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 bet if you announce that you'll still be sending yours in the old uniform, quite a lot of other parents will breathe a sigh of relief and do the same.

I'd get the other parents on side (they will be feeling aggrieved too) and play war with the school. The new head will drop the uniform idea as soon as it's clear folk aren't going to go along with it. Get the local newspaper on board too. Ignore the teacher/school worshippers who are going to come on in droves to tell you you're being unreasonable.

I don't think you are being unreasonable at all. I would put your concerns into writing to the school and the local authority. Make it clear that you simply cannot afford the change, and that you think there is an equality issue here with pupils from less advantaged backgrounds having to wear different clothes to others.

What is about new head teachers needing to make their mark on a school by changing the uniform? Maybe they should concentrate on the children’s education? (& before anyone says anything about uniform Improving standards the evidence doesn’t point to it be a universal truth).

Sorry OP this is miserable for you - do they get pupil premium for your kids? If so maybe they should spend some of that on uniform.

Do you not buy your children a new uniform every year ???? Please don’t send them in in the old hand me down uniform they will get bullied !!!!!!

Bollocks. I bought all of DS1's uniform from the school secondhand shop. And have passed it on to DS2. Most of the kids at their school have some secondhand stuff and it gets passed between families until it is worn out. No one has ever been bullied for it.

Our school changed the uniform. Official policy is that kids can continue to wear old uniform until it wears out. Seems a sensible compromise.

If you buy the 'official' uniform it really lasts - I think supermarket uniform is a false economy as you end up having to replace yearly. The proper logo stuff may cost loads more but is loads better quality and often won't need ironing as much. I've got three and they've all worn the official polo shirts and sweatshirts so it would be a pain to replace.

I swear this must be in every new Headteacher's initial training - I have, as a teacher, been in transition to two new Heads in different schools and the first thing they both did was to change the uniform to mark their "stamp".

The second Head did this and unluckily for him, two days later we had the OFSTED call. The Parent View questionnaires were so damning from parents over this that we didn't get "Outstanding" awarded and the new Head did an immediate u-turn!

There is absolutely no need to change a uniform so drastically. OP, YANBU in my opinion to take this further.

They did this at my DS's primary, luckily it was just before DC1 started. A lot of parents weren't happy about it. Even when DC1 was in Y6, there were still a few kids wearing their older siblings' uniform in the old colours!

My friend was one of those parents and every time the head passed any comment, she reminded her loudly that uniform is not a legal requirement at primary age anyway. She is a solicitor and quite bolshy confident though, not sure if you'd feel happy doing the same? Her kids weren't fussed at all, probably due to her attitude. But some kids would hate wearing different uniform.

When ours changed a few years back we had a year in which pupils could wear old or new uniform and then the consensus was, that after that year most pupils would need bigger clothes having grown out of the old uniform and it was to be replaced with the new stuff. Hopefully you will get at least next year to wear the old uniform but then I guess you will need to change as your children will feel different if the uniform is that different.

Personally I think they should ask the new starters to buy the new uniform and keep the older years in the old one and in 6 years the whole school will be in the new colour at no additional cost to parents

That only works for the new starters if they don't have older siblings already at the school. Lots of new starters will wear hand me downs / second hand uniform. My younger two certainly did!

But I do see your point. I can understand small changes to uniform that can be replaced over time as items wear out. But to change the whole colour in a relatively short period of time is ridiculous.

My private school uniform was changed when I was 13/14, a few of us were in the old uniform for a year, didn't get a single comment from any classmates, the school would have been on a shaky nail to DEMAND parents buy the new one, no one wants to have that conversation!
YANBU but will probably be clearer when you get the letter from the school.

I think you need to expect to buy some uniform for subsequent children. If you had a son for example you wouldn't be passing on blouses, pinafores and cardigans.
I also think the school need to be prepared to work with parents. When my children's school merged to a primary from separate infant/juniors each child was given a jumper with the new logo, because I had a child in year 6 and one in reception I opted for two smaller jumpers for DS in reception and DD just wore a plain cardigan.
When DS1's secondary make uniform changes they are only applicable for year seven.

Do you not buy your children a new uniform every year ???? Please don’t send them in in the old hand me down uniform they will get bullied !!!!!!
How ridiculous! All my secondary school uniform was second hand bought from other pupils.

Aren't we all supposed to be considering our impact on the environment these days? It doesn't seem the best move to encourage people to replace clothes that are in perfect condition, although I can't believe for a minute that there won't be a decent 'phase-out' period for the old uniform. OP if you're having trouble paying for uniform at this stage I'd start saving for secondary school now... It's ridiculously expensive when you add on all the extras like sports clothing/ equipment.

I remember my private primary changing uniform when I was going into year six. Everyone was given a years "grace" and nobody in years 5/6 had to buy the new style of uniform.

Yanbu. It's wasteful. 2/3 years transition period would be better if the new head really wants to put their superficial mark on the school .

DS had just started at secondary when the uniform shirt colour changed from primrose yellow (which he liked) to grey (which he hated).

They were allowed to continue to wear the old shirts 'until outgrown'.

Being a thin sort of chap whose mother had prudently bought with room for growth, he managed to be the only one still in intermittent primrose in year 11.

Jolly hard-wearing, those shirts.

Zcarter Wed 18-Apr-18 09:48:52

Do you not buy your children a new uniform every year ???? Please don’t send them in in the old hand me down uniform they will get bullied !!!!!!

Hahahahaha!

My DC are in private schools and the PTA regularly run used uniform sales. DS1s senior school has an onsite second hand uniform shop.
Why the hell would you waste money and resources on buying new uniform when there is decent second hand stuff available. Think of the environment.

OP - DS2's prep school is changing some items of the uniform and they have given a 2 year transition period.

I'm with FizzyGreenWater and Giles. YANBU, and a bit shocked at the YABUs.

Don't be ridiculous zcarter! What an horrific waste of resources!
Children grow so quickly some items are barely worn.
and a blazer costs £90 so most have been through many families, not just many siblings!

I dont believe that one lot of uniforms can last 3 children throughout the whole of primary school and still be acceptable condition, I dont think you have fully thought this plan through and by the time your youngest is up into junior school I bet you would be buying new unifrom again anyway.
I also wouldnt send my kids in a different colour to everyone else.

I am amazed you have uniform such as shirts etc that can be handed down - ours are all trashed. It might not be as much as you think as trousers etc may stay the same colours as may shirt colours so it may just be jumpers and summer uniform for girls which can be picked up cheaply at supermarkets.

I would wait and see what the final decision is before going postal.

OP YANBU, particularly when there's no need to change colours.
Adaptations can be made (well, no-one wants to be going around in Tudor Knickerbockers!) but those can happen in phases.

What on earth is with this new trend for needlessly fucking around with uniforms as soon as a new head comes in?