Ridiculous uniform policy for secondary

That sounds great.

If the fabric is itchy wear a slip??

Goodness, when I was in school several decades ago we wouldn't have been seen dead wearing a slip, and I doubt that that's changed subsequently. Why should girls be made to wear an extra layer anyway, especially when it's hot?

I'm quite bemused about schools that care about skirt length. So long as the wearers are decent, why on earth are school staff wasting time caring about the exact length? Does it really matter if it's an inch below the knee or above?

I would far rather that they cared about teaching and learning.

So thankful for our school with a sensible head. Only need a branded sweater and tie. None of that outdated blazer business! Branded PE shirt and hoodie but can be worn all day on days when the DC have PE. Buy the rest anywhere you like - M&S sale/TU/Aldi/Oxfam. No one cares! And every morning they have a ready to learn few minutes, and if you’ve lost your pen or forgotten your protractor, they’ll lend one to you. Great school, kids love it, parents happy. Sensible. It’s not hard.

My DS is about to start an independent school (age 10) and I've been pleasantly surprised at how little I've spent on uniform - despite being told regularly that my choice of school means I'll drop £000s on uniform.
All branded stuff second hand - just the blazer and all sports clothing. And they allow any brand trousers, shirts, socks, jumpers. So that's all supermarket. The girls need to wear the kilt though. In total I'll have kitted him out for the year - and next for the most part - for around £250 including shoes.

I think it's ridiculous. My kids highschool you have to wear a white shirt and tie and then black everything else jumper trouser, skirt , denim jeans, shoes , boots ,trainers so long as they are black with no logos. They all look fairly smart, it can be bought from anywhere and there is enough room for personal style/ preferences.

@FeistyFrankie

Wear a slip.

have you met a teenage girl since 1950?

and what do you suggest they wear under trousers?

@freakinthespreadsheets

I though the trend was for schools to be less focussed on branded gear & being more on board with supermarket range uniform??

they need to stop being so up their own arses, especially with the CoL crisis.

Re: the micro skirts. Round here, they're buying them that length.

One child went there @ElsaLion . The other was state. I have been a primary governor at two schools and chair of one. The whole reason I’m querying the overall cost is the amount of uniform purchased. It’s just not necessary. Therefore Godstowe has nothing to do with my views and neither does my bank balance. I was Chair of governors of a school in a deprived area and I’m wholly conversant with a reasonable uniform policy. I know people struggle but buying lots of uniform isn’t necessary nor lots of shoes in a myriad of colours. So I do think I’m qualified to have an opinion @ElsaLion because I’ve direct experience. Also Godstowe had a very reasonable second hand shop. Something most state schools don’t bother with although there are charities that do.

@freakinthespreadsheets Ive seen these tartan skirts. Mostly at independent schools. It is over the top.Heads might like the skirts but I’d buy supermarket for everything else! I’d also make an official complaint and hopefully everyone else would too. However cutting down on items bought will help.

Looking at the girls wearing micro skirts, they don’t have baulky waists. Maybe teachers just teach? They certainly aren’t checking at the school gates.

@TizerorFizz You were admonishing me on another thread for daring to compare the level of education at an outstanding primary and Godstowe preparatory boarding school, where you sent your children. As much as I agree with your views on more traditional uniforms and shoes, I doubt you are in a position to preach to others about the affordability of it!

It's ridiculous.

I worked in a former mining town in Scotland. All the secondary schools in the LA had much the same uniform - any black skirt or trousers, white shirt with school tie. Any black jumper or cardigan. Optional black blazer, normally bought en masse by school - badge and braid already attached. (Could be removed if you changed schools.) Some schools also allowed a polo shirt - black or white.

Most parents bought uniform items from Asda's.

@freakinthespreadsheets that's ridiculous. Some girls will simply not have the right body shape for slim fit trousers and they shouldn't be forced to wear a skirt because the trousers won't fit them - because on some girls skirts are also a dreadful fit.
These schools that do this - it angers me so much. It really does 🙁

Btw if you think that the girls all have short skirts when you see them in the street, it’s because they roll them up asap.
Skirts ARE the right length in the school.

Yes - they say they want knee length but do they check?

😂😂😂😂
yes they do check.
Actually a good friend of m8 e had some issues with trousers too. The school wanted straight or slim fit trousers and her dd was deemed ‘wide’, too wide according to the school.
The trousers were straight (as our label) but her dd is skinny….
The school was xpecting my friend to replace all trousers fir skinny or super skinny fit.
Thats a school that isn’t even that much of a pain about uniform.
They still had a teacher checking all skirts, uniform etc… first thing in the am

You can't see the issue in demanding clothing is only purchased from one place, at a price far far higher than other stores? Give your head a wobble.

I would resent paying lots of money for rubbish quality too. However you don’t need 4 shirts. You can manage with two at primary, Also DD didn’t mess up the sweatshirt. I’m maybe lucky but if need be, we sponged it off.

Yes - they say they want knee length but do they check? Around here skirts barely cover the bum. Cheeks showing isn’t unusual. Mine wore skirts in winter and summer at secondary. No trousers. The same at primary state schools. Less to buy and cheaper.

I had the opportunity to compare uniform at our local secondary and our private school.
Price of uniform at our private school was similar to buying with the state school. But quality was better, hugely better.
And our state school isn’t crazy re logo etc… lots could still be bought in normal high street shop/supermarkets.

I found the same with school trips. A week in France was cheaper at our private school than state school.

Why?? I suspect because no one is doing some proper investigation re suppliers in state school. No time etc… and it’s parents who pay the price.
Which is a real shame because schools who have 1000+ students have the power to negotiate prices - if you know how to do it.

DD's blazer is 100% recycled polyester at £45 a pop. It has about 6 do nots when it comes to cleaning/ironing. Threads are already coming out. Her skirt is 65 polyester, 35 viscose at £35 a pop. PE kit 100% polyester. Sooo great to run around in, in the heat.Still better and sturdier than her primary cardigans for example that shrunk even at 30 degrees and air dried so you just had to keep buying more and more.

Do I resent spending £250 on mostly plastic? Yes I do.

@TizerorFizz apologies - as you were defending them I thought you must like them 😂
The thing with the costs though. If I could really only afford one set of "decent" clothes I would rather it be something my child could wear 7 days a week - which technically you can do with school clothes - but what child wants to wear a formal pair of grey trousers and a white formal shirt on the weekends?
A good quality pair of trackies, hoody and t-shirt can be worn both to school and out of school and is comfortable and practical for both
If we are going for "better quality" uniforms - why can't it just be something like that?

And they care about skirt length at my DD's school. It has to be on the knee.

The school your DC went to was obviously not very strict with uniform. It is very different now.

But you can't buy less but better when you have to buy what the school dictates!!

Everyone mostly went to a grammar 50 plus years ago What? Hardly anyone went to a grammar school 50 years ago, which was the mid 70s when about 5% of pupils went to grammar schools. Even at the peak of grammar school attendance it was less than 40% of pupils

Plenty of us are going without heating and food now and getting on with it! But there will be some that can't for various reasons. And it would have been the same back then. Those were the families already mentioned that couldn't afford uniform so their DC left school. Our DC can't leave school now of course!

And yes school does look closely at the blue and white checked revere collar blouse my DD has to wear. It has to come from the school supplier. I had to get 4 blouses as they come in a 2 pack. 2 jumpers. 2 skirts for summer and 2 trousers for winter. Couldn't get away with only one as would then need to put the washing machine on more!

They have to have school shoes plus trainers for school.

One sweatshirt at Primary? Did yours never spill anything down themselves?

@Needmorelego Where have I said I liked them? I’ve just explained how to save money on the cost - as I have. I practiced what I preach. I bought less but better. Everything was washed and it wore well. Skirts got a bit shorter but so what? No one cared. Easy iron/no iron cotton shirts and a wool pullover are fine.

Everyone mostly went to a grammar 50 plus years ago because there were uniform grants. In the 40s and 50s less and before the tripartite system, fewer still. Grannies knitted cardigans and you made the summer dress - pattern was a challenge though. My aunt didn’t go because her dad wanted her to go to the same school as her sister. He thought he would be ridiculed at the factory. As DHs dad was. DH’s family put up with it. Aunt’s family “knew their station” in life.