To refuse to rebuy five years of primary school uniform

[Schooluniform2018]

Our small primary school has always had a uniform. I have had one child pass through the school into high school and therefore have enough shirts, pinafores and logo cardigans to pass down to my youngest two. Currently in years 1 and 3.

Deputy head was recently promoted to head and promised 6 months ago that the uniform was staying the same with a logo change in the cardigans.

Today they have decided that the colour of the uniform has to change. (Not sure if pinafore/trouser colour is changing yet)

So could we buy new pe kits, jumpers/cardigans and maybe pinafores/trousers !

So I have five years of uniform...enough for my youngest two to wear all their school life, in good condition and they want me to spend a lot of money which I simply do not have to replace the uniform.

Oh and they didn't bother to ask parents opinion, just presented it as a done deal.

AIBU to tell the school that my kids will be still wearing their old uniform colours until they graduate to high school in five years time, as I don't have the money to rebuy new stuff :(

I heard that uniform is optional at primary school, so hoping that will work in my favour.

I am so upset. It is a good school with no reason to change the existing nice uniform, the new one is made by the same uniform shop in the same materials just different colour and logo.

We are a working family and are not entitled to any help.

We're working and get help, due to low income.

Also working and get some help.

OP are you married/have a partner?

Yes, married. Just on a budget. Unexpected bills upset me. I feel the same when the white goods break.

This bill is so upsetting because it is completely unnecessary decision by a third party which costs me a lot of money for no actual benefit :(

Our school had a slight change in uniform. After a few complaints, they agreed that the old ones were acceptable until they wore out. However as this wasn't a massive change it wasn't that easy to tell the difference any way.

Misses point completely but I wouldn't mind paying a bit more for our official school uniform if I could get more than a year out of it

We had this at secondary. 4 sacks full of uniform ready for the yr 7 and yr 9, and changed to a new blazer/skirt/tie. Had to recycle all the old stuff and spend hundreds on the new. Ridiculous.

I’d just continue sending your children in what they already have until you choose to replace items. It’s only primary school so it’s not really a big deal if the uniform is a bit ‘wrong’

Which is why it’s important you actually speak to the head instead of sitting fretting about for months.

YANBU, OP. This happened at my DS's old primary school, but the brilliant head teacher, who knew that many families depended on the uniforms being endlessly recycled (both between siblings and between families) sought separate funding to provide every child, free of charge, with the new uniform for the changeover. Obviously it didn't help with the endless recycling of the old uniform, but it put the new uniform into circulation without making things difficult for the parents.

She was/is such a brilliant head, really thoughtful.

DS1s uniform is pretty much always in good enough condition to pass down
Last year only one white polo shirt didn't make it to the storage cupboard to wait for DS2 to grow into (marker pen).
Unfortunately it's unlikely that they will go to the same school but hopefully the trousers & shirts will live on.
Many of DS1s jumpers were second hand to start with and you couldn't tell the difference after a week with the new ones.

When I was at school the uniforms lasted right through (1st years, as year 7 were then, had skirts almost to their ankles, and 5th years as year 11s were then had skirts that barely covered their nickers, because it was the same skirt - then when they went to the non uniform 6th form, the uniform went to the school second hand shop to be bought by the parent of a new first year...

My dc3 wears clothes my dc1 and 2 both wore. As toddlers they all even worse a few jumpers mil gave us which all her 3 DC had worn (more for sentimental/ amusement reasons than anything, but they weren't worn out).

Why don't uniforms last more than a year?

Our school had a transition period when you could wear old and new uniform. Obviously that may not see you through all your children but you can buy new stuff gradually, as and when the old wears out.

I would make a suggestion to the head to do something similar.

Why do schools change uniforms anyway? I’ve never heard of it other than on here. The kids going to my old primary school still wear the uniform I wore 40+ years ago-grey pinafore/skirt/trousers, white blouse, tie and grey cardigan/jumper. It’s the same with other schools in my area

Why do schools change uniforms anyway? I’ve never heard of it other than on here. The kids going to my old primary school still wear the uniform I wore 40+ years ago-grey

Because new heads basically want to mark their territory.

Or because they get pulled apart by Ofsted or have a bullying problem and changing uniform makes it look like something is being done.

Or to keep out the riff raff by makimg it impossible for them to think about applying

I do not understand this at all. Our secondary school insisted that the kids all had to wear the regulation jacket. The jacket was around £40, poor quality and let even a small amount of rain right through. I queried this at an open evening and was told I must buy this jacket. I did so and within six months, a letter was sent out stating that it was no longer required and pupils could wear a black sensible jacket instead. I wish the school could have been a bit more sensible themselves.

I agree it's pointless to just change the colour, but in the kindest way You seem too distressed/ upset over this, talk of cancelling your holiday-don't do that. Talk with the head.
Even if they won't change it, You've no need to buy all the uniform all at once.
I seriously doubt that the uniform would be in a fit state to be passed on to a third child anyway, jumpers get holes in, trousers go thin, shirts get marker on etc.

I get it OP, I do, I have two DC, and the uniform changed in between them. What I don’t get is how you keep saying rolling out from reception would be OK. How would it? You have a DC in year 1. Would it have been OK to do this last year, when you have five years of clothes for your DC? It’s not OK to roll it out for reception either.

The only way it is OK is to say that either uniform can be worn but nothing in the old style will be sold any longer. Then it phases itself out. It’s what ours did. But most of our uniform is free out of the lost property box anyway so dc2 got an upgrade regardless (judge away, if is it unclaimed and unlabelled they lay it all out in the hall on the last day of term free to any taker)

Oh and to a previous poster who will never see this - boys wear cardigans too.

Usually it's the mark of a new head who is all surfaces and initiatives and no substance SheSparkles. They do it to mark regime change and get the word out that they are In Charge and Making Their Mark. They will probably also change a few other noticeable but utterly pointless things and bring in new layers of pointless statistics gathering or extra revision sessions in the holidays to show staff who's boss too.

It's territory marking except on the rare occasions it's done to simplify the uniform and make it more practical (getting rid of ties and blazers, bringing in play clothes for reception and ks1, getting rid of white blouses or logos etc).

With the greatest of respect OP, I know you’re worried about this but you need to calm down.

You don’t actually know anything yet.

You absolutely don’t need to buy five years of stuff immediately.

PE kits in particular can wait.

You don’t need to cancel your break - what would that achieve?

Why do schools change uniforms anyway?
Our DS' school changed from black or grey to just black to look smarter and more consistent.

There's a "thing" locally for a tartan skirt in school colours (not sure if this is the case elsewhere but a few primaries here have them) and they brought that in as another option for girls (well, I assume boys could wear them too if they wanted) because the school pupil council suggested we have them.

I very much doubt parents would have voted in favour of yet another item (and one that isn't likely to be handed down to opposite-sex siblings, though that doesn't seem to be much of a consideration, with about 75% of girls wearing skirts and some of the girls that don't being only children anyway). And it's not like it makes them look more consistent!

Thanks for everyone's posts. I have things to think about. I know I can't really cancel their first holiday for three years. However I will have to be saving up for uniform so will struggle to take much spending money to the holiday but that said we are use to cheap days out, we will just have to manage and we will be near the beach and that makes things more fun.

I do think if it's primary you really don't need to get in such a state. The grey/black items I'd continue using and pe is just a t-shirt. My 2 recently changed school and whilst I waited for the official school stuff they wore £2 correct colour sweatshirts from supermarket. You can buy girls cotton cardigans from Sainsbury's 2 for £6 or £4.50 when 25% off.(polo tops in wide range of colours 3 for £4 so even less with 25% off) It's negligible really and I'm skint. If your child is not bothered I'd use old pe tops for the duration. Pe is just pe. Don't overthink it. In a local school there's kids not even in uniform. It's preferred but they can't force you.