To unlock the pocket from my son's school blazer...

[MuckyMare]

School blazers are £35 each. I have 2 son's.
Money is so tight right now.

I've just seen that Asda do navy blazers.

I'm thinking of in picking the pockets from their old blazers and sewing them onto asda ones

Total cost £20 for 2 rather than £70

Do you think the school will object?

Mine wouldn't care either. DS had a mufti day yesterday and one of the kids in his form came in in school uniform. One of the kids started making snide comments about to tease him. DS told him discreetly, "Don't be a dick, he lives with his Gran she's probably just a bit disorganised". (Kid is actually borderline neglected). Everyone else backed him up.

I think it's actually quite uncool to be a knob nowadays.

I've seen this done in schools I've taught in and in most cases it looked awful, as the colours clearly didn't match. The kids looked - frankly - like paupers.

If the colour doesn't match could you cut round the badge and sew it on? Put some fray stop around it to prevent any threads coming loose.

I’m pretty sure school aren’t allowed to specify branded uniform anyway

Rules don't apply now we have a mish mash of academies and free schools. They can do what they like.

The kids looked - frankly - like paupers
because they can't afford stupidly expensive and unnecessary uniform items.

What do you suggest they do then caribou58, I mean the low income families that genuinely can't afford to by new stuff every term?

Loads of the dc old school used to do this and remove and resew the badge and pockets. School had a crisis because the blazer wasn't exactly the same.

caribou58 Surely as a teacher your care is that children are in school clean, in clean uniform and fed so they can learn and not missing weeks of school until the parent can replace a forty pound blazer.

'I think it's actually quite uncool to be a knob nowadays'

I do think it's much better these days.

'I think it's actually quite uncool to be a knob nowadays'

Caribou58 obviously didn't get that memo

Ds used to go to a private school. Uniform was passed down via the 2nd hand shop 3 or 4 times so colours of sweatshirts etc could be 3 shades lighter on some children than others!

That message was for carabou.

I've just bought a load of second hand uniform for my dc from the used uniform school sale not as much as I wanted though because 15 minutes in pretty much everything was swiped. I guess if lots of dc look like paupers it will be fine! Given the school fees (work pays ours) I not surprised at the pauper levels 😜

I've seen this done in schools I've taught in and in most cases it looked awful, as the colours clearly didn't match. The kids looked - frankly - like paupers.

And schools/teachers that care more about a certain 'look' are - frankly- knobs

I wouldn’t think ‘that child looks like a pauper’ - I’d think ’that child looks like someone whose parent has made a lot of effort to get them the uniform’!! I would hope that most teachers would appreciate that not everyone can afford expensive uniform, and that the parent who had done what the OP is suggesting, had done their utmost for their child!

@Caribou58 - it may not have occurred to you, but the reason the OP has posted this is because she is worried about money, and the cost of blazers, and wants her children to have the right items, or as close as possible - and basically you have kicked her whilst she’s down. You should be sorry for that.

@SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius

You'd rather I didn't mention something that I heard people saying? "Kicked her when she's down"? She came to ask for opinions, didn't she?

And schools/teachers that care more about a certain 'look' are - frankly- knobs

As are the children who bully kids for looking different - but don't let that get in the way of your self-righteous indignation.

Which bit of 'she asked for views' are you not getting?

caribou58 Surely as a teacher your care is that children are in school clean, in clean uniform and fed so they can learn and not missing weeks of school until the parent can replace a forty pound blazer.

Me? I wouldn't have had uniforms, or I'd expect them to be free if demanded.

I'm offering the OP views, which she came looking for.

Very few paupers wear blazers, you obviously come from a very niche part of the country.

Here's the thing - many schools demand blazers, especially 'academies'. The poorest of kids are expected to have them.

I'm offering the OP views, which she came looking for.

@Caribou58 - yes, she came here for opinions - but you could have phrased your reply in a way that wasn’t so nasty.

Caribou58 I’m sure you were an excellent teacher, but you’re not coming off well here.

What do you suggest they do then caribou58, I mean the low income families that genuinely can't afford to by new stuff every term?

The OP asked for views as to whether or not she should do this. I was offering a view.

I wouldn't have uniforms at all or I'd make them free.

Caribou58 I’m sure you were an excellent teacher, but you’re not coming off well here.

Do you know what? I used to feel so sorry for kids whose uniform made them stand out from the others. I just don't want the OP to make a choice (if she has one) that might hurt her kids.

I perhaps made a poor choice of words, picking out the keys on my phone. Calling me a "knob" for offering a view is somewhat strange, given that the OP asked for views.

Ds's official school blazer is £60. What they didn't tell me as a new parent is that the school office sells the badges for a fiver. I cottoned on in time for year 8! I got a £10 plain blazer and sewed the badge on.

And I'll be unpicking it from this blazer to sew onto the new blazer for next year!