To think this is rediculous for school uniform!

[worriedwinfred]

Polo shirts for foundation stage children (all school children but how messy is foundation stage) have to be embroidered and cost £8 each! I was planning on sticking up on ASDA ones at 2 for £3 so as soon as we get a stain or fadeing DS will always look smart. Jumpers and t shirts are £8 each I just think that for a t-shirt is abit much. I will be buying them obviously but it'll be a struggle and I can imagine maybe others won't be able to afford new ones every time there's a stain.

Aibu to think school colours but not embroidered would be a better idea? They also expect £1 a week "voluntary" donation to school funds

Don’t buy them. It isn’t mandatory.

You don't need new ones everytime there is a stain.

As long as they are clean - ie washed, it really doesn't matter at that age. If you want keep one back for concerts, photos etc, but really don't worry about day-to-day wear.

Is there a way to buy the logo/badges on their own?

Write to the head and the PTA asking how they expect families to afford £8 polo shirts when they are available for £1.50 and what is the justification for requiring the school ones. Have they considered the impact on low income families?

YABU to say ‘rediculous’, surely you have to fight with autocorrect to even be able to type that word?

Lots of schools do this - I think it’s fine , I just bought two and washed when needed rather than every day.

Also, ask the school if they have a second hand sale - you can usually pick up a few extra tops for minimal cost

Too many people just put up with things instead of challenging them. I'm sure you're not the only one to think this.

What colour are they? My DD's primary has red as their polo colour and although they're an expensive outlay the colour doesn't show much in the way of stains and the quality is good. DD is in y6 and remarkably still wearing some of the polos I bought for her in reception.

By contrast my Dsis's children don't have logo polos, she buys v cheap ones and replaces them a couple of times a year. In the long run my more excited ones have worked out much cheaper.

They also expect £1 a week "voluntary" donation to school funds

That's because government funding has been cut so much. You absolutely don't have to pay. The problem with these donations is that they mean schools in more well off areas end up with more funds than those with parents who cannot afford to top up the school budget. It's shit.

As long as they are clean then don’t worry about stains.

That said we have never lost one to stains even with ds being a messy thing (dyspraxia) and the school ones for us although a bit more expensive do keep the shape/size/colour better than the supermarket ones (I use a mix of both)

The school is in an area where 90% of the families are quite well off. We went for a meeting this morning and they all had their embroidered uniform though it's coming to the end of year and alot of t shirts and jumpers were looking very faded and worn.

What colour are they? My DD's primary has red as their polo colour and although they're an expensive outlay the colour doesn't show much in the way of stains and the quality is good

Good question!

My apologies for the god awful spelling in this I definitely should have had a read through before posting.

They're yellow and brown.

@stacktherocks

Have you been explicitly told that non logo'd polos are not allowed? Our school sells them but is happy for the kids to just wear plain ones in the correct colour. Our jumpers and cardigans do have to have the logo and they are £12 a pop!

There'll be a second hand sale im sure. After all, once you're own kids have grown older, there's nothing you can do with old logo'd clothes except pass them back to the school to hand on. Our pta run ours, it's win win, money for the school, cheap uniform.

They also expect £1 a week "voluntary" donation to school funds

Good god that’s hardly breaking the bank in Ireland we have to pay €40 for photocopying etc and it’s not a “donation” thats not including all of the books, workbooks, writing books ,pens pencils, glue sticks, colours, etc etc etc AND the uniform. School costs money surely you knew it would cost you!! I hardly say £8 is a crazy price for a jumper considering the amount of wears it gets

Don’t write to the PTA, it’s nothing to do with them
PTA chair here who regularly gets emails complaining about bad parking in the school car park and the grass on the school field not being cut often enough!!

I used to have one embroidered one (did 3 DC's) and then a pile of supermarket ones. Yellow & brown sounds a bit niche though. Can you even buy that colour apart from at school?

You don't have to pay a voluntary donation.

You don't need new every time there is a stain.

Enquire whether the PTA does pre-owned uniform sales. Ours did and you could get 'as new' for £1 or £2.

Quite often official stuff is better quality and lasts was better than supermarket.

I've seen yellow polo's in supermarkets. Never brown or mix.
I'd buy a couple. They do tend to be decent quality (our school ones are).

I’d just buy the Asda George polo shirts, I doubt anyone else would notice anyway.

Ours are £9.50 a polo shirt and £11 for the jumper on top, plus logo'd PE T-shirts and bags.

I have spent £70 on just the tops and I've not bought many! It's really annoying.

Considering uniform in primary isn’t a legal requirement, yes this is ridiculous. Get the stuff big. The children grow loads in the first year. My dds uniform didn’t last 12 months.

I just don't understand why they do it - why do you need to make 4 year olds look smart?!