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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Parents of Y11 pupils, are you going to buy uniform for 8 March?

178 replies

SomewhereUpMyArse · 12/02/2021 15:46

Our school has sent out a newsletter which amongst other things tells us to ensure pupils have uniform that fits for 8 March.

Now I did get some new trousers, shoes and shirts for ds2 back in September, he barely wore them due to isolating a couple of times (school instructed) and ofc hasn't since December. He's grown almost two inches since September and so the trousers now don't really fit and the shirts look a bit stupid. But do I really have to get a whole load of new kit for what will be at best eight weeks' wear after which he'll never put them on again? He is six foot 3 and a half so I have to buy men's clothing for him anyway, it isn't cheap and I'm literally buying it so he can go to school for eight weeks having missed about half a year altogether due to covid. It just seems stupid. What are others doing? YABU= suck it up buttercup, them's the rules. YANBU = send them in in joggers and bite me.

OP posts:

utterfailureasamum · 12/02/2021 22:55

I hear you. Think we might be ok on uniform
But the shoe saga is annoying me. I keep buying them and them hardly been worn. Suspect DD will need new for march 8th. Plus they only actually wear them
Three days a week as they go in pe kit
Two days. I think schools should ease off on uniform rules a little to the end of term this year.

clockstopper · 13/02/2021 01:34

It's the school shoes that will break my bank, when they are size 13 it's not cheap.

ConeHat · 13/02/2021 01:43

Have a look on Ebay. Uniform is cheap enough second hand and no one is buying it right now.

If it's just a bit short I personally would just send him in. If if was inches too short I think I would just get two pairs of the cheapest stuff I could get

jay55 · 13/02/2021 01:49

Given so many adults are not wearing their work clothes. Is there a local Facebook group you could ask for some trousers and shirts on?
People might be quite happy to get rid of things.

AStudyinPink · 13/02/2021 07:00

I can't just buy the one pair of trousers! Jesus, I might be poor but I'm not scruffy.

Then you have the choice. This is an understandable whinge but it is just a whinge. Buy the uniform.

MsMarple · 13/02/2021 07:30

Email the school now and explain your problem nicely, whilst there is still time to put something in place. They might reconsider once they realise the financial impact, or have a store of spare clothes that you don’t know about?
Also, post on your local freecycle /Facebook group - you never know, someone from last year’s 6th form might still have the uniform? And your DS’s current uniform might help someone else.

Ffsffsffsffsffs · 13/02/2021 08:06

Legally they are still on roll until the last Friday in June. That's 16 weeks, minus 3 for Easter and half term. Then most schools will allow kids study leave (though how that'll work with no exams and end of school fanfare I don't know) for maybe 4 weeks.

So 9 weeks of half mast trousers and shorter sleeved shirts. Not the end of the world really, unless their bodies have become so monstrously grotesque since Christmas that their uniform is indecent (rather than teenage strop over looking a bit overgrown)

ohhhhitsme · 13/02/2021 08:09

How would he feel going in joggers/something that isn't uniform?
It's not like 'sending' a Y1 child to school in something else. He'a 15/16

CaravaggioLover · 13/02/2021 08:17

@RB68

I think a bit of appreciation for parents who many have had to take a paycut or lost jobs not able to go out spending even a tenner on new uniform wouldn't go amiss.

I agree. Uniform is expensive, at my dd's school the blazer is around £60. Thankfully she can still get into hers but a lot of kids have grown.

HercwasanEnemyofEducation · 13/02/2021 08:22

You need separate the home school issues from the uniform gripes. Remote learning is a government decision.

ihearttc · 13/02/2021 08:38

I think you are making a huge mountain out of a molehill tbh and I speak as a mother of a massive Y11 boy.
The only time I have ever questioned the wearing of uniform was when he had to go in for a 15 minute tutor meeting at the end of lockdown last year and they wanted him to go wearing full uniform. That is ridiculous for 15 minutes. But this now should hopefully be normal school. You can’t expect him to rock up wearing something completely different to the rest of the kids.

And school uniform does not cost £100. Just buy a pair of trousers and a a couple of shirts. Isn’t your son having to wear PE kit for school on PE days anyway? So that should take a couple of days out of the need for uniform.

I appreciate he has grown but unfortunately that’s what children do. They need more clothes constantly. What would you have done at this point in Y11 on a normal year?

kowari · 13/02/2021 09:13

You don't need as many clothes if they're wearing uniform daily. Comparing the clothes kids are wearing now at home isn't the right comparison because they aren't out and about causing wear and tear on the clothes. Uniform is pretty economical and you would have had to buy it anyway. How does he have loads of extra jeans and joggers to wear?
My DS is in school in non uniform, he is out and about just as much as normal in regard to wear and tear. He has not needed any more non uniform clothes than pre pandemic. I don't think wear and tear comes into it unless you are factoring in handing down clothes, teens outgrow them. It's not about having loads of extra jeans and joggers, my DS has two pairs of jeans, two pairs of joggers, two pairs of school trousers. He needs two pairs of school trousers as he is isn't allowed to wear anything else as a back up, school uniform means you need two completely separate sets of clothing, which is expensive!

HercwasanEnemyofEducation · 13/02/2021 09:24

Kowari how is your child out and about as much as normal? Unless you're breaking the law they shouldn't be.

If it was non uniform, it would be much more expensive! Kids would want different clothes every day and 4 trousers wouldn't be enough. Non uniform days put financial pressure on our parents so we don't do them.

kowari · 13/02/2021 09:28

Kowari how is your child out and about as much as normal? Unless you're breaking the law they shouldn't be.
School, walking, occasionally picking up essentials from supermarket, support bubble. Isn't going to martial arts class but doing online. Same wear and tear.

kowari · 13/02/2021 09:31

If it was non uniform, it would be much more expensive! Kids would want different clothes every day and 4 trousers wouldn't be enough. Not in my experience.

oblada · 13/02/2021 09:34

Given his current height it seems that he may not grow further so the trousers/shirts should still come in handy in the future for interviews/work.
I agree with looking on marketplace, asking people if getting rid of clothing or going with cheap own brand. And buying the minimum.

MarshaBradyo · 13/02/2021 09:35

Forgot about this will check out size

oblada · 13/02/2021 09:39

what about looking at charity shops? Since its men's clothes you're after you could strike lucky! Would only be a few quids per trousers/shirt.
Also Matalan isn't that cheap, I like Matalan as it's usually decent quality for the price but it's not the cheapest.

Ilovemaisie · 13/02/2021 09:40

Herc not all children would want "different clothes each day". This may come as a shock to some but there are actually lots and lots of teens who really aren't that interested or obsessed with clothes and brands and many actually have zero interest or even notice if another kid is wearing cheap trainers from Shoe Zone vs some branded ones. The ones that do buy branded clothes often get it from discount places like Sports Direct.
This whole 'non uniform costs more' argument is just silly because it will only cost more if you (the parents) shop at expensive retailers. I am sad that Peacocks has gone bust. Decent clothes at sensible prices. My 12 year old loved going there. Ironically some comments I have read (on places like Facebook groups) about Peacocks going bust is "oh I didn't realise they sold children's/men's clothes".

Ilovemaisie · 13/02/2021 09:42

oblada charity shop are closed. Plus not everyone has the time to go round a dozen different shops to hope they have some trousers in the correct size and colour.

WishIWasAsGoodAsBlueysMum · 13/02/2021 09:44

A pair of decent black trousers and a nice white shirt would probably see him through university/college/holiday job interviews, weddings, funerals etc so might be a good investment. I wouldn’t bother with actual branded uniform though.

AlwaysLatte · 13/02/2021 09:49

I definitely would because otherwise he'll look out of place when he goes, but how about seeing if you can either swap or sell the uniform you do have on FB? Someone else will be glad of it.

AlwaysLatte · 13/02/2021 09:50

I feel your pain though. My son's shoes cost almost £100 back in September and he's definitely outgrown them 😬

oblada · 13/02/2021 09:57

@Ilovemaisie

oblada charity shop are closed. Plus not everyone has the time to go round a dozen different shops to hope they have some trousers in the correct size and colour.

Hopefully they will be opened before the 8th of March if the plan to open schools go ahead. And OP could ring them up and ask. Not such an issue if it saves 50quids why not! I'd do it. Some charity shops also put them on eBay so could check that too.

oblada · 13/02/2021 09:58

For all the clothes outgrown and unworn - eBay and marketplace! Yes it feels like a waste but if schools had been opened it would have been used and still been outgrown, and be more difficult to pass on.

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