School uniform costs: un-necessary items

[LLWK]

I was reading the recent news of Mike Amesbury's private members bill, that seeks to reduce the cost of school uniforms. It looks mainly at the "single supplier" issue that drives costs up, sometimes to a ridiculous level. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56376138

I also got to looking at uniforms for some local secondary schools (although my children are still at primary). What struck me was that costs could be reduced by not only increasing suppliers, but by cutting out items that aren't strictly necessary. One local comprehensive requires a branded PE kit (fair enough); but also a dance kit of a different polo shirt, with school and departmental logo; and them for that polo shirt to be worn for drama lessons, with regular uniform trousers or skirts, and the pupils in bare feet. Can dance not just be done in PE kit, and does drama really require a different top and no shoes, socks or tights? Or am I stuck in the past?!

@inappropriateraspberry

Unpicking not unlocking!

I actually picked up some stuff for PE from John Lewis, as the prices were good. Two pack of navy joggers for £14, two pack of navy sweatshirts for £12, and PE shorts for £4. They go in wearing PE kit twice a week, so joggers and sweatshirt are necessary even on days when PE is in the hall.

I hate these rules so much. I’d be all over the chair of governors on this, complain complain complain. It is fully unjustified, and a major source of inequality where students need to have visibly worn/handed down items because parents can’t afford to replace. The usual excuse of uniform being a leveller doesn’t apply when people can’t access the uniform in the first place.

Basic uniform for dd3 at secondary school wasnt terrible. Blazer 30, skirts 20, any blue blouse, school tie.
PE kit is ridculos. As she is my third one through I know the following.
Tesco trainers
Don't buy football boots until they are needed (They may never be).
But other than that, unless kids are in teams why do they need branded PE tops? I mean they are only wearing them in school who presumably already know that's their blinking school!

And yes, fuck all schools who insist on a single supplier. Fuck them entirely.

Our school uniform is:

generic black trousers/skirt
generic black jumper/sweatshirt (no large logos)
generic white shirt
generic black shoes or all black trainers
generic any colour shorts/leggings and tshirt for pe (no large logos)

school tie
logo'd blazer - recommended for senior years, mandatory for prefects.

Kids look smart.

I hate the unnecessary items! My sons football boots are literally brand new and unworn and now don’t fit, he hasn’t once worn his rugby top, all of these items were compulsory, why not say “football is during XYZ term so boots needed for XYZ term” ??? And if they aren’t going to be forced to wear the rugby top, why have it? And the mouth guard....worst thing is my son is between me and his dad 50/50 so had 2 of every single item 😫

YANBU the branded stuff is extortionate, especially the socks, they are £5 for one pair at our school!

Our school uniform is:

Fancy grey wool blazer with red piping
Tartan skirt (obviously cheap plain black for the boys )
Tie with school logo
Generic white shirts
Logo PE shorts
Logo PE top
Generic green socks
Outdoor logo PE tracksuit (top and trousers)
3G pitch football boots

It’s so expensive, the blazers are £40 each!

@RandomUsernameHere

YANBU the branded stuff is extortionate, especially the socks, they are £5 for one pair at our school!

PE socks or everyday socks? Not that either is reasonable!

I think my husband's school had the right idea. School supplies the uniform which is secondhand (clean obviously). Shame all schools can't do it this way.

PE socks £7.50 here. Branded.

My DC school recently announced that they were going to change the PE kit to give children more choice what to wear so they felt comfortable. I assumed this would be a change for the better but actually all they have done is added a whole range of additional logo'd items that can be purchased- so obviously Y7 all want parents to buy everything. I used to think I was in favour of school uniform as a leveller but all I see now is that the better of children have well fitting new looking expensive logo'd kit and the poorest children have well worn/ripped, badly fitting previously expensive logo's kit. The school do have a second hand uniform sale every so often but the stuff is such poor quality that hardly any used uniform is saleable.

@CongealedCrags

PE socks £7.50 here. Branded.

Are they made with gold thread?!

Which school brands PE socks FFS?

When I passed to go to the grammar school in the early 60s, my parents had to take out a loan with the Pru to pay for my uniform. The uniform and associated costs like a hockey stick and world atlas were more than my dad's weekly pay from his factory job (£35).

My daughter's school insists on everything from the school supplier.

Her summer dresses are £48. Each.

They also changed the uniform the year she started and she is tall. So there's no chance of buying anything second hand.

At ds's school the dance top was optional and only for those who took dance as an option. They don't offer drama. Everyone else wore PE kit.

The uniform was fairly simple comapred to some

Grey trousers or skirt (skirts had to be one of two styles, trousers could be any)
White Shirt
School Tie
School badged blazer
Optional specific jumper
PE logo polo shirt
Specific rugby shirt
Shorts in a specified colour
Optional PE logo hoody
Optional specific PE jogging bottoms

I thought some of the stuff I got for Dd was unnecessary but it’s all been used now!

If only things like dance tops were optional. At the school I looked at (and where DSs could go ina few years) it's one style of shorts/skort for PE, and a different style for dance and drama. One style of polo shirt for PE, a different one for dance and drama. And if DC has dance and drama on consecutive days, you'd need two polo shirts. As for why they need to change tops for drama, but not trousers/skirts, I'm at a loss.

I think schools should be made to run a second hand uniform shop. Lost property (unnamed) could go in each half term to boost stocks
Regular drives for donations.
Coats and bags too

I dont think schools want the.pesky.paupers who can't afford new.

Why else would they :

Insist on names sewn on.pe kits

Different ties/shirts/ piping/logos for different years /houses/forms.

You now have to match size , sex, house/form and change all your kids names to Lily masters /Thomas Cooper by deedpoll to be able to re use anything.

Its wasteful, discriminatory and unnecessary.

Uniform if required should be easily accessible and affordable. Get rid of logos etc what magic powers does a 35 pound logod blazer have that a 10 generic black.asda blazer doesn't?

YANBU. It's ridiculous and must be so difficult for those on benefits or low paid jobs, particularly if you have a few children. DD started Secondary this year; luckily the school paid for the logo parts of the uniform for new starters which was a blazer, jumper, tie, PE hoodie and PE polo shirt, all worth £100. Obviously we'll have to pay for replacements but non logo'd stuff would be a third of the cost. Plus all the other cheaper bits that add up. They need 3 different types of socks which is flippin' daft!

My colleague sends her child to a school who insist on all branded uniform, only available from the school shop at a ridiculous price. They also change it ever so slightly every year, so you can’t wear something for more than one year, you can’t pass items down to younger siblings and you can’t buy second hand. Schools are using uniform as a way to weed out the poorer children. There’s no way on earth my Mum could’ve sent me to a school like that growing up, even with the clothing grant.

@LLWK

If only things like dance tops were optional. At the school I looked at (and where DSs could go ina few years) it's one style of shorts/skort for PE, and a different style for dance and drama. One style of polo shirt for PE, a different one for dance and drama. And if DC has dance and drama on consecutive days, you'd need two polo shirts. As for why they need to change tops for drama, but not trousers/skirts, I'm at a loss.

Bizarre By dc's wear the same shorts and t-shirt for whatever type of PE or drama or dance they do (they don't actually get changed for drama though)

I think it is awful the price of uniform. Mine are at primary and the school are great. Uniform is "optional but strongly encouraged".
So every kid wears a uniform but if they outgrow something and you can't replace it straight away. The school don't pull you up.

My DD outgrew her shoes and had to go in pink ankle boots for 2 days. They didn't bat an eyelid.
Don't get me started on the crappy school shoes styles though and the prices! That is soley down to retailers though.

Yanbu. My dc are at private though. But it is ridiculous. Even worse is that the logos and uniforms are changed every 2nd year so it can't be purchased second hand or passed to siblings. Every extra curricular comes with its own kit as well.