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.

I hope they can all fight this I really do.

It's done on purpose to price out the people they don't want there.

I work evenings all this wiping off stuff well I'd not have time for that id need at least 3 sets.

Uniform should be available from supermarkets. The only reason not to is because you don't want people who wear supermarket clothes in your school.

Saves you having to hire decent teachers I guess when you have a wealthy demographic who can afford to tutor .

It's just not serving the community is it.

My Drs skirt next year will cost 17 pounds she hasn't found a pair of trousers to fit yet. So that's 51 quid on three items.

bumblefuddle I don’t know where you get £100k from. Dp and I earn £32k between us and get no extra benefits.

We get child benefit and that’s it. No help with childcare costs, inform, school meals, no tax credits etc....

Finding an extra £150-£200 for new school uniform we hadn’t planned for would mean sacrifices from family budget, cutting back on food shop or not doing home repairs.

Really interested to know where you get that figure of "around 100k" from, Bumblefuddle? -Money saving expert says here that "It's not just the unemployed who get benefits & tax credits. In rare cases families in 2017/2018 with £73,000 income can qualify. Whether you're 18 or 80, this checker will see if you're entitled to claim.

This tool tells you what you're entitled to in 2017/18."

I obviously can't speak to what the OP means when she says they get no extra help, but I am guessing she was not thinking of her child allowance payments (which are given with no reference to parental income, or at least that's what happened when I was a child), but rather of housing benefit, universal tax credits, working tax credits or whatever any of these are called these days. (I have lived abroad for a long time and not brought up a child in the UK, so obviously cannot speak from my own recent experience.)

The principle is the same whether or not the op earns 100 k

The start up costs of this uniform.are unacceptable. And will be a huge shock to those who literally just accepted the reception place whis expectations of cost have just tripled overnight with less time to budget as they have no old uniform to wear in mean time.

There is no need for a skirt to cost 14 quid when asda sell them for like a fiver.

YANBU - its so wasteful - my ds is wearing hand me downs from my friends son, they are in good condition and perfectly re usable. Stand your ground !

The DFE advice is here:
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/514978/School_Uniform_Guidance.pdf
It's normal practice to consult parents and pupils before changing uniform.
You could write to governors citing whatever sections of the document are relevant.
I do think is it sad that when an institution gets a new boss that person thinks of making their mark by changing something like uniform (or name, or logo in the case of businesses) instead of focusing on genuine improvements.

There are guidelines on this. The Children's Society has done some campaigning. www.childrenssociety.org.uk/news-and-blogs/press-releases/tougher-rules-aimed-at-cutting-school-uniform-costs-welcomed

I think this new uniform is ridiculous and if the school is an academy it wouldn’t surprise me if they’ve done a deal with the uniform suppliers so they benefit in some way.

No way would I become one of the sheeple and suck it up. I’d fight it all the way to my MP if I had to. There’s specific guidelines, set out by parliament, to avoid these situations. No state school, least of all a primary, should be so sniffy about a uniform.

Plus tbh id rather send my kids in clean clothes that perhaps arent the best than a new jumper that's sponged off with a baby wipe and washed twice a week.

So a clean jumper then. Btw I never said anything about new or handed down. My eldest hands down too! You’re just doing more washing than me for zero noticeable difference.

I work evenings all this wiping off stuff well I'd not have time for that id need at least 3 sets.

It takes less time than loading the machine, adding the powder, setting it, then emptying it and either hanging it or putting in the tumble dryer. Seriously. You’re making a massive fuss over this and it’s become fucking hilarious now.

Op, just dress them in what you have. Primary isn't compulsory uniform, so they can't refuse your kids entry because of what they're wearing. Idiotic idea to change uniform for hell of it and to naive single supplier items

Damn, hit wrong button and posted before finished!

and to expensive single supplier items. You can't afford it, bollox to all those saying 'just save.... / just buy one or 2 items now....' etc etc; there is no need to spend the money you don't have available for someone's vanity project. And if they try and ban your kids for being in wrong clothing, then you can fight it all the way as it's not compulsory!! Good luck fighting them

@WazFlimFlam Thanks for the link that will be useful.

I am already saving for my son's high school uniform which he will need by September 2019 and for anything my oldest girl might need replacing for her high school. I can't rebuy stuff for the youngest two too, there is a limit to how thinly money can be spread.

We do get child benefit and are nowhere near 100k salary ! If we were, I would have no problem.

My husband already works overtime and due to child care issue there is no extra time for me to work more either.

Sadly as our school is a voluntary aided church school they are allowed to make uniform compulsary AND punish children by sending them home if the child is not in uniform.

They should of done a parent consultation which they didn't.

They should of avoided bespoke single supplier uniform options, which they didn't.

They should not be getting any payment from sale of these bespoke uniform...bet they are.

They should of also had an open to public tender for all companies to see who could make the bespoke stuff cheapest, bet they didn't.

I have spoke to the council, my mp, the next school over and the department of education ! I have loads of questions for the head who I have a meeting with tomorrow to discuss this with.

I am taking with me three school transfer forms and if I get nowhere with the head, then I am putting the kids on a waiting list for the other school. As frankly of our current school thinks it is acceptable to have two uniforms one for the rich kids and one for those who are on a budget, then that is not a school I want to entrust in educating my children. Plus I can't have my kids upset every day as they are in the poor kid uniform and watching their friends in the expensive stuff. Simply not fair and might lead to bullying :(

The other school has a very casual non conpulsary uniform and I have option of buying a cardie for a £5 and the school is better thought of academically and has a higher Ofsted rating. This plan is my last ditch effort if I can't get a working solution with our current school and assuming my DH agrees as I have only just got the information here now.

Everything crossed and wish me luck.

Look of you want to play whack-a-mole every night with splodges go ahead .

Some of us prefer to have at least one back up so an impromptu visit to the park or a crisis that means that we aren't worrying about getting home late to wipe jumpers and hoping it all actualky comes off . I do most my washing on the day when im.home more and I can pre load it ready for when kids come home and just shove it in and push the button.thej do can put it in the drier when it's done.

The sensible solution is for the school to have easily accessible affordable uniforms not for everyone to stock like baby wipes and hope no one can smell their kids

Some of us prefer to have at least one back up

And that she great if you can afford to indulge your preferences OP said she couldn’t.

And if people are smelling your children then you need to wash your children.

She can though.

Just not with a ridiculously over priced one supplier crappy item.

Which she shouldn't have to get .

It's not right. And it's the head that shouldn't be indulged. A secind jumper is hardly an indulgent purchase ffs