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?!

The unneccessary bits were the mouthguard for PE- no one ever wore them.

And 6 quid for the plain calico apron for D&T /food tech, which was used once.

Plus if you got sone fairly rich business owner , making a stand about refusing to pay school uniform shop prices Vs daily mail sad face from someone who works part time at a chip shop...well you see precisely the comments those parents receive under the article. Even if they both had exactly the same valid point only one woukd be listened to.

My daughters school has checked blouses. They are expensive compared to polo shirts at around £12.50 each. However I bought largish for reception and each of my daughters got 3 years out of them. So overall they are very cost effective!

I don’t have kids at secondary yet and I’m really shocked at these prices. How can the school possibly justify it? I know nobody wants their kids to get picked on for not having the right stuff, but what if a critical mass of parents just said “we refuse to pander to these ridiculous expectations” and sent their kids in the plain/non-branded/supermarket stuff? I am also disgusted to learn that schools hand out detentions for not having the right uniform. How completely pointless.

The problem is what do you do when enterprising academies can turn a profit on selling branded stuff, and offer up lists of kit that is "optional"? In some areas with a lot of affluent children many parents will buy it anyway as a subtle way of supporting the school. This happens at my local primary - all the children have the uniform PE tracksuits, logo polo shirt etc.

The fairest way would be if there's a local grant provided to enable less well off parents to buy it and a requirement for schools to promote second hand sales.

what if a critical mass of parents just said “we refuse to pander to these ridiculous expectations” and sent their kids in the plain/non-branded/supermarket stuff?

Plenty of parents love schools with smart uniform. Supermarket stuff always has fashion concessions and style variations that mean it doesnt look consistent. The Asda red jumper will be a different shade to the sainsburys one etc. There will always be a decent chunk of parents in well off areas who are happy to buy the logo uniform. Also where I live you can buy it all second hand easily as cheaply as supermarket stuff - people give it away for free on the local buy sell page.

I'm quite fortunate that my secondary school only needs very limited logo's - blazer, jumper, tie and pe top. Everything else can be from anyway. Most of the other local schools have a very long list of exact requirements.

DD's state cofe secondary required:

Blazer £90
Striped blouses £27 each or £30 for two
Jumper with stripe £27
Logo'd sweatshirt £27
Plain skirt £27
Embroidered PE hoodie £31
PE shorts £19
PE Polo (bog standard)
Indoor trainers/outdoor trainers
Leotard (£20) - never worn

2009. Such a sought after school. The behaviour was so atrocious we moved her after twobyears and before she grew into the uniform.

It just seems really selfish for the better-off parents to perpetuate the whole thing, then. Just because they can afford it doesn’t mean others can. If richer parents take a stand and refuse to buy into it, then it won’t be less well-off kids who stand out - everyone will just be the same.

State education is meant to be free. This is just a stealth tax. If richer parents want to make donations to the school then they can, but I fail to see why shoddy overpriced sweatshop uniforms need to be the vehicle for that.

The thing is ifigoup whilst dd and her chums wore leggings and sweatshirts the girls from poorer families were dolled up to the nines outside school so actually I think it is often a matter of priorities.

But why should they have to prioritise uniform over their out of school clothes or other stuff?

U do realise roses that clothes can be gotten from everywhere. Jumble sakes, ebay, passed from friends or family anywhere in tbe country. And from.pmaces like.primark and supermarkets. Of course its easier to get hold of and possible to make use of and have more of, than trying to match am age 10-11 girls check skirt that's no more than 1 inch above the knee with logo from.X school in X colour from.X house etc when you only know a couple of parents with boys who got in last year.

I really hope the bill goes through. DS is long and lean so I get him the longer length trousers from Sainsburys, I don't know how kids who don't fit standard sizes are supposed to manage without looking scruffy.
I also think it's a bit of a hygiene issue as well, my School had silly uniforms and some of the girls (single sex school) absolutely stank because they had to re wear uniform due to not having enough logo shirts and jumpers.

DS is still primary I should add.

My DD teaches at a private school, at the moment and for the last year they go to school in PE kit, they don’t have dance outfits or drama outfits and never have had. I’m shocked at some of the uniformed
required.

My DS and DD also went to the same school and the second hand sale was always mobbed. My DD is looking for the school pinafore for my grandaughter second hand.

The only unnecessary uniform my son needed was an off white wool jumper and shorts which was worn on two days of the year but that was scrapped a few years ago. My DD had the school Summer dress which was expensive but managed to get through the whole primary with it, I bought it long and it grew with her. We passed it on to a neighbour.

Bare feet for drama will be because of the flooring in their drama studio (very expensive and easily damaged). Drama teacher here!

The Tvshirt thing is bloody ridiculous though. I mean, yes a T shirt is easier to move around in than a shirt for drama so I do understand that, but why does it have to be a logo one and different from PE?

The no boots thing riles me too. It’s all gone too far. Our local secondary is one of these branded hockey skirts ones. It’s a great school and I’ve got ages til my kids go there (they’re almost 4 and 1 years old now!) but I have no idea how I’ll afford all this when they do go. It’s terrifying actually!!!!

I’d forgotten about the gum shields £14 each - never worn. All white trainers too - not allowed to be too shoe like. And the school she’s and not allowed to be too trainer like - try finding those when you have kids with narrow fit. You’d think our educators would maybe trying focusing on delivering an education instead of behaving like the jumped up non fashion police. I really hate the stress we have endured through the years trying to jump through hoops to meet the uniform requirements. It’s all very silly and expensive - I have no idea how people on low incomes manage to buy it all and how do schools live with themselves for causing such hardship.

@Bigoldmachine

Bare feet for drama will be because of the flooring in their drama studio (very expensive and easily damaged). Drama teacher here!

The Tvshirt thing is bloody ridiculous though. I mean, yes a T shirt is easier to move around in than a shirt for drama so I do understand that, but why does it have to be a logo one and different from PE?

The no boots thing riles me too. It’s all gone too far. Our local secondary is one of these branded hockey skirts ones. It’s a great school and I’ve got ages til my kids go there (they’re almost 4 and 1 years old now!) but I have no idea how I’ll afford all this when they do go. It’s terrifying actually!!!!

That makes sense, thanks for pointing out the reasoning behind bare feet for drama. I do feel for the girls in bare feet and bare legs with their skirts. If it’s necessary to change, wouldn’t shorts or leggings be better?

And as you say, even if a different top is necessary, there’s no practical difference between a PE polo shirt and a drama polo shirt!

I think the UK's issue is the uniform. Children in France don't have it and en-masse look so much better in jeans and a tee-shirt with a hoodie.

I got as much as I could from M&S: shirts, navy Jumpers, blazer which I sewed school badge on, grey trousers for DS. The blazer has adjustable sleeves so should last ages. I got from school outfitters or second hand uniform, kilt for DD, various items of branded PE kit including swimming costume.

Some kit eg jogging trousers, PE polo, PE jumper and tie can be passed from DD to DS but not kilt / skort / swimming costume...

Why does a swimming costume need to be logoed? And how often do they even go swimming?

I completely agree with this bill. We are in Scotland and the threads about branded school uniform are like another universe to me. I cannot believe what schools in England get away with charging, having single suppliers, demanding branded everything from bags to jumpers.

My kids are at a state secondary in Scotland which is usually right at the top of the performance tables - it's a great school. The only things they need "branded" are the blazer, which is a washable recycled polyester one which costs about £32 and a tie which is £5. That's it. Nothing else is even available to buy. The rest of the uniform is black/white - and you can get black school skirts/trousers and white shirts anywhere.

At primary schools it's more common for schools to sell sweatshirts or jumpers with the school logo, but again it's a choice of wear it or don't wear it. Most schools choose a standard colour like navy, royal blue, green, maroon - really easy to buy anywhere.

Private schools are a different matter.

Oh and our school's PE kit rule is simple - dark shorts, light coloured T-shirt. No football shirts, no offensive slogans or alcohol/cigarette branding. Jogging bottoms and hoodies for winter. Any trainers.

Last time a child needed kit I bought DD sports leggings, a hoodie and a running vest thing from Primark.

I imagine if you just got a plain black or navy swimming costume no one would even notice so could probably get one from JD Sports.