Affording school uniform.

[Livinginanox]

Hi I have read on line a few times that. Something may be done to stop uniforms being so expensive. It was to do with the school logos only being able to get it from certain shops. And about help that lower income families can get .

So I would come under the category of being able to get some help with school uniform. So I went into my council website. In the past you would fill in a form on the council website that that was it.

Now it Says to contact the school your child will be attending. Straight away I thought there is no way I'm calling the school. And telling them I can't afford my child's uniform. It's embarrassing and downgrading. In my case I will be fine and will manage to sort it. But there will be familys that can't and I think its awful that they would have to call the school and explain they can't afford their child's uniform.

I don't even know why I'm posting. I just think it's horrible

Every day I’m grateful to live in Scotland when I read threads like this! We have school uniform help available in the form of grants but also the whole mandatory logo’d PE kit/Uniform etc just isn’t a thing outside of blazers and ties at non-private schools

Please don't assume there won't be any discount available at a shop that sells all uniforms. My sons secondary school offered £75 credit at a local shop as I'm on a low income. I emailed and just asked what support was available for uniforms and trips and they were brilliant. They emailed the shop with my details and we just went in and got what was needed, they deducted the £75 and sorted it with school. I also work in a primary there is absolutely no judgement, schools might not shout about what's on offer but they absolutely will help you, judgement free, if you need it.

@drpet49

* It's embarrassing and downgrading. Imagine phoning a school you do not really know and say hi my child will be starting year 7 in September. I can't afford the uniform can you help me?*

^If it meant my child receiving a school uniform I couldn’t care less what people thought of me. Your attitude is strange

It’s not strange at all, my mum was a low earner and hated having to ask for help for my school stuff when I was little. She felt ashamed that she couldn’t afford everything my friends had. She absolutely didn’t need to feel that way, she got no help from my father and she worked so hard, but she still felt horrible doing it. Is that really so hard for you to understand?

@Throwitthen

Please don't assume there won't be any discount available at a shop that sells all uniforms. My sons secondary school offered £75 credit at a local shop as I'm on a low income. I emailed and just asked what support was available for uniforms and trips and they were brilliant. They emailed the shop with my details and we just went in and got what was needed, they deducted the £75 and sorted it with school. I also work in a primary there is absolutely no judgement, schools might not shout about what's on offer but they absolutely will help you, judgement free, if you need it.

You know what I'm going to email

When my daughter left school they asked if we had any items we could donate such as blazers and (very expensive) logoed PE kits. My dd's stuff was in good condition so I was happy to do it, and this obviously means they have some way to pass them on, so it's worth asking.

Absolutely email! I work in a secondary school and we have lots of things in place, and like pp have said, no one will bat an eye lid.
Have you checked any local Facebook groups? Lots of posts around me (and I live in a very affluent area) about blazers etc that their children have outgrown. Much better for it to be reused than chucked into landfill.

@mariomushroom
Agree with you.
The number of posters who have said it’s ridiculous to be embarrassed about asking for help but then quickly and desperately clarifying that they could afford uniform themselves, because god forbid strangers over the internet think they’re poor! 🙄

I agree with you completely OP.

There is no reason secondary uniforms need to be expensive. A stitch-on or iron-on crest that can be applied to supermarket uniform would be perfectly neat and smart, and everyone could afford it.

Suggesting that families should swallow their pride and call the school to reveal details of their financial situation that most people prefer not to discuss misses the point that having an expensive uniform is unnecessary and places stress on families for no benefit whatsoever.

My kids secondary ask parents who need help to contact the headmaster confidentially to request financial aid. Ours can be emailed which might spare embarrassment.

It’s so varied between schools too. My DC’s primary school jumpers/cardigans cost from £9 up to £11 depending on size, and I buy cotton polo shirts and trousers from wherever I happen to be when I need them (usually Morrisons or Asda). The PE kit is logo-ed too but excellent quality and with a generous cut, so DS’ kit is just heading with him into Y3, having been purchased when he started reception.

My friend’s DD is in a primary school where ONE single jumper costs £24 and they have ties to buy too. That’s just so expensive.

@YerAWizardHarry

Every day I’m grateful to live in Scotland when I read threads like this! We have school uniform help available in the form of grants but also the whole mandatory logo’d PE kit/Uniform etc just isn’t a thing outside of blazers and ties at non-private schools

I was just going to say the same. I had no idea the extent of this, it’s awful! Logo’d PE kit ! And having to put names on is even worse as they can’t be handed on, incredibly wasteful if nothing else.

I totally agree. It doesn't seem like the bill that was passed in parliament has achieved much?

DD's new school requires branded only cardigans (£13 each and you can't just buy one can you!), branded book bag £10, branded pe bag £10, branded pe top £13, branded pe hoody £18, branded pe skort £15 ... This is a junior school, she's 7! I think it's ridiculous.
I could buy a full week's worth of uniform top to bottom from Asda for the same price as 3 branded cardigans.

That’s really great you’ve decided to email the school.

My dd has just finished 2 years of secondary. I just wanted to say from a child POV, children, who have free school meals in my experience really aren’t stigmatised in the same way they were when I was a child. Children tend to find out eventually who has a more or less luxurious lifestyle. But as you know, no one knows who has fsm and when one of dd’s friends mentioned she has fsm, no one batted an eyelid. Dd thinks it’s all normal. I think you’ll find all round there is a lot less judgment around these days thankfully.

@YerAWizardHarry

Every day I’m grateful to live in Scotland when I read threads like this! We have school uniform help available in the form of grants but also the whole mandatory logo’d PE kit/Uniform etc just isn’t a thing outside of blazers and ties at non-private schools

I’m in Scotland and we have logos on a lot of things- pe kits, cardigans, etc inter jackets etc. That’s just for primary. I work in a secondary school and we have this too- more so since covid! Even logos on masks!

@BlatantlyNameChanged

It can be stupidly expensive.

Two of my DC go to a middle school which only sells the logo'd uniform sweatshirts and PE tops via a supplier. All of then have to have the child's name embroidered underneath the school badge which the uniform supplier charge extra for even though the school requires it to be done.

For six jumpers (three apiece) it was £102 plus £12 for names (£2 per jumper).

PE tshirts were £8 each (bought one each) and PE sweatshirts were £17 each (also bought one each) plus another £2 per item for names.

One child has to have the school rugby top (£23) as part of their PE kit and the other needs the PE hoodie (£18), again £2 an items for names. Both need school logo'd football/sports socks which are £6 a pair.

Ties were £5 apiece.

Total spend £239 (and £6.99 p&p) before I've ever bought shirts, trousers/skirts, shorts, shoes, trainers, etc. and this is a normal local authority controlled school.

My other two DC go to a first school where uniform is optional although most children choose to wear it. All items can be obtained from supermarkets and the optional logo'd jumper (which most don't bother with) can be bought direct from the school office. They also have secondhand items for sale and a uniform swap-shop where you can trade outgrown/unworn/no longer needed items for the bits you do need.

So with the extra plain shirts/trousers and what not what is the likely total?

So our secondary's has lots of second hand uniform.
We've sold it at the Y6 taster days and summer school for new starters, new starter evenings etc.
It was selling like hot cakes.

You won't get labelled for asking.

We can afford the uniform prices for our two girls but I still get secondhand where I can.
There is no shame in asking - really there isn't.

When we looked at schools in y5 we realised the cost was going to be around £300-400 for everything so started a savings pot just for uniform and bits.

@Michellexxx is it mandatory though? I’m a primary school teacher and we can’t even dictate that the kids actually wear basic uniform. Our stance is that it’s better for a child to turn up in tracksuit bottoms than not turn up at all

Shirts, trousers, etc I get from the supermarket so roughly £12 for a pack of 3 long sleeve shirts x2, £12 for two pairs of trousers/two pack of skirts (usually get two packs each so they have enough for the week), PE shorts are roughly £6-£7 a pair so trousers, shirts, and shorts come in at around £86.

Younger two DC have a pack of polo shirts each (around £8 for 3-4 shirts), two packs of trousers/skirts each which are around £10 a pack for the smaller sizes, and 2-3 jumpers/cardigans each in school colours, around £4 per item. They can wear whatever they want for PE so take joggers or leggings and a t-shirt from their normal clothes with no need for me to buy anything specifically for it. Their uniform will be roughly £80 total.

Shoes are our biggest expense. Shoes x4, trainers x4, wellies x4, and a pair of football boots comes in at around £200-£300 depending on sizes (bigger sizes cost more) and whats in stock and that's from the Clarks outlet which is cheaper than the high street branches. Cheaper shoes don't last as long as my DC are hard on their footwear, DS in particular needs the ones with the big rubber bumper across the toe or else they're destroyed within a week. If all four have outgrown their shoes (which is always the case, I'm sure they collaborate on it) then they need out of school shoes as well as school shoes which can easily bump the price up to £400-£500.

Forgot to add it up.

Clothing alone - approx £405 (I don't include coats and bags in the total as I don't buy new coats and bags for September, we spend a lot of time outdoors so they each have a decent coat and backpack year round that gets replaced as/when needed)

Clothing and shoes - £600-£800, depending on exact shoe needs.

[quote YerAWizardHarry]@Michellexxx is it mandatory though? I’m a primary school teacher and we can’t even dictate that the kids actually wear basic uniform. Our stance is that it’s better for a child to turn up in tracksuit bottoms than not turn up at all[/quote]
I done this before with my son. Typical teen thing . At 7am mum my shoes are split . I had to send him with a note just said please excuse ds from wearing trainers for the next day or so as he's shoes are broken and I can't replace for a couple if days. Said if this causes any issues please send him home .

The cost of uniform is ridiculous.

My daughter is at an indie so most parents are pretty high earners. Nonetheless most people I know get at least some uniform from the pta run second hand shop. We certainly do. It's better for environment as well as our bank balances. The kids spent most of the past year in PE kit due to COVID, so I bet there will be lots of barely worn stuff on offer. We will buy some stuff new but top up from the pta shop.

DC's school will provide PP children with a blazer, tie, trousers/skirt, PE top and PE shorts. But they don't necessarily advertise that they do this. So definitely worth asking.

Other than that, there is always loads of uniform offered on local Facebook - most parents just want to declutter it out of their house and don't care about who it goes to or why they want it.

And to add that secondary school uniform is not necessarily that well worn. Boys in particular have massive growth spurts and can grow out of uniform in a term.

Our secondary which appears to be in the minority only requires a blazer (£25) and PE kit (£28) to have logos.
The rest I buy from Asda luckily. Black trousers x 4 (£24), white shirts x 6 (£16.50)
Oh and school tie (£4) from school
Even shoes they ask that we buy plain black none branded shoes in certain styles.
DS likes Next ones as he has quite flat feet but finds them comfortable. Think they were £30.

In comparison my best friend's son attends a school literally 5 miles away and spends approx £300 for his.

Posted too early..
Keep an eye on Facebook Pages locally and for the school.
A lot of parents have given away sets of uniform near us hardly worn due to Covid.
Also a lot of schools have a PTA who take donations of clothes (our local primary even include fancy dress) and you just send a message privately to request what you need.