Aibu to think school uniform (Logod) is just ridiculously expensive!

[Abbazed]

For example, average cost of a primary uniform is £160. Local high school cost my friend £300 for one child. My son's grammar school cost me £350. My son's state nursery cost me £50.

It's pricing poorer families out of uniform and into being bullied? How do you keep the costs down?

Kids need clothes.

Since we arrived from a country where uniform doesn't exist, my total spend on clothes for DS, including uniform, has fallen significantly. And I could reduce it further if I made more use of all the second-hand uniform on offer.

I wonder if the academy system has any bearing on this ,my son goes to a state comprehensive school and his uniform is sensibly priced,and a lot of stuff can be bought at supermarkets, a local academy has everything logoed and even dictates what shoes the kids wear, guess which school requires improvement ....

@llamawearingasombrero see for my child’s school the compulsory summer dress for example is over £30 whilst you can a typical summer dress for half the price from M and S most likely the same quality but different design, or Sainsbury’s TU 25% off for less than £10 but unfortunately I can’t.

I think a universal uniform policy would be good for primary especially

1. trousers shorts skirts school choose between black/grey/navy
2. Shirts or polo shirts school choose white or pale blue

3 school jumper or sweatshirt any colour generally available can be logo but price limit under £10 for children under 8 and under £12 for the rest of primary

1. school tie if desired max cost £5

5 PE kit round neck tee shirt any colour under £5 plus shorts in navy black or grey non marking black plimsolls/pumps, outdoor PE any trainers same with swim wear any swimwear suitable for swimming rather than beachwear only school shoes must be waterproof and fasten on ie velcro buckle laces so can run in them without falling off no restriction in style but no heels no fabric ballet shoes no flip flops, sliders etc can wear boots wellies in winter and change into pumps in school socks white or grey or no rules school coat waterproof with hood no restriction on colour or style school bag any but no offensive logos must be on shoulder or back to leave hands free and big enough for A4 folder There is a general assumption that nothing is worth more than £50 re coats etc Summer uniform optional gingham dress in school colour must be available in most supermarkets ie red blue navy green or shorts and school shirt worn open necked ( worn from 1st may to end september)

personally I would have same rules at secondary with the addition if desired of a generic blazer with badge available to sew one
PE to include tracksuit or leggings and hoodie in school colours again cost limited
it would be permissible to have rules re no leggings no jeans or skinnies no slogans, skirts no shorter than 6" above knee or longer than 6" below knee or to add a school coloured hijab

Logoed uniform was one of the deciding factors for which high school to send my dd to. The two closest schools are luckily pretty good but the uniform requirements are very different which is crazy as we're in a deprived area.

One school wants logoed blazer (£25), jumper (£20), tie (£6), pe jumper (£15), pe top (£10), pe shorts (£10) and football socks (£5).

The one dd is going to wants logoed blazer (£20), tie (£6) and pe top (£12). There is the option to have a logoed jumper, pe jumper and football socks if wanted but it's optional and supermarket versions in the school colours are fine.

It's ridiculous that one school's logoed uniform is £91 for one set while the others is £38. Both schools are academies with roughly the same results, the only other difference is that one school gives detentions for not having top short buttons undone while failing to deal with bullying and the other saves detentions for actual bad behaviour.

When my kids were at primary i bought reasonably priced logo polo shirts and everything else from supermarkets or m and s. Dd is now at high school and her skirt, blazer, tie and pe kit MUST come from the school supplier. Skirts are around £25 and are v similar to ones from M and S which are half the price .The other state high school in town is way more expensive - blazers are £80, skirts are £40 and shirts have to be logoed too. My friend spent £700 on school uniform for 1 DC there and that was about 5 years ago!

I am also dreading having to buy two winter coats for back to school. A decent cost that looks nice and keeps you warm costs about £20-£40
Thankfully smallest dc has a good quality hand me down .

The blazer at our junior school is £79. The skirt is £35. Plus jumper (£22), coat (£40) all with logo, socks shoes (generic). Then there’s a winter games kit and a summer one adding up to £150. Easily £350 and that’s just one of everything!

It can be expensive but it still works out cheaper for us than having to buy other clothes which are more expensive. Primary cost us

Cardigans 15
Skirts trousers 20
Shoes 35
Polo tops 15
Bookbag 10
Pe top 5
Pe shorts 5
Pe pumps 10
Tracksuit 25
Pe bag 10
Forest school kit 30

So it soon adds up. Secondary school obviously costs a lot more. I'm glad they have to wear a uniform.

My youngest DC is at primary, logo jumper not compulsory bit less than £20 then short/trousers .Has to be certain pe top and shorts so probably around £45 .My eldest DC is at secondary. Everything has to have school logo including pe kit .Total cost was around £150.

Today we went to a charity shop and picked up three boys school trousers for £3 -bargain!

Children need clothes. We knew from the website how much the uniform would be for secondary so it's not hard to plan in advance.

Children need clothes. We knew from the website how much the uniform would be for secondary so it's not hard to plan in advance

You cant plan for when they change the uniform though. When you are already there and half way through the yr .

Cant plan for when they increase the prices either. Yr 7 here and they just put 1 pound fifty onto all the items. Dont sound like much but will add up when you re order multiple items for 8

At my son's primary, the logo jumpers are £11 but they are not compulsory, you can just wear plain red (and loads of kids do).

He has a couple of logo jumpers but everything was sainsburys or asda. I buy enough for a clean set every day as he is in reception and gets covered in all sorts.

For our secondary uniform, the cost is more for girls, as they need the tartan kilt at £30+, blazer at £30+, open collar white shirts which are awkward to find and often more expensive, and if they want to wear trousers they have to be from the school supplier so almost £30. Boys can wear a normal white shirt, navy or grey normal school trousers (see, even a choice of colour!) and the blazer and school tie. Why so much more cost and faff for a girls uniform? Girls obviously can't be trusted not to rebel!

@Zoflorabore

Surely what you’ve listed comes in close to the OPs figure?

DS is about to start a secondary school that has chosen a colour uniform that can't be bought in supermarkets. Everything has to be logoed and they have to have normal shirt, tie, jumper, trousers, shoes as well as a PE kit of Gym shorts, PE tshirt, rubgy shorts, rugby shirt, rugby socks, PE trainers, rugby togs, rain trousers (whatever the funk they are) and a waterproof sports jacket.

The rugby shirt alone is £45, socks are a tenner, shorts almost 30. I've worked out it's going to cost me almost £500 for everything as it includes three pairs of specific shoes!

It's just a normal Welsh secondary school, the one in catchment.

I'm disabled and can't work. DH works but on minimum wage and we REALLY struggle. I have no idea how we are supposed to find £500 and our LA don't do uniform grants.

I'm an ex-teacher, so I know how many children in Wales are living in deprivation. It's appalling that this is allowed.

it's not hard to plan in advance

It is when you become ill, have to give up work and have no income.

To those saying a primary uniform couldn’t cost that: the school my dc were at until a few months ago got taken over by an academy and the uniform they imposed probably cost about that much for one child. The girls had to have plaid pinafores and children from year three onwards were in shirts and ties. All jumpers had to be the logo ones and they were more expensive that the previous uniform. The girls uniform cost about twice as much as the boys due to the plaid pinafores (skirts from year three), whereas the boys could wear plain grey trousers. This was in an inner city primary in a deprived area.

My children no longer attend that school.

Greenfield

You're absolutely right, my post was not worded well. I meant that without the shoes and backpack which total around £90, i would not be spending close to £160 on just the basic uniform i.e. Pinafores/polo tops/cardigans and pe kit.

It's scary how the extras soon add up.

I don’t object to the uniform costs so much as the PE kit. Probably cost me £150 and that is without the track suit. If they had to pay £150 to do maths there would be outrage!

We had blazers once that cost £90. I swear he never actually wore the damn things. Now thank goodness his uniform has no badging at all and the tie is the only thing I need to get from the school. Oh no I forgot the sporks kit - expensive but really good quality and I am not wearing his hand me downs (I didn’t even do that as a kid!).

My dd is in the nursery of a private school and I have just discovered that when she moved up in September she needs to have (amongst other things) a blazer and duffel coat, which cost £95 and £80 respectively! We aren’t intending to keep her here after 4 as we have some great state schools very near here so the thought of paying £175 for just a blazer and coat which she will wear for less than a year (and she only goes 3 days a week) is ridiculous.
Luckily we have loads of 2nd hand sales

Now wearing the hand me downs!