to think £92 for PE kit is extortionate?!?!

[seeitoldyou]

My DD will be starting at a top grammar school in Sept. Up until now she has been at a below average state primary (which just got slated by ofsted). I am giving you this background to emphasise just how unfair it is that the parents of intelligent kids from poor or normal (us- 2 parents working, own home) backgrounds are essentially penalised for wanting our children to attend a grammar school. We, as a family, are so pleased for DD to attend this school as I think it will be the right place for her. But I can't help but feel annoyed that the school is charging so much for essential items. By the way, I have checked if I can buy some of the kit elsewhere and have been informed that I cannot as all the kit has the school logo on it! Don't even get me started on the actual school uniform........

We have found a place who put school logos on cheaper items. Not sure if they can do it for all the schools.

They do our senior school and it costs £3 per logo. The school tops are £30 from the school. My friends get a cheaper black jumper and they put the logo on and it costs about £15 all in.

They dont do out primary, but do the other 3 and all the primarys in there borough.

The thing that gets me is the schools quality is generally so poor. When DD started prep aged 3 we nearly fainted at £80 for a blazer but that blazer is on it's 8th child, not kidding.
The PE stuff, summer dresses, black skirts, all £40 a piece are falling apart after one summer. And that's what I would say if ever challenged about it.

*seniors

A rather odd randomly chosen example mindthegapp.

My point was that although I do not like socially exclusive education I accept that it exists. I do object as a tax payer to funding schools that create a series of hurdles to exclude those who are in the most need of a decent education. If we could find a way of creating grammar schools that genuinely lift poor bright kids, as I once was, out of poverty I may be interested.

I agree the comp system is not perfect and that we have selection by house price, which would have been a much more powerful randomly chosen example. However at least schools do not set the local house prices. they do set exams which require coaching, they do set the need for expensive uniform.

LynetteScavo

If either of your younger children are girls could you get away with plain shirts if she/they were to wear them under a pinafore instead of with a skirt?

All children are 'in need of a decent education', so how can some be more in need than others?

Just added up cost of DS PE kit for local comp - comes to £38 for shorts, polo shirt, reversible rugby shirt and rugby socks - all with logo. Needs Football boots plus shin pads on top of that (approx another £25). Girls PE kit was £45 as they need sweatshirt too. I bought polo shirt & rugby shirt on large size at start of yr 7 and DS is just at stage where he will need new ones for next term (will be starting in yr 10) so I think I had my moneys worth.
Its the football boots I begrudge buying as DS will only have PE once a week from next term and will not have football every term. Growing at the rate he is that means he may only wear them 6 times before he has grown out of them - as he detests football and never plays outside of school.

Linerunner some children are in more need of an education because that is their only hope in life. I was lucky that I had one or two good teachers who looked out for and nurtured me and for that reason I am not a drug addict with a few random children and a series of abusive partners destined for a life in poverty.

If I was dumped in a failing school i would have repeated the errors of my parents. My dd could cope and indeed has coped in failing schools because she has educated interested parents who have the expertise, education and contacts to fill in the gaps.

That is not to say that she does not deserve a good education - because she does. It also does not mean that she does not need a good education, because she does but she could cope much better with a "satisfactory" school than other children without her advantages.

That's one hell of a risk though Pearls, are you really prepared to take that chance because the gaps in the actual education aren't what you are up against it's the values and the expectations of who ever she falls in with, especially towards the options/GCSE years.

bloody hell!!! YANBU. That's extortionate.
What about the environment as well - what's going to happen to all these embroidered tops that can't be passed down - in the bin when they're outgrown? Immoral. Maybe a letter to the governors expressing environmental as well as monetary concerns?
Stand your ground, be reasonable and truthful - you've got a HUGE case for change. I went to a grammar (A LONG TIME AGO) wearing ancient second hand clothes - my blimmin PE kit even consisted of a pair of my mums cut down long-johns (I did get her to buy me the 'proper' ones eventually because the shame was too much) There were girls there much richer and much poorer than me. Brilliant education though despite the terrible brown PE knickers......

twinklypearls I agree with SkelleyBones it is far too big a risk to take with a bright DD at secondary school level. I have been like you- pretty laissez faire regarding the failing primary school and I haven't moved her out.

Despite not exactly being overjoyed at lack of challenge, we as parents are definitely engaged and have supported DD in every other way to keep that 'spark'. I would not want to risk her dumbing down or losing interest or motivation to achieve. Far too much peer pressure on girls these days to be a certain way and have certain interests. I know that at this grammar she will not be teased for being good in maths and science.

DD has been called a 'freak' and a 'geek' far too many times in primary. Who is to say that the same kids moving on the the local comp will not carry on in that vein? Why shouldn't kids like my DD go to a school where hopefully they are on a level playing field and do not have to be ashamed of their abilities?

She is no longer at the failing school , being interested parents with financial security we were able to move into the catchment of a better school and an even better secondary school. That is part of my point, there are lots of children who like my daughter have parents who will go out of their way to secure the best for them. My daughter is lucky that she has inherited my brains and determinism, coupled with a pair of devoted parents she is going to be a force to be reckoned with .

I never had any of that , I went to an ok school but that was by chance rather than design. If I had started at a failing school my parents would not have moved me and I doubt they would have even noticed. I had every ounce of confidence beaten out of me, I had to work to pay my way from my teens and so had very poor attendance. I went to school tired and hungry and was certain that my way out of a dire situation was to have kids as quickly as possible to claim benefits. I often did homework in the middle of the night as there was no where for me to work and I had no time as I was expected to work and run the home. Compare this to my daughter who has her own reference library at home, a clear space to work , access to a village library, a secondary school library and lots of teacher friends who treat her as a surrogate daughter.

I was often home alone cooking and cleaning, waiting for a parent to drift in. From about the age of seven I was a latch key child. My dp and I are so devoted to our daughter and her education that my partner works part time so he can drop her off, pick her up, attend every concert or event as well as volunteering at school.

My only chance of success came from school , my daughter has a wealth of support and therefore is not critically reliant on her school.

My dd will be going to a comp which is infinitely better than the grammar. I have not taken risks with her. I am , however, aware that there are children who need the standard of education she will receive much more than her.

However when she was teased and hit at a previous school for being clever and hardworking she was remarkably good at handling it because we had given her such a great start in life and an inner confidence. However as loving parents with the means we moved her away the school and she is now much happier.

Is there nothing but entrenched prejudice on here? Does the real world never kick in?

Seven kids at grammar, uniform and sports kit as cheap as the local comps, fewer glam residentials, what is it that you lot don't get?

No 'social cleansing' here. If you're bright you get in; if you get in, there won't be a problem with uniform or sports kit. The school knows about financial pressure and wants to get the best kids in.

Why is there so much denial?

You are very fortunate . Living in the real world of our local grammars gives a different experience.

I believe that no student should be priced out of an education, or feel a lesser person because they can not afford ALL the gear - the cost of uniform is just the start, but also the cost once they are in the school - school trips, cooking ingredients. ( my dd ) who has just left school - for GCSE had to make the same cheesecake about 10 times - each time costing me about £7 extra a week - it was the most expensive cheesecake in the WORLD ! By the way - Do not feel that you have to buy everything on the school list - my dd lost most of her sports stuff as did most of her friends, they just put on whatever was in the locker room - the hockey stick got used for one season - then it never came out of her locker for 5 years ! I wish I hadn't spent money on half the stuff I was told to buy - really they do not use alot of it.

Then the cost when they are doing GCSE's - up to £40 for each module re take they want to do - and the teachers always want them to re take and of course you want your child to get the best grade. Then the leaving "hoodie" and the leavers book...the list goes on and on. I would say every week there was another letter home from school asking for more money...and then the nagging from dd to pay up.

So the school uniform is just the start - good luck to all who are just starting out on the journey.

Well I had to appeal to get ds into the best secondary I could in our shite area.

The uniform was well over £200, which doesn't include swim caps, shin pads, and all that rubbish. The blazer is embroidered with the badge and has piping around the edge...very smart but i'd much prefer a black blazer with a sew on badge like most schools around here. Six months into his attendance, some little bugger slashed his blazer with scissors which meant that I couldn't ever sell it on. Oh boy was I pissed off. His little sister started primary the same year so another 100 quid for her uniform.

It's not just grammar schools. Here in Essex the cost of PE kits for secondary schools is just as expensive

Jeez - not all comprehensives are failing sink school with feral kids you know op and I think your portrayal of them stinks tbh

No, maybe not, but in grammar school areas, there is nothing like a 'real' comprehensive, as the most academically able are selected by means of an exam (as well as some of the less able but very well coached/well-off)! I don't necessarily think the OP is condemning all comps.

If a school is charging you £40 per module of GCSE then they are massively over charging, I was charged about £4 for my sons one resit, and in the state system first sittings should be covered by the school. Admittedly at GCSE there are compulsory field trips, for which a contribution is usually asked for.

DD: Hoodie with embroidered name 19.00, shorts 6.00, Polo Tops two for 5.00, socks 6.50, track bottoms 6.00, leotard 18, pack of huge name tapes 8, trainers 25. Luckily we can buy the polos, shorts and trackies from anywhere as long as they are completely plain. My only gripe is the leotard which was compulsory and has never been worn. Selective state school.

DS: track suit 50, A team sweatshirt 25, rugy short x 2 16, socks x 4 26, rugby shirts 3 x 20 = 60, gumguard 15, rugby boots 39, skin 45, PE shorts 8, PE Polo 15, cricket trousers 2 x 20, cricket shirt 2 x 20, trainers 45, cricket spikes 45, cricket helmet 40. Don't get me started on bats, pads, gloves, etc. Independent boys.

Any one guess which one is sporty - DS's list doesn't include the stuff for the private rugby and cricket clubs!!

DD's uniform is the more expensive! DS's first set of cricket kit lasted 5 years.

it is extortionate but probably about par for the course at secondary school. Please don't buy all the stuff until you know what she actually needs - eg hockey socks, my dd has had them on uniform list for 3 years, dutifully bought and never ever worn, they don't even play hockey at her school! Ditto black tracksuit, when it is cold they dont go outside.... Buy secondhand, appeal on MN or in local shops etc for secondhand uniform, ask school for secondhand, explain how it will up their environmental image to be recycling clothing.

I've just spent £20 to buy a pe tshirt, pe bag and shorts for a 4 year old in reception he still needs tracksuit, trainers and plimsolls.

This is a bog standard PRIMARY school

If I bought everything on the PE uniform list for my 3 boys (state comp) it would cost a fortune.

I only buy the logoed polo shirt x 2 and the hoody. They should also have logoed tracksuit top, tracksuit bottoms and shorts but mine just have two pairs of cheap black tracky bottoms each. The PE staff don't mind as long as they have the basics. The school provide shirts for the rugby and football teams and most lads use their club kit for cricket. If they play tennis for the school they just turn up in plain white. Sports footwear is expensive.