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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think schools shouldn't be making an income from uniforms

81 replies

Mountaingoatling · 22/06/2021 09:01

I buy my nephew and my niece their school uniform. I pay for it and take them Back to School shopping. They are 9 and 7.

I have found out that for each item I buy (we have to shop at their official supplier), the school receives 50p per item. It's £1 for a blazer.

One part of me thinks, this only means me contributing to the school about £25 a year. It's a state school.

Another part thinks this is really dodgy! The school aren't upfront about it and the official supplier is expensive. Not all parents can afford this (the reason I buy school uniform is my brother and SIL can't easily afford it).

Is this the normal??

YABU - it is normal and not a big deal; schools need the money

YANBU - parents shouldn't have to subsidise the school unless they want to voluntarily and these deals don't help parents

OP posts:
SummerBreeze1980 · 22/06/2021 13:06

I think all uniform should be able to be bought at a supermarket. At my DD's school (an academy) they have some logo items but they are not compulsory. They also have a 2nd hand shop that sell items for 50p. I've had lots of things from there and when my DD grows out of something I donate it.

Maray1967 · 22/06/2021 13:11

Some governing bodies especially of academies appear to be using expensive uniform to weed out lower income applicants under the claim of encouraging smart appearance.
Where on earth in the world of work do trousers have to have coloured piping? Or skirts need to be plaid kilts? This has to stop and it’s the thing that I would stop immediately if I were PM. Uniforms would only be allowed to have a school sew on badge and a tie. Everything else would be plain and purchased from high street stores or supermarkets. Plain trousers, skirts, jumpers etc.
And remember that there is a sex issue here. I have boys thank god. I can get good plain black trousers in a pack of two at sensible prices. Girls at school have to have kilts at almost £40 a go.

TeacupDrama · 22/06/2021 13:12

I would limit it to a single logo item for state schools
primary a sweatshirt ( just one can wear plain one in school colour when in wash)
secondary a sweatshirt or a badge to sew on a generic blazer but not both and a school tie
There is no need for logo on shirts skirts trousers coats or jumpers if wearing a blazer or any sports kits or bags
PE kit should just be a school colour t shirt with black sports shorts, joggers or leggings plus one pair of trainers for all sports

lilyofthewasteland · 22/06/2021 13:15

How did you find out?

I consider it a bit corrupt if they force parents to use one supplier and are dishonest about doing so for their own financial gain.

RedAndGreenPlaid · 22/06/2021 13:40

@khakiandcoral what your point essentially boils down to is: schools with expensive uniforms keep out the riffraff; I can afford to buy a place in an excellent school via house prices, so therefore anyone can.

khakiandcoral · 22/06/2021 13:48

RedAndGreenPlaid

or more accurately, why do people expect getting everything for free these days, and refuse to spend a penny on anything school related because 'it should be free don't you know", when it's for their own children?

RedAndGreenPlaid · 22/06/2021 13:48

@Maray1967 at my DC's school, the upper school girls' blouses are over £20 each, whilst boys can wear white shirts from tesco/Asda etc Girls are also supposed to wear logod trousers (almost £25) but again boys' are plain Hmm
This is a school with ~25% on pupil premium grant Confused
It is outrageous that a shirt for daily use should cost £20 for a child. My children have five shirts each, but God knows how you'd manage if you had to wait to go to the launderette etc.

RedAndGreenPlaid · 22/06/2021 13:49

@khakiandcoral

RedAndGreenPlaid

or more accurately, why do people expect getting everything for free these days, and refuse to spend a penny on anything school related because 'it should be free don't you know", when it's for their own children?

Free? I pay thousands upon thousands in taxes every year- it's not free in any way!
RedAndGreenPlaid · 22/06/2021 13:51

And if a family does not pay many thousands in tax, because their income is low, why should their children not get an excellent education too?
Who will suffer from all children having an excellent education?
We all suffer when only a small proportion of society receive an excellent education

khakiandcoral · 22/06/2021 13:53

You would pay the same amount of tax if you didn't have children, or they would have access to the exact same school if you didn't pay any tax though.

And your tax already pay for the school, the staff training and education, the staff salaries, the school running costs, the supplies, the books...

Still unfair to resent spending a few £ on a uniform, when the children would have to wear some clothes anyway!

khakiandcoral · 22/06/2021 13:54

And if a family does not pay many thousands in tax, because their income is low, why should their children not get an excellent education too?

AGAIN... it doesn't matter how much or how little tax you pay, ALL the kids have access to the exact same education in this country!

khakiandcoral · 22/06/2021 13:54

*unless parents pay for private schools obviously.

Deadleaf29 · 22/06/2021 14:01

“Still unfair to resent spending a few £ on a uniform, when the children would have to wear some clothes anyway!”

I don’t resent spending on my child. I give massive amounts of time and money to my child’s school. But if they announced they wanted me to spend £15 per jumper just so it had a pretty picture on it yeah, I’d resent that. It’s just a waste. I’d rather just give them the money than funnel it through uniform suppliers. I’ll give the school my full support in things that matter to education and children’s wellbeing. I’m not interested in helping them exclude other children from a great school by insisting a jumper has a picture on it or some trousers have red piping down the sides. Fortunately our HT has some sense and merely asks for particular colours, enforced pragmatically. Excellent and inclusive school, diverse range of happy parents and children.

Deadleaf29 · 22/06/2021 14:02

“ALL the kids have access to the exact same education in this country”

< Parents of children with special needs like mine fall about laughing hysterically. >

JustLyra · 22/06/2021 14:04

@khakiandcoral

And if a family does not pay many thousands in tax, because their income is low, why should their children not get an excellent education too?

AGAIN... it doesn't matter how much or how little tax you pay, ALL the kids have access to the exact same education in this country!

You’ve never been in many schools if you think all children receive the same education.

Education standards vary massively.

khakiandcoral · 22/06/2021 14:07

@Deadleaf29

“ALL the kids have access to the exact same education in this country”

< Parents of children with special needs like mine fall about laughing hysterically. >

you are arguing about the lack of (necessary) specific arrangements.

Children with special needs have access to the same education and school place as any other child - part of the problem.

RedAndGreenPlaid · 22/06/2021 14:09

@khakiandcoral

You would pay the same amount of tax if you didn't have children, or they would have access to the exact same school if you didn't pay any tax though.

And your tax already pay for the school, the staff training and education, the staff salaries, the school running costs, the supplies, the books...

Still unfair to resent spending a few £ on a uniform, when the children would have to wear some clothes anyway!

No my children could not access the same school if we didn't live where we do- this is my whole point! We can access it because our income/assets/wealth are well above average.
Deadleaf29 · 22/06/2021 14:11

“Children with special needs have access to the same education and school place as any other child - part of the problem.”

No, they don’t.

They might have a school place at the same school. But you are in absolute cuckoo land if you think that means genuine equality of access to appropriate and high quality education.

RedAndGreenPlaid · 22/06/2021 14:13

I will suggest you go and read the SN boards on here- you will have your eyes opened. There are children with additional needs that have had absolutely no education for the last almost 18 months.
Children fighting to get a school place that even approximates appropriate provision.
Special education has been cut and cut and cut.

khakiandcoral · 22/06/2021 14:13

Deadleaf29

You didn't read me properly, they have the same place and education.
It's not what they need, that's the point.

But no child get access to anything adapted to their individual needs in state school, that's true too.

khakiandcoral · 22/06/2021 14:15

RedAndGreenPlaid

Don't be disingenuous, there need to be a criteria to accept children. Hmm The geographical one is the only one that makes sense. You open a school to local children.

If you live somewhere else, you have a space in one of the nearest schools with space.

Deadleaf29 · 22/06/2021 14:15

” You didn't read me properly, they have the same place and education.”

Yes I did. You said access to. They don’t have access to. Having a place in a classroom is not access to education.

CiaoForNiao · 22/06/2021 14:20

Meanwhile in the real world, rather than the one inhabited by @khakiandcoral...

Not all eduction is equal. If it were all schools would have the same OFSTEAD rating rather than some being classed as failing and others outstanding. Of course if you can afford to live in the areas with outstanding schools your children get the best state education available. If you can only afford a house with poor, or failing schools then they don't have the same opportunities.

And BTW talking about parents "choosing" to fund tutors for grammar schools (or whatever your exact wording was) is frankly insulting to parents working their fucking arses off in MW jobs and still only just covering the bills. Which day do you suggest we don't feed the DC/turn the electricity off so they can have a tutor instead ffs.

Skysblue · 22/06/2021 14:23

Pretty sure that’s illegal in English law. As in, a secret commission a criminal offence under the bribery and corruption act. Unless it’s made clear to the customer that there is a commission etc.
This is not legal advice etc.

RedAndGreenPlaid · 22/06/2021 14:23

@khakiandcoral

RedAndGreenPlaid

Don't be disingenuous, there need to be a criteria to accept children. Hmm The geographical one is the only one that makes sense. You open a school to local children.

If you live somewhere else, you have a space in one of the nearest schools with space.

It's not disingenuous- you're the one blatantly pretending everyone can access the same standard of education, when that is patently untrue.

I disagree that geographical location is the best allocation method. Children should have access to schools which best meet their needs. That would be a truly child-centric education model.