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Original poster

Cost of school uniform

61 replies

Pinkpoodle44 · 11/05/2024 16:25

So my child is starting high school in September:

Note this list does not include fitted shirts, trousers, socks, underwear, coats, school bags, school shoes, trainers, football boots, stationary, lunch box

The below total cost is for 1 mandatory school logo item that cannot be bought elsewhere.

1x jumper £24.99 (I'll probably buy 2-3 of these),
1x tanktop £22.99
1x school tie £8.99
1x Blazer £34.99
1x PE polo shirt £18.50
1x PE shorts £17.99
1x PE socks £11.99
1 x Rugby shirt £25.99
1x PE Hoodie £31.99

Total £198.38

OP posts:
Needmorelego · 11/05/2024 16:43

@qwertyqwertyqwertyqwerty I agree with you. So expensive for such ugly horrible quality clothes 🙁

Sirzy · 11/05/2024 16:40

Ds school - and at least two others locally - provide year 7 starters with a blazer, skirt or trousers, tie and PE kit. It’s one of the things they fundraise to do throughout the year as it means all children are starting on a level footing in the having uniform sense at least. They also very much promote donating old uniform!

shellyleppard · 11/05/2024 16:39

I spent £160 on school uniform for my eldest son. It then did his younger brother so 8 years in the end. The school also lent him a Chromebook thankfully. Its not an easy thing though.

qwertyqwertyqwertyqwerty · 11/05/2024 16:38

I would abolish uniform if I could. I hate it for what it is and I hate the expense.

Schools in France, Germany, Netherlands seem to manage fine without it, you just have a basic dress code.

The clothes are awful, polyester crap. The kids look awful. It's a weird throwback. But parents like it!

longdistanceclaraclara · 11/05/2024 16:36

I've got twins. The uniform was ££££. We managed to get the skirts (£45) at the second hand sale.

I don't even what to add up what we spent on the rest. PE uniform was really expensive.

xyzandabc · 11/05/2024 16:36

Needmorelego · 11/05/2024 16:31

@northernerinthesouth2000 what would have happened if you couldn't afford the Chromebook?
Genuine curiosity.

At our school, you can go to the library each morning and sign one out, then return it at the end of each day. I'm not sure how it works if they need it for homework ??

xyzandabc · 11/05/2024 16:35

The start of secondary school, when you have to buy everything at the same time is hideously expensive. When eldest started 5 years ago, it cost us £750, roughly £250 uniform, £250 Chromebook and £250 bus pass. All of these things have gone up in price since but at least after yr7 you can spread it out a bit and not needed everything all at one. Some uniform particularly pe kit/blazer might do them 2 or 3 years etc.

Child 2 had some hand me downstairs from eldest

Child 3 goes to a different school so no Chromebook or bus pass required (though I do wish they did have Chromebooks!) and our list for this one was pretty similar to yours.

northernerinthesouth2000 · 11/05/2024 16:32

@Needmorelego I think you had the option to pay in instalments. Imagine having twins or triplets!! One of my daughter’s friends is a twin!!

Needmorelego · 11/05/2024 16:31

@northernerinthesouth2000 what would have happened if you couldn't afford the Chromebook?
Genuine curiosity.

northernerinthesouth2000 · 11/05/2024 16:29

This is sadly not usual… my daughter who is in year 10 we had to buy a Chromebook on top of everything else which was £300!!! And yes we had to no choice pupil premium children were given them. It’s become ridiculously expensive!

I think that year we must have spent close to £800 on transition

YouStupidPoptart · 11/05/2024 16:28

I almost cried coming out of the uniform shop one year, they’d just changed from trousers, shirts and black jumper the year before, to a full on list like yours.