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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To send DS to school in uniform without logos?

91 replies

PurplePenguins · 06/09/2016 20:29

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)

OP posts:
imwithspud · 07/09/2016 09:49

(That was in response to t4)

Bettytrain · 07/09/2016 09:53

If you've bought it then I would explain to teacher and receptionist, briefly that its bought, he's wearing it BUT you will go to school office to see if any Mums have any second hand uniform you can buy when it needs replacing. If they threaten fines then you might need to change tactics. You are struggling to buy school uniform, you have bought it, sent your children in with lovely clothes on please do not be embarrassed or worried.

whathehellhappened · 07/09/2016 09:57

My children go without logos. Difference is £10. I've saved myself £120 by not buying the school logos and that's only on sweaters. I wouldn't even consider buying a polo shirt with a logo.

My children do not get bullied because they are not wearing logos. Plus I've explained the reason why I don't buy them and they are delighted that we are saving money.

TeenAndTween · 07/09/2016 09:59

OP. Does your school /PTA not run a second hand uniform store? Our primary sells logo items for £1 each - some of them look hardly worn. You could make a massive saving over the 7 years that way.

If they don't, why not suggest it to the school?

DixieNormas · 07/09/2016 10:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

JudyCoolibar · 07/09/2016 10:09

The school has no power to fine parents if their children don't wear uniform. Introducing a new and unnecessarily expensive uniform after the start of term is all kinds of ridiculous. Write to the governors and tell them they are acting in breach of Department for Education guidance and you won't be paying any fines.

trafalgargal · 07/09/2016 10:14

It's an extra £4.50 if you genuinely can't afford the difference speak to the school about their hardship fund designed to assist those on low incomes. If things are that tight you'll probably qualify for free school meals too.

chunkymum1 · 07/09/2016 10:20

If I were you I'd buy the non logo items but write to the head teacher explaining why, and that other than that you will ensure that your DC comply with the uniform rules. I very much doubt you will hear any more about it but if you do it sounds like you have good grounds to complain to the Governors.

I cannot personally understand why all schools now include pre-logo'd items in the uniform. I don't remember any logo items when I was at primary school and in senior school the only logo was a badge that was bought separately and stitched on to your blazer. I'm sure this approach would be much more cost effective for parents. The usual explanation seems to be that if the children wear logo'd items they all have the same so it looks smarter (no slightly different styles/shades of a colour etc). However, my experience is that the logo items are poor quality so look a mess after a few weeks anyway. One of our local schools has recently changed uniform policy to get rid of logo items- there is a school tie that needs to be bought from school but everything else can be bought cheaply locally. I really wish my DC's school would follow suit.

IAmAPaleontologist · 07/09/2016 10:32

I have a good stash of jumpers with logos now because of hand me downs but in the past I've had a couple with logos and then supermarket ones for when logo ones are dirty. I sympathise, we have a new head and uniform went from socks being black, white, grey or red (girls often wore red tights in winter) to grey or white and trousers and skirts from black, grey or navy to just grey. So my carefully stashed pile of black trousers which would have meant not needing to buy any for ds2 for the next 2 years have had to go and I had to buy new. The brand new black trousers I'd bought ds1 after a growth spurt at the end of last school year have had to go and I've bought new again and the stash of smart black socks that I had just bought have been replaced too. To any I was cross was an understatement! Especially the socks ffs does it make that much difference if they are wearing black or grey socks?

t4nut · 07/09/2016 10:39

*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.*

Logo'd items are used increasingly to harmonise uniform and prevent battles about inappropriate items - more so at secondary level.

A sew on patch would cost 3-4 pounds.

JudyCoolibar · 07/09/2016 10:46

It always astonishes me that schools that insist on uniform rules are so ready to break the rather more important rules imposed on them by the government. Not a great example, really, is it?

imwithspud · 07/09/2016 12:01

Sorry but I don't believe for a second that logo'd items are necessary at any level. Many countries don't even have a school uniform and don't have half the problems that we seem to have over here regarding appropriate dress for school.

carefreeeee · 07/09/2016 12:16

The main countries that have uniform are

The UK

Ex colonies of the UK such as Australia

Developing countries where children are poor and without a uniform they would be turning up in rags, without shoes etc.

They manage without in US and Europe. Just seems a really pointless thing to fight about - why don't they just have a dress code - eg no branded items and no excessively exposed flesh?

GerdaLovesLili · 07/09/2016 12:22

We have one logo jumper and a couple of logo polo shirts that I bought in a local charity shop. Everything else is plain. The ones with logos get worn on school trips/ photos/ etc. Otherwise he wears the plain ones that I don't have to weep over the loss of.

GerdaLovesLili · 07/09/2016 12:25

Forgot to add : I do however have a sewing machine that cost more than my car, and once I find a properly high definition logo I will digitise it and sew the damn logo on everything including his underpants.

t4nut · 07/09/2016 12:35

They manage without in US and Europe. Just seems a really pointless thing to fight about - why don't they just have a dress code - eg no branded items and no excessively exposed flesh

Indeed they do - but they still have a dress code and still have the same issues over what is and isn't appropriate.

One uniform, single provider, no arguments over what is and isn't OK.

Minisoksmakehardwork · 07/09/2016 12:51

Dc's new jumpers were £14 for dd1 and £11 each for dc's 2-4. I feel your pain op. I have bought one each, school have supplied one each and anything else will be in without logo if I need to replace them. I wouldn't have minded ordinarily but with twins stating reception, I'd deliberately bought big last year for the older 2 so I was only buying 2 uniforms. I ended up having to buy shirts/tie on top of the new jumpers.

dylsmimi · 07/09/2016 12:57

Can you speak to the office about it?
Our school has logoed polo shirts and sweatshirts but say as long as they have one for church and photos the generic supermarket ones are fine
We also have a Pfa facebook page whwre lots of parents sell or give away old uniform so that might be worth asking on?

MyDressIsInferiorBlue · 07/09/2016 13:27

Almost all primaries require logo'ed sweatshirts, and almost all children comply.

Sorry but you're wrong. In my local authority area at least, primary children tend to be mostly in unlogo'ed uniform. Certainly less than 50% own even one logo'ed jumper and probably only 1-2 pupils per year group own a logo'ed polo shirt.

PrincessWizard · 07/09/2016 13:33

Mine have one logo sweatshirt/cardigan each, the others are plain supermarket ones in school colours. They are a third of the price of the logo ones. If they were amazing quality then i wouldn't mind spending the extra but they're no better than the ones that i get for £4 from Asda.

Clean, neat, school colours. That's it. I refuse to do otherwise.

WutheringTights · 07/09/2016 14:03

We live in a fairly affluent area so I bought the official logo-ed stuff for DS. Polo shirts at £5 each and sweatshirts at £9 each. Quality is outstanding. But I have noticed that most children just seem t have a logo-ed sweatshirt/ cardigan and standard M&S polos (it's a funny colour so I recognise it from when I was looking). I'll be doing the same next year, especially as he has managed to put some huge and interesting stains all over one polo on day 1! He'll be wearing it next week though.

imwithspud · 07/09/2016 14:06

One uniform, single provider, no arguments over what is and isn't OK.

In an ideal world, yes. But due to the cost this approach puts those on a low income at a significant disadvantage and yes, I know most schools have a second hand shop. But I also don't think telling a family who is struggling that "you can just buy second hand stuff" is a good enough solution either and shows no empathy regarding their circumstances. Especially when they could afford identical stuff minus the logo from the supermarket at a third of the price.

I agree that wearing school colours should be enough, logo'd if desired but not required, at least at primary age. Seems to work fine at my dd's nursery and adjoining primary school.

2and1ontheway · 07/09/2016 16:33

t4nut do you know that fpr a fact about European schools having the same issues as UK ones enforcing dress code?

I have 2 children in the German state system (1 at primary, 1 at secondary) - I asked the eldest whether anyone ever gets told off for wearing the wrong clothes and she looked at me like this Hmm Confused and asked what the wrong clothes would be and why the teachers would be interested in their clothes. Then she said actually they do get told off if they have nothing suitable for PE and asked if that was what I meant...

GerdaLovesLili · 07/09/2016 18:01

What would the school do if the parents all decided no to comply with the logo nonsense? Could you organise a "NO LOGO" committee?

Original poster
PurplePenguins · 07/09/2016 19:47

Definitely Dellaporter. DS1 went to a different secondary school to the middle two. I bought a black blazer and trousers from BHS Shock and sewed the logo badge on. Worked out cheaper. DS2 and DS3s uniform is like a dark grey suit. You cannot match the colour so have to buy from the uniform shop. They've changed supplier and prices have increased by nearly 50%. They have new uniform about every term as they are growing so fast and the quality is poor. They done last well. Now DS4s school is demanding logoed polo shirts, jumpers and PE kit, it is putting a real strain on my finances Sad

OP posts: