Ridiculous uniform policy for secondary

@Metempsychosis blazers aren't useful. They aren't suitable as an actual coat (don't keep you warm and dry) and putting an actual coat over the top is bulky and uncomfortable.
This is the UK - it's cold and wet for much of the school year 😂

@user1492757084 this is a NEW uniform the school is introducing. There won't be any secondhand.

This is absolutely ridiculous. Families are really struggling, especially in areas like you describe. How are they meant to afford that? Not to mention the sizing issues.

My son is over 6ft and very slim, I bet they don't have trousers that would fit him properly.

Ds schools allows any black school trousers, white shirts, any black sweatshirts, any black shoes. Blazers not compulsory. You can buy school logo stuff if you want but hardly anyone does as it's expensive. Ds mostly gets supermarket and Next. They give every pupil a free tie when they start at the school. The kids all look smart enough and it doesn't affect learning.
It cost me under £100 for 4 pairs of trousers, 6 shirts, 2 sweatshirts, also new socks and pants. He doesn't need a new PE kit this year but that was £30 last year, same for £30 for a backpack, so £160 all in, plus his shoes (those were expensive but it was my choice to spend extra on those could have got cheaper. Will probably spend more on winter jacket too).

Blazers are really useful garments tbf, especially modern lightweight indestructible polyester washable ones with zipped inner pockets.

I loathe this whole blazer uniform thing that they are obsessed with.

One of my DGDs schools has a sweatshirt and polo shirt uniform. Much better.

People don't wear suits for every job nowadays. Why this obsession with blazers?

I think having no uniform can lead to a lot of hassle and anxiety, particularly in secondary school but a (sensible ) uniform policy levels the playing field.

The bottom half is the exact same for every school in the area primary or secondary so I think it’s council guidelines. God knows what’s made that line needed though, I dread to think

I don't understand why children are still forced to wear uniforms like that. Hardly anyone in the "real world" wears suits and ties now.

I have teenagers, their uniform is grey shorts or trousers and a green polo top. There's a black jumper for anyone who wants one.

The school in the next suburb is super strict with the uniforms (measuring length of socks) and gets worse results than ours. I definitely think they would do better if they concentrated less on how long someone's socks are and more on the education they provide.

Children can be on an equal footing, so to speak, with a low key, comfortable uniform, it doesn't all have to be stiff, itchy, coated fabrics.

And with the cost of living now, a lot of people would struggle to spend £350 on 1 child's uniform, never mind 2.

Agree.
Investigate the second hand uniforms.
Kids grow so quickly; there are always reasonable ones for sale.

I normally do cycling shorts when I'm not wearing tights and a slip when I am wearing tights but in that awkward in-between weather both cycling shorts and a full slip keeps you warmer without wearing tights.

Agree re slips. Cycle shorts are the new slips though.

Slips aren't a historic garment banished to the past. They are very useful, more so now so many clothes are cheaply made and unlined.

A slip prevents static cling, prevents anyone seeing through thin fabric, stops the lines/seams of underwear showing, gives a nice hang to the outer clothes, means you have soft fabric next to skin, can add warmth in winter or reduce sweatiness in summer, and reduces it washing.

More people should wear slips, they are great.

Not Stonehenge… 😱 😂 weirdos.

@solsticelove Your view of schools is also wrong. A small number of incidents isn’t an epidemic. Home Ed’s socialise with home Ed’s. I used to manage our home Ed advisory service. It’s escaping from perceived nasty children. As you describe. A curated education. I don’t necessarily think school children need to see the rougher sides of life to be fully rounded as it can come later, but school allows them a wider window on society. Quite a few of our home Ed mums said they were witches.Others went off to Stonehenge…...

‘Hothousing’? Explain please? No idea what you mean.

Also my dc are very resilient thank you. You seem to be suggesting that resilience is only built by being exposed to stressful situations in a school setting? Actually resilience is built by adapting to any difficult situations and they have plenty of opportunities to build that muscle without being in a toxic environment.

They are also not ‘shielded’ from anything. They live a very full, social, varied lives IN the real world. They attend groups, workshops, courses, the older ones have volunteer jobs and they are very well travelled. They have lots of friends and socialise plenty so your stereotype of a home educated kid is just that. A stereotype.

>I’ve never been more glad my DC are home educated.

That doesn't make them resiliant and is hothousing them, whereas they will have to face real live at some point. Shielded.life doesn't prepare them for tough life as a student

tbh most of kids are going through education without incidents as you listed.

Between this thread, the one where the teen had her drink spiked in school by laxatives and the one where the five year old was kneed in the back, I’ve never been more glad my DC are home educated.
What dysfunctional environments we place are children in.
@freakinthespreadsheets No, you are not being unreasonable. Even bankers don’t dress so formally and stiffly in 2024.

Haven’t there been uniform protests in some areas? A policy should reflect local area and ability to pay.

£350 sounds like a lot of uniform and quite a lot of it on shoes. Shoes/trainers are standard everywhere. I think this uniform policy isn’t legal but parents have to complain.

We have an epidemic of very very short skirts being worn by school girls here. Bums on view. Cannot see that this is acceptable. Trousers not favoured so much. The skirts are shorter than tennis skirts. Not sure if they are allowed like this in school but it’s certainly the fashion here. It’s also draining on school staff to have to keep checking on uniform all the time.

I think uniform has always been seen as promoting a sense of belonging and avoiding very expensive fashion in school and competition for wearing the most expensive fashion gear. Where my DCs boarded, book bags were Mulberry (not my dc) but you can see it’s desirable to try and stop envy.

Ah right

Things like metal studs on jackets etc

Much more sensible policy (though I still think no uniform policy at all is even better) but I'm intrigued by clothing that can cause injury to others, I wonder what that could be? Unless its so clashing it hurts my eyes...

£35 would be the standard price for a blazer in the secondary school. If it is a white shirt so normally in all schools everybody can buy those in Tesco, Asda , Sainsbury's. And it is unreasonable to expect one specific brand for a hefty price. Skirts are most often also unique and therefore at a £20-30 price. Similar price for trousers but in the school where my son goes there are 3 types of sizing: narrow, regular, " sturdy". Optional jumper and tie.
In our school there is also an elaborate sport kit with socks, short sleeve/shorts version and long sleeve/trousers version + they are expected to have 3 pairs of shoes: black for school, trainers and studded.

The £350 you said is probably for several jackets skirts, shirts ?

I agree schools should have cheap uniform policies. Many primary schools in my area have affordable uniform.

Secondary school though is more difficult. In fact all secondary schools in my area have the expensive uniform described by the op. 100% of them. We have no choice.

Uniform policies like this are (as far as I’m aware) totally unheard of up here in Scotland - this is the entire uniform policy for our local high school and they’re considered very strict with their uniform compared to other local high schools. The kids look very smart.

Forcing parents to buy from one brand supplier is utter snobbery and only done to stop kids from poor backgrounds going to the school - it doesn’t have any impact on how smart the kids look, doesn’t improve their learning at all and shouldn’t be allowed.

Mine’s just left school so no skin in game but hate the must buy from one shop uniforms.
Any grey skirt must be knee length is prescriptive enough.
DD’s school requirements were initials embroidered on pe kit, expense and stopping second hand. £28 girls logo gym leggings v boys wearing any tracksuit bottoms was another terrible rule, what’s wrong with any navy leggings.
My grandad is another who passed 11+ and couldn’t go as family couldn’t afford uniform.