About school uniform?

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DD1 is off to Reception in September. The uniform list says a red jumper/cardigan with the school logo. The jumpers are £14 each and the cardis are £12 each and I really can't afford them with all the other things to get.

WIBBU to send her in a plain red jumper or cardigan ? Does it have to be the logoed one? I don't want her to get into trouble but I've even searched for second hand and can't find any yet have lots of plain red from nursery that still fit well.

Only you know whether it has to be uniform with the logo on

My DS's school offer logo tops (well you have to order online from M&S)

But they're not compulsory.

Schools are not supposed to select uniform such that paying for it deters a pupil from attending that school. It's looked on as selection by wealth and isn't allowed. You might get viewed as "That Parent" but if you can't afford it, then you can't afford it. My DCs school sells very expensive, crap quality logoed everything but we don't buy it, we send them in plain cheap tops, t-shirts etc. If the school want them in the logoed ones, they can pay for the damn things. I hate it when they do this, it makes parents with less money feel like shit every single year :(
And Mutt if only "choice" was so simple when it came to getting a school place

Haven't asked the school as it hasn't been open since we got the list. Will call when they open again. I've ordered the book bag, P.E bag etc from them but not the jumpers. I can buy them after term starts so I'm sure she can get away with it for two weeks but I don't want to waste money. All the schools I have ever known in the UK have a uniform policy.

Blimey £13 is expensive!!, we only pay £8 each for our dcs school sweatshirts.
I suppose the rules are the rules unfortunetly, sounds like a money making scheme especially if they don't have a second hand shop

I would use the logo free jumper until you can afford the logo ones

I don't know if it has to be a logoed one. I just assumed as that's what the uniform list says. I was asking for opinions from others who gave logged uniforms and have seen or sent their children in plain.

you can buy the logo and sew them on a cheaper jumper?

We don't have a rigid uniform policy in Scotland. Trousers are to be grey, white shirts, or white or yellow polo shirts. You can buy logo polos and sweatshirts if you want. I don't like them,so DS wears a real shirt and tie, trousers and a tank top/jumper in grey. He also has a navy blue cardigan and a grey Christmas cardigan he wears too!

If you can't afford it, I am sure red will do surely. Imagine of you had three DCs at the one school! It would cost loads!!!!

What does it say on the School website?

Do you know anyone with DC at the school already who you can ask?

I don't understand the post about "choosing a school with a uniform" All the local primary schools where I live have a uniform so one wouldn't have any choice at all. It drives me mad too, mainly because there is no way on earth that I would buy a 60% polyester polo shirt that bobbles and looks worn out after a few washes, unless I had to. I don't put them in the logo sweatshirt thing though, i just buy proper cardigans, that seems to be acceptable.
If it is an embroidered logo you may be able to get the place that does them to embroider the tops you already have, or sometimes you can buy the logo and sew it on. But frankly, would they send home a reception child for a missing logo, if she was in the school colours (and thus easy to pick out on walks etc) ? I can't imagine that they would.

It was my understanding that they can't say you have to wear loggo'ed uniform until Secondary school.

I know when mine were at Primary they could wear plain sweatshirts and cardi's, and the HT told me they could specify what type of shoes they had to wear (ie no trainers).

School uniform isn't compulsary. Didn;t you know that?!

In England primary school uniform is not complusery (sp) regardless of what the school may try and tell you ! Secondary school is. My kids wear royal blue jumpers from tesco rather than the school suppliers ones .

Why would you want your Dd to look different to the other children? At that age embryo wants to fit it. Can't you buy a logo'd cardi or jumper in a bigger size to make it last?

My kids school say the same thing but I always buy the plain ones because i have four kids in school and it would cost me £50 and they always get lost and never found again even if they have the names written in them.DD3 had the 3 logo cardigans and she lost all of them because she'd put them on the back of her chair and the teacher would just put them In lost property instead of looking for the name written inside and I was never able to find them

Reading my post back and it doesn't make sense sorry

Well we dint have primary or secondary schools here in my corner if the uk!

Wonder where we stand!

Our logo'd cards are £8 each they aren't much more expensive than the plain ones in the supermarket so we bought them and pinafore dressed with plain polos underneath so it will look like the proper uniform but without the logo. You can buy 5 plain polos for 1 logo'd one

At our primary there were always loads of children not in logo-ed stuff - in Reception, it's kind of notional anyway. Don't worry too much, I very much doubt she'll be the only one - there will also be parents who just don't 'like' logos, or object on principal, or do their own variations, I am sure.

Some rather harsh responses on here!

At my son's primary school lots of children have cardigans and jumpers without logos. My understanding is that, as others have said, uniforms are not compulsory at primary schools anyway. I certainly wouldn't worry about it at reception! I would check with the school if they sell second hand jumpers etc.

I only ever buy logo'd PE tshirts as they are of a good quality and last. The cardigans and jumpers are horrible IMO and very expensive at £14 a go at our school. Plus if it gets lost that's a lot of money gone.

The school uniform grant has also been discontinued so many children will be in plain uniform. I doubt many people who used to qualify can afford our school's prices. It's £7 for a polo shirt and £14 for a cardie never mind the skirt, trousers, shoes etc. It's ridiculous.

Luckily we do still have the school uniform grant here!