To be pissed off at the complete change of school uniform?

[MycatsaPirate]

DD2 is in year 6 and has another two years at her middle school.

Just before Xmas an email was sent to parents asking if they would be prepared to pay 'a little extra' for a better quality blazer and asking if they agreed with ties being compulsory. Just to state that DD doesn't wear a blazer and I have never seen a child at the school in one at all.

Their current uniform is grey logo jumper (£22 from uniform shop), light blue shirt (high street), grey skirt or trousers (high street and girls can wear either), black shoes and grey or black socks. PE kit is a logo rugby top £22 from uniform shop), black shorts or joggers and a blue polo shirt.

All the kids always look very smart and neat walking to and from the school.

Today DD came home and told me that 2 children from years 5, 6 and 7 were picked and asked to model the new uniform.

This consists of long checked skirt for girls (no trouser option and will only be available in uniform shop)
Checked trousers for boys (again, uniform shop and apparently they look like Rupert the Bear trousers)
Navy blue logo jumper (uniform shop)
Black/Navy tights for girls with black slip on shoes
Not sure on shoes/socks for boys
White or pink shirt for boys and tie
White shirt for girls and tie
Blazer. (uniform shop).

None of the parents are happy. Especially the year 7 parents whose DC only have a year left at the school! This is coming into effect in September. There has been no parent consultation at all except for asking about a better quality blazer.

It's a new HT and she seems hellbent on making her mark but I am so pissed off that the majority of the uniform is now only going to be available in one place and that place is bloody expensive!

I doubt there is much that can be done now, but really, it's not like it's a private school!

chippy Sadly no. DD is on the spectrum so very clear about things. She just wouldn't have the thought to think something like this up! Plus one of the parents has actually seen the new uniform and says it's fucking hideous.

Thesecond Dear God! The poor kids :o

Talking Not always! Some people manage to squeeze an extra 6 months out of a jumper or buy trousers/skirts and manage an extra term meaning the uniform cost is spread throughout the year rather than buying the whole lot in one go. Besides, with the option of buying a £6 pair of trousers from Asda removed and now replaced with £25 pair from a school uniform shop - how happy would you be?

Two pairs of trousers/skirts at £25 rather than £6 is a massive increase. Add in new jumpers with logos, blazers and ties and yes, it's a huge cost increase. I have no doubt that DD's shirts would fit her next year but now they will also have to be replaced.

We will be taking it to the Board of Governers. This is a quite nice area but a lot of parents just simply can't afford this. One parent has a child going into year 5 in September, one going into year 7 and one starting high school. She should have only had to pay out for her oldest's uniform and using the hand me downs for the other two but now faces buy three new entire sets of uniform.

Checked trousers?!
Where's the school? Nutwood?

Guides were consulted but it was designed by fashion students. Apart from the impractical dress and skirt its nice, my guides wear it. The fit of all Guiding items is bizarre though.

The school checked trousers sound hideous

Our primary school is changing uniforms..it's going to take 4 years! We're in our 2nd year... First year it was announced. Now in our second year, we've been "consulted" but more like notified and no logoed bits are being produced, so many kids wearing off shelf colours only. Next year, the actual uniform will be available for purchase (and compulsory only for reception classes) and fourth year it will be compulsory for all classes. No one can complain about the expense as we have all been warned well in advance.

YNBU. She's got a damn cheek. Its all very well parents being prepared to pay the extra money which would be a pittence to a HT, but. Its if people can afford it.

Has the school recently become an academy?

The uniform sounds ludicrous. I think the parents should take a stand and complain to the board of governors, and suggest that if the school absolutely insists on a new, expensive uniform they should subsidise the cost to the parents.

It is a piss take.

If they want to introduce a whole new uniform they should start at the beginning of the school year with only the new intake wearing it, and phase the uniform out until everyone is wearing it.

Parents can't always afford this shit, especially all at once and potentially for more than one kid

Have you actually formally heard about it?
Because most schools round here have given 1-2 years change over. The only one that didn't is somewhat pretentious and has managed to choose a skirt that does not go with the rest of the uniform colours. It's quite a nice skirt in a lot of ways but just looks like they've got dressed in the dark and haven't realised nothing goes together.

Any schools I've had contact with have done a phased changeover when changing uniform specifically so parents have chance to let the children grow out of their current uniform and so that the older ones don't have to buy all new when they'll get little wear. Especially if there is summer and winter uniform involved.
Can you get a group of parents together and speak to the head teacher/ governors and suggest this?

Blazers are stupid elitist claptrap.

Rita Thank you so much for that link. It's been shared with the PTA and parents alike so we can challenge it on a few levels.

Troll Our HT has been in for less than a year. There was no plan to change uniform until I heard about it yesterday.

Nickname No, it's in an Academy trust with two other local schools but it's been that way for a while now. It's just this new HT seems to want to stamp her mark on the school and has made quite a few changes already. This one seems to be a bit much though!

Witch No, that's the thing. The kids were shown it in school yesterday. DD came home and told me that she was shown their new uniform to be worn from September. The whole 'consultation with the parents' bit seems to have been completely omitted.

Disagree - Blazers are teens' life-support system.

Perhaps it will be phased in from Sept.

It will be to avoid the ridiculous trousers and skirts many kids wear

flupi Some members of the PTA are going to talk to the HT this coming week to clarify a few things. Then if it's confirmed that the whole Rupert look has been given the go ahead then it will be challenged.

Even if it's a phased changeover, I don't think an entire uniform (with exception of shirts) should be available from just one outlet. It's certainly not fair on any of the current parents but also not fair on those whose DC will be coming to the school in the future. It's the only middle school in this catchment area so pretty much stumped - not like we can take our 'custom' elsewhere.

Well that looks just spiffy

Is she on crack?

This document might help you. www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/514978/School_Uniform_Guidance.pdf

trinity That's the thing. It's not going to be phased, it's been made clear in a message from the HT that year 8's will be expected to wear it and she asked if PTA could now organise a second hand uniform sale. How that's going to help I don't know. No one has the new one to sell and the old one will be obselete.

And the kids all wear very smart trousers and skirts. They don't have them hiked up like the high school kids, these are kids between 9 and 13 and most of the girls wear trousers.

Also slip on shoes I'm sure are bad from a foot development point of view. Girls tend to "claw" with their toes to keep the shoes on and this causes all sorts of problems. Not that I'm an expert but I saw a program once and a podiatrist was saying that.....guess it depends how securely they fit. A sturdy loafer may well be better than a ballerina type.

Perhaps all the parents, and I mean ALL the parents, should band together and say No. And tell them if the school pushes ahead with it, announce collectively that no move 'voluntary' payments for school trips and extras will be forthcoming, as you're all having to fork out for new, unnecessary more expensive u, days out, or uniforms that none of you were consulted about and don't want.

Hit the school where it hurts. STand together and tell them you won't be paying for field trips, buses to swimming lessons, etc.

Oh, and parents of girls should be outraged that there are no trousers option. Isn't that against the law these day? It should be.

This is very common for new Headteachers to do to 'make their mark'. It's like they are all taught to do this at 'Headteachers School'.
Ridiculous. I feel for you OP.

However, they will probably just phase this on with the first Year group, rather than make the existing Year groups change. Having two uniforms on the go is quite common in schools where new Heads have done this. I don't think it will affect you.

I bought full new uniform for ds. Age 6 in September,ready for the new yr...come January,the little sod has shot up and out🙄And I'm having to buy a whole new lot....would not be happy if I couldn't pick it up cheaply in a supermarket..it still cost me £30 thou ..I'd be fuming if this was my child s school

Sounds vile and costly. I would write a letter to both the school and the local newspaper. Many parents probably won't outwardly grumble about the financial side of it until someone else does it publically.

Also slip on shoes are a terrible idea as an enforced uniform code. In general a lace up shoe is far more supportive, warmer and they tend to last longer.

Even if it is to be phased into year 5 starters, I still think it needs to be challenged on the general unavailability of it and costs. It's not just the current children who need to be thought about.