To wonder if any other Secondary School does this?

[RhinoKey]

Have received all the details of the Secondary School that we hope DS will attend.

In the prospectus is a uniform list. Not just a bog standard list I expected, but much more specific - listing the shops that are acceptable to buy from, and even the actual trousers that can be purchased (with item codes).

Last night we went to the open evening and we were told firmly that only these pairs of trousers would be accepted. Also the Head said that the school had the toughest uniform he had come across and he was very proud of it.

AIBU to think that telling me which trousers I can buy for my DS (beyond colour) is a bit much??

Hunty - the school have a specific pair in mind, which are £13 a pair. If they just said 'any from M&S' I wouldnt mind, as that is where I buy ours from, but cheaper versions (I normally get a pack of 2). It has to be that specific pair.

I know it does seem a bit dare i say "militant" but they have given you 3 choices and M&S trousers are v good quality.

DD's skirts are at least £15 each, and actually we have a problem as the smallest waist size do not come up long enough. They are not M and S either.

Looks like I better start saving then.

All the trousers chosen are wool mix. Will they be hot in the summer?

My friend's dd's school insist on a particular blazer that costs over £100 (not a state school btw). So, everyone buys their DCs huge ones at the start of year 7 to last.

They look really smart come Y10

I suppose it's good for the environment though.

£13 isn't a huge amount, but considering M&S also do two packs for a similar size (same style but less nice fabric and no zippered pockets) they really ought to consider those as an option too.

As long as schools specify a cheapo option it makes sense to stipulate the actual products they'll allow, although I maintain that uniform is stupid.

£13 is quite alot for us, along with all the other costs, and he will need a couple of pairs.

DS's two PE shirts have to be bought from a specific supplier. The rest of the PE kit can be bought from the same place (expensive), or from anywhere else, if it is roughly the right colour. Other than that they have no uniform, and I'm very happy about that. Works out a lot cheaper.

I do sympathise, Rhino. Hopefully by the time my own ds starts secondary next year he'll have grown out of getting quite so muddy - he needs a clean pair of trousers every blasted day!

It might be worth drawing their attnetion to the two-pack trousers though as they're so similar - I doubt anyone would notice unless they were checking the pockets for zips.

I wonder if schools that are opting out of LA control can set their own rules? Does seem like more and more schools want a specific pair of trousers or skirt and a specific blouse as opposed to the asda generic range. personally in favour of uniform but it has to be the governers who vote/decide on this. perhaps all mn's need to send a priced shopping list for their dd/ds's to the head of governors so that they know what this means in practice. Just sat and totted up what i spend in a year on my 3 and it is staggering.

OP you are not being unreasonable. I hate uniform. I especially hate paying over the odds when I really can't afford it for uniform. I am dreading DS going to secondary school. There is only one local comprehensive. The next nearest school is 13 miles away on country roads. They recently became an acadamy and changed the uniform from a generic navy trousers/skirt and navy school jumper, with a white shirt and school tie, most of which could be bought from tesco, to a really expensive red and white pinstripe shirt, really expensive black jumper with badge, and black trousers, all of which can only be bought from one supplier in town or one specific online provider.

Schools are specifically not allowed to their uniform prohibitively expensive- this is to stop them "selectingout" people who can't afford it.

Actually, I suppose I could just refuse to buy the uniform and then the council would have to pay for his travel costs to the next school when he got excluded. However, that wouldn't really be fair on him, would it?

Depends what is deemed "prohibitively expensive" though. To a head on £100k p/a £20 for one shirt probably seems reasonable. To a LP on £10k it certainly isn't!

Well the school has a catchment area that includes an affluent area and an area where child poverty and unemployment is high. I do think they should have a cheaper option.

Do they go round looking at the labels on the trousers? I would have thought most of the time you could get away with cheaper pairs that look the same.

Maybe buy one pair from M&S for PE days and a cheaper pairs for the rest of the time.

DS school has a strict uniform policy and its enforced. Though the LA also gives a £100 grant for those on a low income, which covers most of it.

There's a school near me that has compulsory embroidered polo shirts and sweatshirts. Each year group has a different colour (fixed for each year) so each child needs a new colour each September. The skirt used to be plain black, but is now a specific pleated tartan one - presumably to stop the tiny skirts they were wearing. I've always wondered how this fits with being accessible to all incomes. I know someone with triplets who was put off by the cost of all the uniform.

Interesting here. I have 1 dd and 1 ds left at school. The go to selective single sex state schools ( a boys school and a girls school on the same site).

Boys uniform all can be " generic" apart from some sports kit and the blazer badge - which I get and sew on an M&S blazer. Easy and cheap. event the jumper can be crested but can be just navy/ black.

The girls have prescribed skirts and trousers, from the specified supplier, the shirts are very specific ( 3/4 sleeve v neck- that apparently wasn't specific enough so for 2yrs they have had the school logo on the lapel as well and so cost £11-14!). Crested sweat shirts and even specified from our supplier, blazer this year ( new non compulsory item). Sports kit all from the sillier including a crested light blue sweat shirt that never gets worn!!

So £££ in the uniform shop for dd and £ in m&s for ds.

BUT. .... Dd is into the 2nd year of this set of uniform and ds has all his in shreds before a year is out- even a blazer lasts 2 terms on average- bots v girls- probably ?? Quality though

That is incredibly sneaky, is it a state school.?

My DN's PE kit, one set cost £45, the main uniform cost several hundred.

I don't think you are being unreasonable and I am a fan of uniform. When the cheaper trousers are almost identical then they should be on the allowed list.

They are not allowed to specify suppliers, only colours and styles. It is against the law, I believe.

Is it. That is interesting. It is an Acedemy so I wonder if thats how they get round it.

YANBU I would be furious, my ds is a tall thin boy and I can't get him trousers from most shops as he has to have ones with adjustable waists. Unfortunately most shops stop the adjustable waists at 10 or 11! Our local uniform shop thought I was mad over the summer when I asked how come they thought kids got fat at 10. As ds stood there with the age 14, and so the right length trouser round his ankles there was room in the trousers for two of him. If kids are pushing the boundary on the types of trousers skirts etc then it's up to school to enforce the right uniform. But NOT by telling you where to buy clothes from.

At my school (state grammar) you could only buy the uniform from the school shop. It was ridiculously expensive. Kids with parents on low incomes did get grants to help, but those on middle incomes were shelling out loads.

Although, weirdly, the blazer wasn't included in this restriction, so my friend's mum bought her a blazer from somewhere else which was bright blue (school blazers and jumpers and kilts were navy). I would've thought a blazer would be something they would insist on seeing as it had the school badge on it (and they had all sorts of silly rules about having to ask a teacher to take your blazer or jumper off and only being allowed to have your blazer, jumper and shirt on, or your blazer and shirt, or your shirt but NEVER your jumper and shirt), but apparently not.

I love how unpractical a shirt and tie is. FGS why dress children in such clothes, it's not like they are going to work in an office! Yes they look smart but it must feel restrictive and uncomfortable. Surely an aertex top would be more practical?