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!

Please write and complain.
There is a law that school's uniforms should consider the cost etc to parents.

Write out a cost comparison. Highlight the extra cost for parents on low incomes and ask if the school will consider uniform subsidies for kids on FSM.
Highlight the distance to uniform shop and the cost of transport (for parents without car etc)
Complain about lack of trousers for girls and equal ops/transgender etc.
Insists that any new uniform in phased in over 3 years, wiht new children coming into (year 5? for middle school?) in new uniform and it working it's way up the school (that is how it is usually done)
Get a petition together with all the above points to complain.

sorry, missed your last update.

Cannot believe boys are high street and girls uniform shop I would highlight that as equal ops issue.
as to shoes - that will lats about 5 minutes, the number of kids I know who struggle to get comfortble shoes because feet too wide, too narrow, etc etc.

That's quite common isn't it? Girls uniform shop trousers or skirt/boys high street? It's to prevent girls wearing skinny jeans or mini lycra tube skirts. They could even it up by making the boys wear uniform shop trousers.
I went to a high school where you could wear any navy skirt. What that meant was that there was always a skirt that was considered trendy each year. People from my school who couldn't afford the trendy skirt have mentioned in their 40s on Facebook how out of place they felt never having the fashionable skirt. In dd's school they'd have been able to get a second hand regulation skirt and not felt out of place.

I would be very cross at this too - particularly at the lack of trousers for the girls and the expensive skirt for the girls but cheap trousers for the boys. And the lack of consultation. And the lack of a coloured shirt for the girls (if the boys are allowed the pink shirts, looks like maybe they're not - but having had dc that can now wear coloured shirts rather than white shirts I wish that white shirts were banned for school shirts, so much easier to keep non- white shirts looking nice!). Tights for the girls are also not great - fine as an option, but horrible to wear in the summer and not very healthy I'd have thought. And is the kilt one that will be hot and itchy to wear in the summer or a sweaty polyester one that won't be warm in winter?

I would definitely be complaining. And encouraging everybody else to complain. And when people say they like the uniform, I would respond very vocally that you don't like it, that it doesn't look any better quality than the existing uniform despite costing significantly more, it's been poorly thought through, will disadvantage girls and their parents, will restrict the girls from playing fully at playtime, encourage everyday sexism between boys and girls (almost exclusively at the expense of the girls being on the receiving end) etc etc etc. Make sure you talk about the negative effects the new uniform will have and be very careful with the language you use to be polite but emphasise the negative effects that these particular uniform choices will have on the pupils. They need to hear voices of dissent from the beginning, rather than all the people that agree with them otherwise they will be saying that everybody else likes it and it will reduce the chance that it will be altered to something more sensible. Plus easier to speak up about your views if others are doing so - so if you are able to it might enable others to that wouldn't do so otherwise...

It might also be worth googling for info about people protesting about girls not being allowed to wear trousers (and boys not being allowed to wear shorts) - both are situations where there have been articles in the newspapers about parents and students protesting, with varying degrees of success. However, I'm sure many of them have been successful and have found a successful form of words to 'persuade' the head teacher to change their mind.

Other things to consider - contacting your MP (always better if several people can do this) to get them to step in, local paper, asking difficult (but polite!) questions on the school's facebook page, providing worked examples of the cost to boys parents and girls parents for each child going on a typical set of uniform required (ie at least 2-3 skirts/pairs of trousers and jumpers each, several shirts, tights vs socks (even thick tights seem to need replacing a lot more frequently than socks do I've found) rather than just one of everything because the differences don't look quite as bad as they actually will be when you're buying a sensible amount of uniform that means you're not washing it every night, comparing it with a standard uniform equivalent bought from the supermarkets and somewhere like John Lewis or a different local supplier (do you have any friends at other schools that have a good deal on logo-ed uniform? The suppliers of ds2's uniform is much more reasonable than John Lewis (where ds1 has to get his uniform) and they name everything for you as you go) - so showing that their supplier is charging them signficantly over the odds would be another strand in your argument.

Have just done a quick google search on girls not being allowed to wear trousers and lots of stuff has come up including articles worth reading from the Guardian, the Daily Mail (sorry!), the Independent, the New Statesman and more...
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/sep/10/school-dress-codes-reinforce-the-message-that-womens-bodies-are-dangerous
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-126456/School-face-court-girls-wear-trousers.html
www.independent.co.uk/voices/school-uniform-is-a-feminist-issue-and-confining-a-little-girl-to-a-skirt-is-sheer-unkindness-10515695.html
blog.policy.manchester.ac.uk/posts/2016/03/the-battle-over-skirt-only-uniform-codes-does-it-matter-who-wears-the-trousers/
www.newstatesman.com/politics/feminism/2016/03/trousers-all-why-are-girls-still-being-required-wear-skirts-school

and have just spotted this national campaign - Trousers for All
trousersforall.co.uk/

See update. Girls can wear trousers

OP did you read Rita's post. It has everything you need to complain to the governors and head with. Rita's post points that the school must have a trouser option for girls and must consider cost implications.

Op wrote

I emailed the school earlier and the HT rang me this evening.

She said the girls can wear trousers (same as the boys)

I'd respond in detail to the consultation. My dd is at a private school and so I have to accept the buy from a one supplier scam. Disadvantages are one style does not suit all children. Skirts are checked/pleated. Some girls have to have the skirts adjusted by a seamstress (more ££) as they are slim, tall girls have issues with waist v length, small plump girls have stupidly long skirts drawing attention to it. Biggest size is age 11-12 as it is a primary school (helpful when did wears age 12-13 normally) best bit is last time I ordered was told it was an 8 week wait. Quality and sizes are awful, you can't assume it will fit (I email photos to shop/school/supplier) Trips to shop needed to try on or order in and see if fits. Hassle. I'm on first names terms with staff in shop! I can't tell you how much time I have wasted faffing with uniform. In normal life I'd just order from m and s/next and collect in store.

My kids are at independent school. Only the blazer and sports kit come from a particular supplier, the rest you can get on the high street. Or supermarket, if you want.

Thanks for all the suggestions and info.

The school now has a box for feedback in reception and I've written on the parents page to ask everyone to feedback their thoughts on it. I do know that a lot of parents want the private school style look and some think that girls should only wear skirts because 'it looks nicer' - one in particular is the parent of boys only so I was really pissed at her views!!

We now have parents moaning about the ties saying they should be 'proper ties' not clip on. We are talking about 9-13 year olds, it's going to be years before any of them actually need to be able to tie a proper tie and I'd rather a kid has a tie yanked off their shirt than be half strangled in an enthusiastic game in the playground.

It's been very enlightening since this issue came up. I've found a few people I could be good friends with and a few who I actually despise with their 1950's outlook and their complete indifference to anyone struggling financially.

I haven't read the whole thread but to those who are saying that you buy new uniform every year anyway, so what's the difference - I don't!
Dd1 hasn't grown hardly at all for over a year and I have only bought new tights in 18 months. We are a very small school and there is also a huge culture of passing things on. So I have a whole bunch of stuff from a family who had 2 girls a few years older than mine - trousers, dresses, jumpers...
I have saved everything and won't have to buy anything new for DD2 except tights, and possibly trousers if she wants them as DD1 refused to wear any so we don't have any.
Our school is also going to change uniform this September although we don't know what those changes will be yet. It will have a huge effect on my purse that I wasn't anticipating - at least I have time to save I suppose.

But surely you would have to buy new uniform every year? Do parents not realise that there is a cost of uniform that they should budget for when having kids. It's been the same for over 60 years. Shouldn't come as a shock.

What? Every year? Madness! Buy big and roll up or take in. My DDs will have been through only two sizes of every piece of uniform in 7 years of primary school.

That's quite common isn't it? Girls uniform shop trousers or skirt/boys high street?

ummm....no!

and if it was, it would still need challenging.

I would complain, in fact I did when they wanted to change the girls from white shirts to yellow blouses. And it didn't happen in the end.
But all of my children have been tying ties everyday from age 11, as it's part of school uniform and there are no middle schools here. DS had to wear one on occasion from 7, but that head got rid of them before his sisters joined.

New heads seem to like changing uniform. That and "cracking down on discipline" even when there is little need.

Dd (yr5) is now fairly good at tying ties, that's a skill she's unlikely to ever use in life.

For your dd they might have to make reaonable adjustment, generally though a uniform change is a PITA. Check skirts can look smart but there should be a reasonable alternative.

Have they messed with the PE kit too? I would suggest if they are determined to go ahead have all the uniform available but a phased approach - so new yr5s wear it plus other years need the jumper from Sept 17. Sept 18 they all need the skirt/ trousers. Sept 19 they need the blazer too. Or some such timetable. Hopefully the shoes were just the girl's own and not actually part of the uniform.

So was the checked trousers for boys and girls can't wear trousers a chinese whisper? What about pink shirts for boys?

Contact the chair of governors and make your case. If you think there is only one supplier for a part of the uniform then this is unreasonable, and incidentally, your local MP would support you.

I'd complain and write to the governors about the lack of time allowed to purchase new stuff. They are behaving like a grammar/private school and those choices are expensive.

I think not being allowed to wear boots is pretty standard though-it's shoes all the way here for my kids.

The second hand shop is a good idea but clearly won't benefit you-they'll be after all your new expensive stuff to sell on cheap!

I wouldn't challenge it steppemum for the reason I explained in my post. Ie. Kids having to keep up with whatever the trendy skirt is of that year. Nightmare. I could get my dd a cheap hand me down regulation skirt a lot cheaper

museum Yes, kids obviously have been spreading rumours round school and it's turned into a bizarre cross between Rupbert the Bear and Mr Tumble. I'm not entirely sure DD actually saw the uniform now to be honest. Sh'e is extremely literal and the uniform that was photographed into the newsletter did not contain pink shirts or checked trousers!

I am going to do a costing exercise today and print it off to hand in. School say that the uniform costs are comparable with 'other schools'. However no primary or middle school here wear blazers and while this might be comparable with High School, this is a middle school.

I think the HT is on a mission to placate parents and make sure that this goes through by reassuring them over costs. She claims the entire uniform will only cost £65. I find that hard to believe as jumpers last year were £22 and I have to buy two.

Funnily enough I asked about PE kit and she laughed and said, no that would be a step too far. So I think she realises she's probably pissing everyone off already. She made much of how she was bought up in a council house and had no money but to be honest I wasn't interested in how she was bought up. I'm interested in the here and now. And while this uniform maybe wouldn't affect me hugely because DD gets Pupil Premium and therefore costs could be offset against that, I do think it needs to be challenged. There are a lot of parents who don't qualify for any help with anything but still struggle financially.

To those saying oh we buy new every year. I went to a posh private boarding school. All my clothes came from 2nd hand shop including games socks. They were practically floor length skirts when I arrived. I was still in the same uniform when I left 4 years later. I'd say that was fairly standard. New uniform was a thing to be mocked.

£65 inc blazer seems wildly optimistic. I know the state school blazers are £63 in our uniform suppliers. Can't see a checked skirt being less than £15 (I pay £20) and jumpers will be £20. Plus tie and shirts. Plus need for spares and no second hand market at first. At the age they are I bet lot make do for a few years e.g. I bought dds blazer Feb yr 5 to last to end of yr 6. She is wearing yr 5 skirts (as it is the largest size they make) I bought 2 cardigans and some shirts for yr 6. And some school pe tracksuit trousers. That were actually a '28' like the ones outgrown but the new '28' was 6 inches longer and 4 inches wider..see my comment above re random sizing. Supply issues/sizing becomes the schools issue when they make you buy from 1 shop. Plus if it isn't convenient/long order process you need to buy more items as you can't just pop to m and s/next day Next online if the trousers rip etc.

Rough costs are £118.50 compared to previously being around £67

Thats for blazer, tie, 5 shirts, 2 skirts and 2 jumpers.

Compared to 2 skirts/trousers, 5 shirts and two jumpers.

PE kit is expensive too but that's not being changed and DD's top is huge (bought big purposely). So should get another year out of it at least.

100% increase in costs. I've typed it up and going to do a letter and take it into school.

Dixie £63 sounds really expensive. They are from £28 at dd's high school from the uniform shop. Badge already embroidered on

Pupil premium funds should be spent on your child's education not their uniform! As a school governor, we are always looking at how Pupil premium funds are spent and the impact it has had on that child's education. I wouldn't be happy with school suggesting that pupils receiving PP monies should spend it on uniform!