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?!

Ours is the same the different PE kits alone are over £100. Currently without fitting uniform as the overpriced single supplier is not open during lockdown and their archaic website doesn’t allow for delivery.

When my youngest started secondary school, I ordered his uniform including house P.E kit, my friend who already had a son at the school asked if I’d ordered a rugby top for him, at a cost of £35, I said it wasn’t a necessity but oh no she knew best and insisted he needed one so I added one onto her order and guess what, he starts university in September and has never worn that bloody rugby top. Another thing with his secondary school you had to order the uniform online from the only supplier of their uniform and pay £5.99 postage on top of the already extortionate prices

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 dad passed in the 1940s and couldn't take up the place because his parents couldn't afford the uniform. Sounds like things have not improved much.

@SpaceRaiders

Which school brands PE socks FFS?

Ours are specific colour only available through school supplier at £9 a par and fall apart after a few washes.

When I was a child (late 80's into 90's) everyone bought their school jumpers from wherever and took them to the local shop where they would put the logo on with their sewing machine.

Now we have to buy the jumpers and things from certain places and you have no choice price wise.

I understand why they do it, so everyone has the exact same jumper etc instead of lots of different fabrics and shades, but it's really not necessary.

My sons school has branded PE socks. One supplier only. They start at £15 and 7.50 p&p.

Uniform grant only if you qualified for fsm for a certain period whilst at primary. Been this way here for years. Although this is stopping because of those pesky cut backs.

I also think it's REALLY sneaky of schools to say they don't offer branded uniform, but then specify some weird colour or design which you can only get from one place.

The PE kit stories on here are just horrendous. Absolutely unjustified.

@pointythings

The bill doesn't go nearly far enough. Schools should only be allowed to dictate colours, and should be forced to provide iron /sew on logos for those items which need logos. And these should be provided at cost. No more profiteering off the backs of parents.

That's second best, of course. Best would be the UK getting over its uniform fetish.

I agree.

You can't even find out about uniform costs form our supplier until your child has a place at the school. To log onto their online shop you have to put in your child's details.
PE Dept seems to be the biggest offender - how are they getting away with this? Why are the school's management not more accountable. We are told if you don't like the uniform rules you know where the door is - problem is - all the schools locally have the same rules - there is no options, no choice, suck it up or home educate.

Primary we have logo polo and jumper. Pricey but they do wash amazingly well and last until outgrown - ours been worn by 3 plus kids.

Yy blue our single supplier website is a bit like that.

Means you can't even compare the costs with the others.

Add that too 5 pound delivery and the fact in peak.times it takes weeks to arrive and god knows what parents are meant to do.

I've also never had am order that's not been messed up in some way. I've been sent duplicate items I have to then send back or they don't have some parts in stock so you have to send your kids in and hope they don't get a detention for not having the pe top. I think they know if we could actually see it amd feel it we'd refuse to pay for the shit quality. This way you don't find out til ot arrives and then if you send it back to to order something else you have to pay 5 quid delivery all over again.

High school - pe kit is nike but only the pe top has logo everything else is generic nike. Much cheaper than the local grammars that are all kukuri.

A local secondary to me has branded hijabs for their muslim students, don't know if they are compulsory though

So after 139 messages, it seems I'm not being unreasonable, at least not totally. Some of the stories here are terrible, but I think the branded PE socks at up to £15 a pair wins the prize for most ridiculous!

This bill is not going to change anything it still allows single suppliers and branded uniforms.

I'm surprised there aren't compulsory logoed masks yet.

fruitpastille
I'd heard a rumour that one chain was considering it earlier in the pandemic.

@fruitpastille

I'm surprised there aren't compulsory logoed masks yet.

Don't give them ideas!

My DC attended a top state school in Scotland. Compulsory items are blazer and tie. Black bottoms and shoes and white shirts from anywhere. They have a branded t shirt and fleece for pe but the kids can wear anything as long as its not football related or offensive logos

There are branded jumpers and cards etc but they aren't compulsory and they can wear plain black instead.

@ToffeePennie
Our local secondary school has branded hats, blazers, socks, ties and everything else.
Luckily my family member owns an embroidery business and can effectively “steal” the logo off one pair of socks and then replicate it onto cheaper versions.
That’s what we do with primary uniform.
The last 3 years have cost me less than £30 total because I’ve only had to buy supermarket jumpers and tshirts and got family member to embroider the logo on. No one has ever noticed.

That's absolutely genius!

Our local uniform shop will embroider the logo of any of the schools they deal with onto anything. Some kids would get hoodies done instead of sweatshirts at primary. They will also do the logo for a blazer pocket onto a plain piece of material so it can be sewn onto any blaze. Useful particularly for non standard size DC.

Our secondary insists on everything from one shop except underwear, socks shoes and trainers (though they advise that they will only accept a certain colour or style). When dd was about to start Y7 I spent £400! I've made most of it last by buying things too big and repairing what she has...now she's been the same size in her usual clothes for about a year (except she's still getting taller!) and I'm saving up for Y10-11, because she'll need new skirts and PE kit, no doubt about it. We also have to have a branded rucksack. Her blazer is tatty, and her tracksuit bottoms are ankle swingers! But we can't reduce any costs because they insist on branded everything! It's the same with most local (academy) schools. But interestingly, a local school outperforming ours only insists on the jumper, polo shirt and PE kit being branded, no blazers, and you can buy skirts and trousers from the high street.

@ArtemisiaGentle, a branded rucksack is a new one! When I was at school everyone dumped their bags at lunchtime, so you could only find yours as you knew what it looked like.

@LLWK someone told me it's to stop students buying expensive rucksacks and poorer students not being able to fit in. So we all pay £30+ for the school rucksack. The students use keyrings and patches to customise them so they can distinguish which is which. The teachers tried to stop this but gave up in the end.

What ticks me off the most is the school dictating what kind of coat you can wear to school!

All the secondaries round us say only plain dark coats can be worn to school.

How is it even legal to enforce what you wear off school grounds?

DS has a mostly dark coat and that will have to be good enough, I'm not shelling out for a new coat when he has a perfectly good one.