To send DS to school in uniform without logos?

[PurplePenguins]

We had a letter before the break saying the uniform was changing and the uniform was compulsory. Fair enough no problem with that. DS is in y1 so uniform gets ruined with paint etc. So I by from Tesco or Asda. Today I receive a letter saying the school uniform is compulsory and consists of:
A red jumper (with school logo)
Black trousers
White polo shirt

If I fail to comply with the school's uniform policy, I will be fined. I don't earn a fortune and DS2 and DS3 are in secondary school. For them the bare minimum (1 blazer, 2 pairs of trousers and 3 shirts each) costs £160. Add £7.50 for a logoed jumper that I can get in Asda for £3 works out a too much for my pocket. AIBU to not by logoed jumpers? ATBU to fine me for putting my child in a non logoed jumper so that I can feed him? (Yes money is that tight)

[converseandjeans]

Not relevant but logo jumper for my DS is £16!
Most schools should have some sort of hardship fund for this sort of thing. It sounds like you're just on the borderline - as some people get uniforms and school meals paid for if they don't have much spare cash.
I would write a nice letter/arrange to see head and explain it how you have on here - that you're juggling and just about staying afloat and you had to make the choice between food & the logo. They might be able to find some spare cash for you/order you a jumper in if they know how tight things are. Don't be embarrassed - it's really expensive to sort out school uniforms with all the shoes/PE kits etc.. I hope they don't fine you x

[PurplePenguins]

Sorry lost Internet.
Natasha. No its not a private school.
Cinderella. It's only £4.50 a jumper now but he's only in year 1 and prices go up every two sizes. He will need more than one jumper too.
Steamtrains. Yes a new head.
Walkingmonkey. I am struggling with that too.
Converse. Definitely worth a shot.

[worriedmother1929]

It's £7.50, which was less than my DC's uniform with logos on when they were in primary. Get one, when he goes up a price get a new one. Surely your DC in secondary don't require £160 uniform every month? Get one next month. It's unfair to your DS to be the odd one out, and you'll end up paying more in fines than you would if you just bought the jumper.

[LittleCandle]

Back when DD1 went to school, they insisted that she had to wear the school sweatshirt, which had a printed on logo (drawn very badly by some long-forgotten former pupil). I ignored them. She was not the only kid without the stupid sweatshirt. She wore school uniform, but it cost a fraction of what it would had I bought it through the school. There was also a polo shirt option with logo as well. I'm taking 20 years ago and the sweatshirt then was £10 for the first size. There was no talk of a fine - I doubt if that is legal. My child was not the only one who did not wear the expensive cheap sweatshirts and I doubt if your child will be either.

[kilmuir]

I would get one but I would complain about them sending a letter out when most people have bought for the new term.
How exactly will they fine you???

[DellaPorter]

Almost all primaries require logo'ed sweatshirts, and almost all children comply. The government (non statutory) guidance doesn't state 'ie from a supermarket' though it does strongly encourage generic items.

It's actually the expensive secondary uniforms that are causing your family the problem I think - can't really blame the primary. Ask if they have any second hand uniform.

[AnnPerkins]

If my son's school jumper cost over a tenner he would have just one and wear it every day to the end of the school year, no matter what condition it's in. If I can buy three from Sainsburys for a tenner he will still be looking smart by next Summer.

I made this point when I was a parent governor and we were discussing new uniform policy. We agreed it should always be possible to stay within the rules for the least cost.

[HanYOLO]

They cannot fine you.

He only needs one jumper, so buy it when you can afford it (whenever that is). Keep the non logo'd ones for back up.

When did they tell you about the change? They need to give a couple of terms notice. If they haven't - even if they have - go and tell the head/put in writing that you bought the jumper before you were aware of the new rules and that you will purchase when able, and that you cannot afford it now. In the meantime he will wear the plain one.

Our school did same but insisted on shirts and ties AND logo'd jumper (cost £20). But we had a years notice and the parents staged a rebellion at the cost which is now reduced by a few quid by selling from the school direct. I hate it, it's all a vanity/PR exercise on the part of the head IMO. So £7.50 seems quite reasonable.

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

Agree they can't fine you. So whatever you do, don't pay that if they try.

TBH I'd just ignore for now. If you can't afford it, you can't afford it. There's not much the school should actually do about it.

I'd regard this as a bit of a red flag from a new HT though. Suspect there might be quite a lot of pointless missives to follow.

[sportinguista]

I bought one logoed sweatshirt in year R. It washed badly, looked horrible and DS said it made him sweat and feel hot. After that I bought some from John Lewis, nice cotton, washed well and the sizes were generous so I got 2 years wear out of them.

This year I've bought all generic uniform, ie. charcoal trousers and white shirts (instead of blue) as we are moving mid year so I don't want to buy anything that won't be useable. We are in a deprived area at the moment so kids often turn up with non uniform items. No one is sent home they just periodically put out reminders and there are second hand uniform items on sale.

[Afreshstartplease]

I would buy a logoed polo shirt if it could be a better colour than bloody white! White polos drive me insane with small DC!

Our school does a logo sweater or cardi for £11. But it's not compulsory. They are currently still as happy for DC to wear plain items of the correct colour

This year my boys haven't grown enough to go up a size so I've just bought one logo sweater each, and then they each have two from last year. TBH they are in pretty good condition as both boys dislike wearing jumpers so will take them off at any point they can!

When my dd starts next year I think I'll get a couple of plain cardis and maybe one logo one.

[ReadySteadyNap]

I'm not buying uniform with logos either, everything is coming from a supermarket as I'm in the same predicament.

It would cost £200 for me to fully kit out my 2 DC with logo uniform for school when it's a fraction of the cost to buy from the supermarket I cannot justify the cost of that and simply cannot afford it.

I've seen many Facebook pictures of other school children going in without logos on their tops so I'm not worried at all.

[chibsortig]

In our primary the logo is optional for polo shirts and jumpers/cardigans. My daughter doesnt like long sleeves so we dont buy the jumper/cardigan and she just wears the white polo shirt. Is it an option to perhaps not send him with a jumper until you can afford it when the weather gets colder?
Some of the girls here have started back in school gingham dresses as the weathers not turned cold yet.

[insertcoolusernamehere]

As a primary teacher I can't say I'm overly bothered about uniform rules. I have never been in a school that insists on logoed uniform or heard of kids picking on each other for not wearing a logoed jumper personally I'm happy as long as a uniform effort has been made. I really think some of these schools with draconian uniform rules need to relax and focus on learning and teaching not clothes!

[t4nut]

Oh for goodness sakes - if you are given adequate notice just buy the uniform you're told to buy!

As for an embroidered patch to sew on, they'll cost you 3-4 pounds so its usually cheaper to buy the logo'd item normally sourced from a decent quality supplier ie not supermarket crap that falls apart in weeks.

[Duckyneedsaclean]

Ds is in year 1 & has to wear logoed jumpers, for 17 pounds each! Seventeen!

[catkind]

t4nut, surely a letter on the first day of term is not adequate notice?

[imwithspud]

YANBU, it's the start of a new term, you've bought all his uniform now and they can't expect you to fork out more for the sake of a logo. I didn't think they could insist on expensive logo'd items anyway?

Dd1 starts nursery next week and I've bought one logo jumper and one logo cardigan, that alone cost £23! If I'd bought everything logo'd it would have cost me a small fortune.

If schools want pupils to wear their logo then they should make it more affordable for parents.

[bonzo77]

Logo sweatshirts £12.95. Logo polos £8.50 here. I get it all second hand. It's looks rubbish, would be far smarter in new stuff from Tesco.

[t4nut]

Day 1 of term would not be considered reasonable for notification, and reasonably approach should be 'at point of replacement'.

Interested how you think the school 'should make it more affordable' imwithspud? Its not the school producing the items, they go out to competitive suppliers who produce quality items. Yes you can pick up stuff in lidl and asda for a couple of quid, and you'll be buying it again at half term.

[LotisBlue]

I remember a few 25 years ago my mum had the same argument with my secondary school when they first introduced jumpers with the school logo. She refused to buy one and I just had to wear a plain blue jumper. I wasn't the only one, and the plain jumpers were seen as 'cooler' than the logo ones!

[imwithspud]

Well for a start t4 they could sell sew on badges for rather than entire items of clothing.

Or alternatively they could just not insist on logo'd school wear at all. It's unnecessary.

[MatildaTheCat]

OP clearly states she received the letter before the school broke up.

I would focus on asking the school to confirm that they will only be using art materials which will wash off. Using paints and glues which stain is completely out of order. Then I would buy one of each and use for a term to compare the reletive quality of each. Ime the supermarket equivalents were poor quality, especially the polo shirts.

Thanks for the thread though, I laughed out loud at the suggestion you should make a stencil and embroider the logo yourself.

[imwithspud]

And I don't know what supermarket you've bought uniform from but most of my dd's is from Sainsbury's/Asda and when I've compared the logo jumper to the plain supermarket counterpart the difference in quality is minimal. Supermarket uniform is perfectly adequate for purpose.