school uniform

[maxpower]

DD started school in Jan. Last week, we were told they've decided to introduce a new school uniform, compulsory from September.

AIBU about the following?

1. They want us to replace the PE bags (only bought in Jan!) - current ones are plain green, they want one with the school logo on it. £7 wasted and lets face it, the children are only seen outside the school with their PE bags on the way in and out at the beginning/end of terms. Wouldn't it be more reasonable to allow the children who currently attend to keep their plain green ones and introduce the branded ones for the new pupils?

1. They are replacing the jumpers/cardigans with ones with the school logo on. But you can only order them through the school once a week. We've been told they won't accept returns. They can't guarantee they'll have all the sizes in stock and available, plus the children are in class when the uniform is being sold, so they can't try them before you buy/order. So if (in good faith) you buy the one you think will be the right size and it doesn't fit, that's £10 down the drain. Shouldn't they allow returns/exchanges if you leave the label on & keep the receipt? I would ahve thought this would fall under distance selling rules if you have to buy something without actually being able to see it beforehand.

They are selling without you seeing it and as such the goods come under the dictates of the distance selling regulations, you might want to point that out to the school.

So if it doesn't fit they HAVE to by LAW allow you to change it.

that's what I thought Fabby!

Oh and p.o. to the gym bags. School supply them or allow existing to continue.

Yeah agree about the Gym bags thats nuts.

Is this a private school? I don't think State schools can enforce uniform for Primary pupils. Most schools have a transition while children wear out old items of uniform.
Even in My DS' secondary when they changed the design of the sweatshirts they introduced them from Year 7. Older children kept the original design until they were replaced.
They should have samples for parents to try on their children.
You need to organise a mass protest!

DS's primary school tried this kind of uniform change. Eventually so many parents complained that the new uniform was only introduced for new pupils and those already there carried on with the old. It was only a matter of changing trousers from black to grey and polo shirts to school shirts but still, it was felt to be unfair on those who had uniforms already.

With the cardis/jumpers, the school should have an example of each size on display.

Yanbu, that would piss me right off and I would def not go along with it, what are they going to do?! Just say you can't afford it (in my case that would be true) and let them moan if they want to!!

This happened to my DD1 and DS when infant and junior schools merged. However all children currently at school got new bookbag, and we were given option to buy sew on school badges for existing jumpers etc so only had to buy new when they had outgrown old

Also with the jumpers Ive found with my DS's school jumpers the size to be silly. They go by inches, fair enough and we started at the bottom when he first started and moved up as he grew out of them. However the ones he's wearing now say ages 9 - 10 in it. He's 6 and in size 7-8 clothes elsewhere (he's tall). So Id be worried about that if the sizes are in ages.

Thinking abkout it when we changed the design of our school jumpers the old ones were still turning up as handmedowns about 10 years later

It is a state school. I've decided I'm going to ignore the PE bag - tbh I can't imagine the teachers will be checking on the first day of term! I'm going to raise the returns issue though.

The other problem I can foresee at the mo is that DD grows so bloody quickly, I daren't buy anything before the summer hols as she's likely to ahve grown out of it before Sept. I've not yet established if they're going to hold any uniform sales during the school hols. I bet they aren't.....

Can you not have the direct contact details for the supplier so you can buy as and when you require the items?

In theory the school should have one size of each item in the school office so people can try them on their children to get the right size.

if it's primary they can't make uniform compulsory

1. you are right, they are wrong - tell them

2. you are right again, they are wrong again - tell them

hth

All the school need to do is provide the measurements for each size of jumper...then people can work it out!! Stupid school.

activate

skinit - they size some of the items by chest measurement, others by age. DD is tall and skinny and always needs older sized clothes for the length. But sizing something by chest is no help to me at all!

fabby - even if they had them there, the children are in lessons when the office is open and the uniform sales take place so there's no opportunity for them to try them on anyway

grrrr

That is the most stupid thing I have heard. I work in a school office, of course you can change something if it doesn't fit they can't refuse. If they are only selling uniform during the day then every parent who wants to buy anything should ask for their child to be called out of class to try the item. They will SOON realise they are being unreasonable.

As for sizes our uniform is sold in inches (chest size) but we have worked out what size roughly fits what so 24" is 3 to 4, 26 is 5 to 6, 28 is 7 to 8, 30 is 8 to 9, 32 is 9 to 10, 34 to 10 to 11.

Primary or secondary?

Isn't there something somewhere saying that you can't force parents to only purchase from 1 place? taking away the right to shop around for the best price or something? I'm not sure where I read that, or even if its true. Would appreciate some clarification please ladies!

Our state secondary is introducing new uniform in sept but only for the year 7s so people don't have to ditch perfectly good uniform which is already bought. It will be phased in year by year. this seems much more sensible to me.

In my dd's school the office has a sample jumper in each size to try on and see, could you suggest something like that?

Yep, monopolies looked at it and agreed unfair. Take this up with head and governors. And uniform is unenforcable at any age. A child cannot be excluded from his/her education because of what they're wearing (or not wearing).

TBH I would moan like mad if they told me I had to buy £10 jumpersand £7 PE Bags. Much more expensive than supermarket prices. School are using this to make money which I think is morally wrong and not a very inclusive policy.

Get a group of you and make an appointment with the Head. If no one will buy their overpriced, wrongly sized items they will have to think again.

I'd be annoyed - I get uniform with the expectation that (surviving) items are handed on to younger siblings. There should be a much longer phasing in period, and the option of sew-on badges.

agree with all of you, you wise, wise mnetters!

In law, the school cannot enforce this. They HAVE to make the 'uniform' available at more than one outlet and not just available through the school. They have to have the uniform available at a reasonable price and not choose something that is expensive or would exclude a child from wearing it because of cost. Further, they CANNOT make a profit on the sale of uniform - this is unlawful, not just morally wrong. Also, wearing the uniform is not compulsory. Neither is making you have a specific kind of bag for PE - that is ridiculous. You are allowed to purchase the individual items of the uniform without the school logo on it, so that it makes it easily accessible for you (ie at a supermarket or other high st retailer who won't have the school logo available).

The school should have also widely consulted parents about the change of uniform and this should have been overseen by the school governors. The opinions of the parents and the children should have been taken into account. They should also make allowance for any special needs/medical conditions that would prevent some pupils from wearing the uniform.

If a consultation or survey wasn't carried out then you have every right to complain to the school governors. The school cannot make you buy the uniform from them and if they are imposing this on you then you should definitely complain in writing asap.

All these facts are clearly laid out on the Govt. website for schools - I have fought this very argument myself (and won) with a state primary school.