're even polling parents on toning it down a bit more next year as fashion means more and more school shoes are teetering over into black trainers in style so they're considering just allowing them. We had the first uniform letter of the year last week which basically went as gentle as "the skirts that fitted in Autumn 2023 might not be up to the job in Summer 2024"

For a school where even the school dog wears the school tie (I'm not joking - they made her her own version) - it's very relaxed about uniform rules, but the kids don't look scruffy as a result because they just don't do the ridiculous logoed skirts etc.

My DS started yr7 last year. We bought a pe hoody - has never bloody worn it!
Also - got 1 jumper only. Wears it under blazer (not wearing it this term as too warm), and we wash the jumper Fri night so dry for the next week. However, he's not really sweaty! So you may be able to get away with 1 or 2 jumpers and see how you get on. Do you need the tank top too, or is it either tank top or jumper?
Also got 2 ties (in case 1 got lost). Fingers crossed that hasn't happened.
Have another DS starting Sep 25, but he's about the same size already, so not hopeful to be able to use hand me downs

I hear what you're saying but children want that anyway on top of a school uniform. I see why some like uniforms but personally I have never been convinced by the arguments for them.

It's really not more expensive, unless you have raised your kids to be brand conscious fashion victims. If it were so bad, all countries would have uniforms - and they don't. When your kids go out into the real world, they'll either end up in workplace that has a uniform (and will supply it) or one which has some kind of dress code, in which case they will just have to learn to budget.

The world of work is becoming more casual, not more formal. Schools are going in the opposite direction - probably because their uniform deals with sole suppliers bring in some £££. It needs to stop - uniform should be affordable to all and available on the high street. The law needs to be given teeth so that schools who break the rules are instantly given an OFSTED Inadequate. That should focus minds.

@mizunderstanding not really. All you need is about 2 pairs of trackies/trousers and 3 basic tops for a week of school. Go to Primark a couple of times a year - done.
(Kids can want different outfits but doesn't mean you have to buy them)

I think it would be a lot more expensive if our kids were wanting a different outfit for every day of the week.

Good quality uniform does look good, and lasts a long time (so long as they don't grow 😁). Most schools have second-hand uniform sales, though I get that the year 7's want new stuff.

That’s not ideal at all. Looking back although I was initially annoyed at the thought of paying for a Chromebook it has been brilliant, especially during those COVID lockdowns.

It's disgusting! I used to be a big advocate for smart uniform (this could still be cheap without blazers and special check skirts) but there is definitely no need now, workplaces just dont dress that way any more.
I think a 'uniform' of plain joggers and polo shirt is enough.

It is a big outlay, I think mine was about £1k all in including Lap top when eldest started y7....but...she's in year 10 now and I've hardly had to buy anything else, a few new white shirts but just get them cheap from M&S.
so, if it's decent quality and you do the typical of buy a bit bigger for blazer etc, it should see them through.