to think school can cock off with their "patented shade of grey" £17 a pop trousers?

[QoFE]

Normal state secondary school, new head so obvs we need a costly uniform change (less than 5 years after the last uniform change) to reflect the new regime

Despite significant parental opposition (I know because I went to the so called "consultation") we now have to stump up for logoed blazers and ties. Expensive but hey ho, suck it up, whatever.

Except an email has just gone out reminding parents that the trousers and skirts HAVE to be one specific and expensive brand and cannot be cheapy or second hand because wait for it....

they are a patented shade of grey looks like tesco grey to me but what do I know

WTF? Is this even legal? The trousers start at £17 a pair FFS and ones to fit a 6th former are nearly £30

MiaowTheCat
That sounds like one that's working around my region.
Everything including shirts has to be from the school shop. The chain has a reputation with teachers where you generally avoid working there if possible / you have taught for 3 years and want to be on SLT by your 6th year of your career.

OP has the HT suggested that pupils have to wear the uniform when they go into town on Saturdays yet?

How ridiculous! It it was me I'd completely ignore it and put her in something close enough.
If they pull her tell them you can't afford another uniform change and what are they going to do about it??

They'll back down I promise!

Tell them you'll get the trousers if they can show you the patent. Until then, you'll do your own thing.

This is absolute nonsense.
my son goes to a fee paying/private school £18k a year and we have to have the official school blazer, tie, jumper and sports kit BUT trousers are just charcoal grey (any kind) and shirts are white and again can be Twyhritts or Tesco.

I think you should go to the local press: you know with the state of school finances etc why is this legit? you can do it anonymously.this time of year local papers are absolutely stuck for news and love a bit of agrro.

Do you think the new head gets a kickback from the suppliers? (Joke)

The only reason schools can get away with this is because parents go along with it. There's usually one or two parents who stand their ground but they are overruled by the others who fall into one of three categories: a) non-thinkers, aka sheep, b) compliant individuals who have been brought up to believe they have to obey the rules and "school knows best", and c) Worst of all, the social climbers/control freaks who want their children to look as if they attend private school and conform to a corporate image!

The thing is I can sort of see why they want all the trousers and skirts and so on to match if it's a uniform but with at least 1000 pupils in most secondary schools needing them surely there should be some way of buying in bulk and letting parents get them at a very good price. Instead of that we are being charged a higher price than for a non uniform skirt or trousers.

Unless they came up with a formula for the paint, it wouldn't be patented. They're talking through the arse of their maybe-trade-marked-but-highly-unlikely grey trousers.

InvisableLobstee
You would think some sort of bulk buy would be possible, especially when the worst offending one around here is a large academy chain and all schools have to have the chain approved items.

Our school specific items aren't dirt cheap, but there are only a couple of compulsory items.
I couldn't imagine dealing with what some have to. The chain in our area even specifies the school shirt needs to be from the set supplier and the entire PE kit!

If it's a state school surely this can not be allowed I would be complaining to the school board and even beyond with this nonsense. They can state colour i.e. Gray. But surely that's where it ends.

My opinion on this is controversial

I'm sorry but I think school uniform, even at £17 should be affordable. It's not that much dearer than a decent pair of jeans and if they weren't wearing school uniform you'd be paying to dress them anyway.

£17 should be affordable you are so right.....if only it were the case for everyone but it really isn't!!!!

Jess, I agree and said similar earlier on the thread. Plus they get a huge amount of wear from uniform.

Many seem to just think children shouldn't cost anything judging by the amount of complaining that goes on. Everything from having to buy clothes, feed them during the holidays and heaven forbid school asks for a contribution towards a trip etc that their child goes on.

Haven't read full thread, but doubt you can patent a colour, there has to be something novel to get a patent and given that you can get any shade of any colour mixed for paints now there can't be anything novel about any variation of grey. So it's nonsense. There seems to be an extraordinary focus on piffling uniform details now, school uniforms are not the norm in most of Europe and they seem to manage to educate their children just fine.

It's your choice. As the parent you either choose to buy the school uniform for your first choice of school, or choose another school with less strict uniform standards.

How much is the school clothing grant in your area ..ours is £40 per child so asking any parent to pay £17 fro one pare of trousers is rediculous

my daughter has exzema and can only wear 100% cotton next to her body so when school changed to shirt and tie policy i had tell them that she will only be wearing poloshirts as i cannot affoard the £14 from one shirt as she cannot wear the polycotton ones as they irritate her

NannyRed
In our areas many families don't have a choice. They are in one catchment area and there's a shortage of places unless you want to go to a school that's been rubbish for years.

It's not about selecting a school that's less strict. My school is strict on uniform but only have a couple of bits that have to be school bought.
At least 3 schools near me are almost entirely single supplier. I have some sympathy with why some of them have done it, but it's a shame it's come to that.

Our catchment school (which incidentally is way undersubscribed (34 applied for 150 places) & in special measures for five years has the most prescriptive ridiculous uniform of bespoke tartan skirts and braided blazers so this thing about parental choice really annoys me especially as the other schools in our area are Over subscribed.

My DS attends one of Scotland's most expensive boarding schools; plenty of mandated uniform but as long as trousers are charcoal they can be bought from anywhere soastounded that you are being asked to buy from one supplier. I can not understand why parents are fleeced in this way

jessitika yeah, you're right your opinion is controversial. As for 'be having to dress them anyway* , well we do, obviously. Children still need clothes for wearing out of school therefore having to buy uniform means having to buy double the amount of clothes.
£17 should be affordable that's just for one pair of trousers . Most kids need at least 2 pairs. If it was affordable for everyone then shops like Asda wouldn't sell them for half that price, would they.

But you have to buy school uniform plus everyday clothes. So you have to pay twice to clothe your kids.
£17 for adult trousers that will last me a few years,is fine. But some kids grow so fast, so no they do not last long.

Just get rid of school uniform!!!! It is completely pointless and there is no evidence that it improves discipline, behaviour or performance.

there is no evidence that it improves discipline, behaviour or performance.

However, smart uniform, consistently worn, does in many cases influence the public view of a school - bizarre, but true.