School uniform prices at primary age

[XChocolate1cheesecake]

My daughter is 6. Her school have a specific skirt that's a kilt. Cost between £18-21.
They have banned a local company from charging £2 per logo to stitch on the schools logo to generic clothing. So now your child's got to have the expensive stuff or not have the logo. They are currently charging

£10.50 for one polo t-shirt (that's £31.50 for 3)
2 skirts will cost £36
The cardigans are £14-£16 each (£28 for 2)
Then she needs plimsolls, trainers, shoes, sports kit for in and outdoors.

This year she has barely worn her uniform as they are in pe kits for two days or extra activity days.

Asda it's £6 for 2 cardigans.
£3 for 2 polo tops.

I am not sure yet if many other parents will bother with the logo. But in my view it's making children unequal. It keeps at seems alot of money. Or am I being tight?

I've always managed to get her logos embroided on before so debating this year what to do.

Found this for you

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachmentdata/file/514978/SchoollUniformGuidance.pdf

Is this for a private school? If not, banning the company the stitches the logo on is really mean, I tend to buy the logo stuff off the official website and the rest from normal cheaper shops. Our uniform is extortionate, sports tops are £40 and they generally need two. Blazers are £70 and jumpers £30. Trousers £30. All need to be branded. My dcs have lost £100 worth of uniform recently.

Can you buy second hand? My child is starting school in sept and I’ve managed to get their whole uniform, including 5 logo t shirt, 2 logo water proof coats, 1 logo fleece and 5 logo jumpers for £20.

This is ridiculous. I'd campaign the school. I'm sure plenty of other parents would join you.

Yes that's ridiculous. Our primary (in line with most) has logos on the jumpers / cardigans (£11), which they ask everyone to have.
Polo shirts can be plain or you can buy school logo ones (£8).
Everything else is easily available in supermarkets / shops (grey trousers / shorts / skirt / pinafore, blue gingham dress in summer).
But yes to secondhand. It's better for your wallet and also for the planet. Especially for younger kids who grow out of it quickly and will often ruin it with bloody whiteboard pen stains.

I just buy mostly non logo stuff from a supermarket.

Almost everyone at DC primary school buys a logo cardigan for the photos and then everything else is plain.

4yo children don't care about lifestyle and financial differences between peers.

I’m sure I’ve read that unless it’s a private school the uniform has to be accessible for all aka not ridiculously expensive sort of thing

I’d just buy the cardigans with the logo if you can afford them.

Do they have a swap shop at all? My sons starting school this September and they run one and you donate what you can/feel like. Admittedly they only want kids in branded jumpers/cardigans and they’re £9 new but I’m still aiming to get 2nd hand ones.

Hi. No it's not a private school.
It's so expensive isn't it. I have no choice but to buy the kilts. You can wear a black skirt but not one other girl wears them. They all have the kilt.

It's also £2 cheaper for the boys sweaters compared to cardigans. Plus boys can get their trousers at any shop.

I can't decide whether to get one cardigan and two skirts and get the rest in Asda. At least then most of the week she has a logo. I just know kids can be mean and she also likes the animal logo and will ask for it.

I'm dreading secondary school age.

Exactly that with stains. They end up bobbly and stained or lost!

@Onceuponatime1818
That's a bargain. They do have second handle sales but it's often abit worn and they have tubs of it that never seem to sell.

@threeteenstaximum
Thanks I'll have a look. X

It probably looks smart though and presumably it's considered a good school. In my opinion parents choose a school because of how good it is. Things like uniform do set a high standard and once you go down the route of cheap supermarket polo shirts it just doesn't look as smart.

You could go to a school that has students in generic £2 polo shirts & all students in random design of skirts. But my guess is that it won't be such a high performing school. Unfortunately things like strict uniform tie in with better behaviour. I can't explain why, but it does.

Mine went to a Catholic school which had strict uniform & for first few years they were there I was completely broke but accepted the uniform as we knew before they went that it was stricter than other schools - £17 for summer dress, £21 for logo jumper etc.

My feeling is you have a choice - school where they look smart or school where you pay less but the pupils look scruffy.

Presumably you could buy one skirt if it's only alternate days & surely they have second hand?

My DD starts school in September and prices are similar and I just feel it’s ridiculous. I can’t understand why we need polo shirts with logos on and it just feels like money making scheme yet I’m not sure the school make money from it so I’m even more confused by their motive. I’ve spent the best part of £200 on uniform and that doesn’t even include shoes

@converseandjeans all the schools in my town have a similar approach to uniform so it’s not been a choice for us.

Our primary is the other way around, it's the children who's families are given vouchers for the local uniform shop that wear the expensive logo'd clothes and anyone who has to buy their own has supermarket uniform. The cheap uniform was one of the reasons for choosing the school.

The school could save money by giving families supermarket uniform I'd imagine?

@converseandjeans

Yes they look smart and it's just one of four primary schools near where I live. Yes they are ever so slightly better on the latest Ofsted.

The branded stuff is still made out of the same material as an Asda top though isn't it? It's just the company that are embroiding for the school want to make a profit so it becomes pricey. Where as Asda don't need to make so much profit from a polo top. So they can afford to sell them cheaper and get many sales.

I don't think it's about children being scruffy. Where I live it's not about being posh. It's a market town and has various estates. There's some areas with posh houses that are large. But a majority of people here live in a standard 3 bedroom semi detached. Often ex council houses. So it's not really a class thing.

As much as I understand the need for affordable uniform, it does bother me that supermarkets, etc. are able to sell clothing so cheaply.

Our school runs a free uniform stall several times a year. Parents donate old uniform and the parent council run the stall. Any donations given go to school funds. We get huge amounts returned and redistributed.

We have quite a big push on being green and reusing clothes and so there is no stigma (particularly in the infant classes) attached to kids using the second hand uniform either.

I have 5 sets of everything as I've no desire to run around panicking over washing things, so this logo business would bankrupt me.
Just buy 2 or 3 kilts, presumably they'll last a few years? Then a load of supermarket clothes. I guarantee no 6 year old will wonder about logos, they are too busy having fun and learning.

‘ You could go to a school that has students in generic £2 polo shirts & all students in random design of skirts. But my guess is that it won't be such a high performing school.’

I think that’s rubbish. We’re at a very high achieving leafy primary and I don’t have a single logo’d or branded outfit for mine. I just think it’s totally unnecessary especially for little ones.

I always find it interesting through that the two local preps to me have the youngest kids in tracksuits as they’re more practical. Granted they are snazzy branded ones but I’ve very rarely seen state schools following suit.

@Bksjshsbbev2737

If it's not a private school there should be a limit set. A polo shirt with a logo shouldn't be more than £7 each in my view. Cardigans a max of £10. It seems being a girl puts the price of the uniform up alot more.

I got my daughter Clarks shoes for £49 in her first year. But I discovered Sainsbury's shoes and hers have lasted all year for £17. Admittedly they are a tiny bit scuffed now but they will last the rest of this term.

I don't like children being seperated like this. We are not poor or rich. This year she's spent half the school year in her £8 pe kit. I'm getting some wear from her summer dresses now. I am hoping next year or kits can be left at school. As uniform needs to get used for these prices.

You could go to a school that has students in generic £2 polo shirts & all students in random design of skirts. But my guess is that it won't be such a high performing school.’

As a teacher I find the opposite, the stricter the uniform= the school is struggling with discipline

I'd voice my complaints, especially about the kilt skirt. Parents of boys won't have the same expense.

I don't actually see how a school can ban an independent shop from embroidering garments.
Have they trademarked the badge?

I reckon if you take the plunge and use a supermarket skirt others will follow..they are likely just waiting for someone to be the first.

That kind of expensive uniform is bow schools stop people they think will bring the marks down and need more support from applying.

Anyone who's poor , has sensory issues so won't cope with it, or disabled in a way the uniform will be difficult to wear just won't bother listing it.

Then they get to look better on ifsted reports .

Uniform should be affordable amd accessible or the point of it is lost completely.

My feeling is you have a choice - school where they look smart or school where you pay less but the pupils look scruffy.
Or a school with good quality logoed clothing so that it is worn for at least two years then passed on, second hand readily available. My child's school had this, there were a lot of old paint stains though .