Not to go all out to get DD new school uniform in a pandemic?

[drspouse]

DD is at the same school that DS used to be at. Uniform was X colour jumpers, white polos, one colour of trousers or skirts, and on PE days it was house colour t-shirt, black or grey leggings and trainers.
When they went back before Easter after lockdown they asked all families (they asked them on the Friday before school opened on the Monday) to send children in school colour joggers (so no longer a choice of black OR grey) or leggings, and trainers every day.

DD has some continence issues too so we have to keep loads of all trousers in, and she still has some larger sized trousers to hand down from DS plus we have bought school shoes ahead for the next size while we found a pair that fit (bought the next size up too).
We pointed out that with the country in lockdown and no shops open, nobody could buy new joggers/leggings in the preferred colour before school opened on the Monday. Fine, said school, do your best.
Then last week before school opened THIS Monday (and all shops, we are in England) they announced that the uniform would be changing permanently (because the "children preferred it") to one colour of leggings or joggers every day, and plain black trainers every day.

It's very hard to find plain colour joggers but I found a few on ebay plus a few leggings (used as I am not into buying new when I don't have to).
But she still has loads of school trousers both bought new for her and next size handed down from DS (plus a couple pairs of joggers handed down from him) and at least 3 pairs of school shoes/non-black trainers.
It's almost impossible to find plain black trainers (especially not if you don't want plimsolls or sweaty plastic. £42 leather trainers from Clarks when she already has shoes that fit?).
AIBU to just carry on with what we have till she grows out of it all in about 3 years' time as she's smaller than DS?
Or is the school NBU to expect us all to chuck out all our school uniform bottoms and shoes and find plain black trainers and sports bottoms in the middle of a school year in a pandemic, and sod the environment?

I notice on the school run this morning that there were black joggers with stripes, pink trainers, some girls still in skirts, school trousers with non-black trainers, school shoes, grey leggings, etc. etc.

This sounds really unreasonable to me. It’s really wasteful and not realistic to expect everyone to be able to dash out and replace perfectly good uniform within a couple of days or even weeks. If this was going to be introduced then maybe they should at least wait until September. When my children’s school updated their uniforms there was a ‘grace period’ of about three years so that families could continue to hand down to younger siblings if they wanted to. Even after three years I’m sure school would not have minded.

Lack of notice is unreasonable. Lack of consideration for family finances given many people have lost jobs or are on reduced income.

However, leggings or joggers are just disgraceful as an idea for a school uniform, other than joggers for PE. I know of schools who are ridiculously over the top when it comes to the detail and enforcement of uniform, but this is the opposite extreme.

Plain black, grey or navy joggers available at Marks and Spencer’s and Asda, I’ve just bought some. Admittedly “boys” ones but they’re no different to “girls ones” except in colour. Plain leggings were also available in navy, black, grey, blue....

By all means be cross about a sudden change in uniform but I think arguing you can’t buy plain jogging bottoms or leggings is just going to make you sound ridiculous.

With a year’s notice I’d be absolutely thrilled if my children’s school announced this - if we were designing practical clothes for young children, especially girls, I seriously doubt we’d pick gingham dresses, collared shirts, t-bar shoes, even worse ties... it’s just because it’s “traditional” and people think it looks cute. I’d sign up for joggers, trainers and school sweatshirt anyday.

George has no plain joggers in various sizes (including DD size; some tiny sizes are in stock).
Tu has no plain joggers at all in the right colour. (I didn't search for any other colour).
Those are the only two retailers that you can get to locally (small town). M&S have almost no clothes in though of course you can walk in and order but their plain joggers are OOS in all sizes above DDs (so we could order in but as I can buy online I'll be going on eBay as she grows out of her current trousers).
Tesco with clothes is 15 miles away. Morrisons has very few. No more BHS, we've never had a Debenhams. If you can't shop online (and a lot of people still only buy from shops and use cash) you are really in trouble.
H&M multi pack is one grey, one black and one navy and at £17.99 that's a bit much for one pair for school! They also have mottled black. JD Sports we do have (huge queue today!) and they have a shed load of logo or stripe black joggers so that would be why I see so many on the school run.
Like I say, we can afford it and we can buy online. Not everyone can.
And it is a really bad time of year with most stocks run down before the normal school uniform buying season in July/August. September would make more sense.
If they are going to look sporty/dressed down I'd rather they just made uniform optional!

Have you tried Asda today? My dc has sensory issues and will only wear joggers and they had restocked the slim fit black joggers in the school section online. All sizes were there when I snatched some earlier.

Ds's school has now put him on an attendance plan.
For when he missed 1 day after I refused him being put in isolation for a second day for having plain black trainers on as his school shoes were broken and the shops were shut...
Roll on 8am so I can speak to them..
Bonkers.
.

@NippyNippy

Have you tried Asda today? My dc has sensory issues and will only wear joggers and they had restocked the slim fit black joggers in the school section online. All sizes were there when I snatched some earlier.

Just because your asda has stock doesn't mean every other asda has stock too.

Although I see you said online, sorry

@drspouse

Primary schools can't enforce uniform

I'm afraid this is a myth.

Our headteacher told us they couldn’t enforce uniform!

My children’s likely secondary school uniform can only be purchased online. All their logo primary school stuff, albeit semi optional, is online. I don’t think the school has gone about this well (they should be giving at least a couple of terms notice), but the notion that you should be able to buy all your child’s uniform with cash in a local supermarket, when you live in a small town, is ridiculous. Online shopping is the way everything is going.

Besides, it’s going to be summer soon. I’d start thinking about shorts...

Loads of black joggers for 6 year old girls on Amazon prime.

Next online and George online for plain joggers. Always in stock when we want them, which is often as DS won't wear anything else.

@Leapyleaffrog the school is aware that some families don't shop online and most summers you order from school in June and pick up the day before school opens. Not just logo stuff either.
If they can't get stocks at the notice they have given it seems a bit unrealistic to expect us to!

Sainsburys do cheap black plain trainers.

Tu has no plain joggers at all in the right colour

What colour do they have to be?
You keep talking about plain colour joggers so it's not clear whether you mean black joggers or red or green or what.

black trainers can be bought in store or delivered...
direct.asda.com/george/school/girls-school-shoes-trainers/girls-black-butterfly-2-strap-trainer-school-shoes/GEM754862,default,pd.html?cgid=D10M20G1C3
BUT i'd send dd in shoes you've already bought for her.

it has been hard to find PE kit, but its getting easier now to buy online.
however, i think school cant reasonably make a fuss if she has a school top on, and whatever bottoms on for the short term.

They are supposed to be plain black @Dithercats though I'm sure lots will buy those ones! No butterflies, no Nike logos, etc etc.

Asda on line has plain black joggers atm !

I'm not sure why you're making such a fuss about school jiggers being so difficult to source. I've never had an issue and they're readily available in supermarkets, matalan, primary, m&s, John Lewis, eBay,.... List goes on.

The change from shoes to trainers I'd take issue with if the current ones fit.

England school governing boards are supposed to discuss uniform changes and, in particular, the impact of changes on families, including the timing of any changes, before they can them in. Perhaps start by asking to see the minutes of the governing board meeting where the change to uniform was discussed and agreed. And then approach the parent governors about timing (and any other disagreements).

Government guidance on school uniform policy

All this "ooh lots of shops have them in", they don't have many sizes, DD size is missing, they don't have any in store, I don't know why everyone gets so up in arms about things being "easy to find" when we already looked.
It's like when I wanted cotton school trousers for DS and everyone INSISTED I could get them from M&S and refused to believe they had no sizes in.
DD has loads of trousers that fit. I'm not spending time and money looking for new ones, and I at least have money if not time.

@BoomBoomsCousin

England school governing boards are supposed to discuss uniform changes and, in particular, the impact of changes on families, including the timing of any changes, before they can them in. Perhaps start by asking to see the minutes of the governing board meeting where the change to uniform was discussed and agreed. And then approach the parent governors about timing (and any other disagreements).

Government guidance on school uniform policy

That is a really good idea. They asked the children - not the parents!

They've said "do your best". You've done your best, now go with what you have. There's probably just a blip in school joggers supply because it's the start of term. Maybe other schools are saying the same or keeping the joggers-all-day-on-PE-days thing going longer than parents had anticipated.

Similarly with shoes, send her in her school shoes on normal days and trainers (of whatever colour she has) on PE days, and look to replace in Sept. That is "doing your best", or at least due diligence done.

@drspouse
The 'boys' ones are all black....but some won't put DD in 'boys' shoes. The butterflys are much less noticeable in the flesh as it were as it happens 👍.
But as I said I'd use up what you already have, I think thats reasonable certainly till the new year in September!