AIBU or Does this sound about right for first year of school uniform

[userchanger]

Does this list sound about the right amount for first year of school uniform for a child?

1 school bag
1 lunch box
1 pencil case
1 water bottle
1 school book bag
1 school gym bag
2 pairs of gym shorts
2 school polos for gym
1 hoodie for gym
1 pair gym shoes
1 pair of school shoes
1 school waterproof fleece lined jacket
1 school blazer
1 school tie
6 school shirts
4 school pinafores
1 school skirt
5 cardigans
5 pack knee high socks
5 pack white frill socks
3 pairs of tights

Is it England? And Is it Reception or Year 7? I’ve never come across a primary school with blazers.

At English primaries the school bag is generally the book bag. My class have one or the other. Most don’t have a lunch bag, because English infants get a free lunch. English Reception children don’t need a pencil case.

3 jumpers at most. One being worn, one in the wash, one spare for emergencies. 4 shirts at most too. 2 pinafores. If you are washing twice a week then you don't need as much as you think.

Ds is in reception now in comparison to you we have

1 water bottle
1 school book bag
2 pairs of gym shorts plain navy, asda
2 school polos for gym we just bought plain ones
1 hoodie for gym plain navy, asda
1 pair gym shoes
1 pair of school shoes
6 school shirts 5 plain polo shirts
5 cardigans 2 school jumpers
5 pack knee high socks 5 pairs grey ankle socks
5 pairs school trousers

I would actually have more than one tie, they are easily mislaid. Always handy to have a spare jumper as these also go missing.

I wouldn't get 5 cardigans my dd had 2 at primary one to wear and one to wash. I would get more than 1 tie they seem to disappear quite often.

3 sets of bottoms, 5 shirts, 2 sweatshirts/cardigans, will do you with a midweek quick wash or urgent dealing with paint, mod rock or yoghurt related incidents.

Add in around 7 pairs of tights a month for when they get holes in on the first day each time. And 10 pairs of socks.

You'll also need 2 lunchboxes and 2 bottles for when they're left at school or lost.

Oh, and make sure they aren't 'girly shoes, particularly slip on ones. Get proper shoes that fasten up and allow room for the feet whilst running.

I’m really intrigued why anyone would think that they need more school shirts than days of the week

I have a set of uniform for each day so I do not have to wash uniform in the middle of the week it all gets done on a Saturday.

Two sets of summer PE kit as shorts and t-shirts came in a pack of two, but only one hoodie and tracksuit bottoms.

Have the school given you a list of what is required - you may be able to find it on their website or send an email to the school office as you may not need to supply a pencil case.

M&S usually have a discount on uniform in July and I find that fits best and is longer lasting, but you may need to use a supplier specified by the school for the blazer.

Ours couldn't bring a bag as well as a book bag, there wasn't space in the cloakroom. PE kit was only brought home at the end of each half term. We managed just fine with five polo shirts, three jumpers and three trousers in the early days. Pencil case wasn't needed, they didn't use their own stationery until KS2.
You've got all of those socks but only three pairs of tights. She's going to want those tights in winter if she is still in skirts/pinafores.
You might want more than one tie if it is compulsory. DS managed to ruin his tie repeatedly in secondary school and they don't machine wash.

More tights they get destroyed when I get fall over

I don't have time to wash mid week and o don't like spending my whole weekend sorting washing out so I just get 10 of everything.

I've just bought DS's.

3 x school jumper (2 new, 1 second hand).
1 tie
6 shirts (2 x 3 packs).
4 pairs trousers (2 x 2 packs) he has form for getting trousers filthy.
2 pairs shorts (hand me down from cousin).
1 pair pe shorts
1 pe polo
1 pe tracksuit (they wear pe kit the whole day they have pe).
1 pair shoes
1 pair plimsolls for pe
1 x coat
1 x book bag

Most of it could be got cheaply either at the supermarket or the fabulous 2nd hand shop the pta run.

With the shirts I bought 6 for the following reasons:

• they came in 3 packs and I felt 3 wasn't enough

Because

• we don't generate a lot of white washing in our house. A mid week whites wash would consist of 3 white school shirts and maybe 1 bra and maybe 1 teeshirt . Its not worth it to just buy 2 packs. Once a week I will wash light pillow cases and sheets in with shirts so theres enough for a full load.

I've been reading this thread with interest as DS (my oldest) is starting reception in September. As a general rule he gets filthy most days and especially on preschool days. I do work part time and will do a midweek wash (I prefer to do laundry little and often anyway, a load most days rather than mountains at the weekend). I'd already thought about it and decided to get:
3 x logo sweatshirts (thought about just getting 2 but decided on a third in case one gets lost or he gets a second one dirty before I've managed to wash and dry the first one)
5 x plain white polo shirts
2 x trousers (I might buy a cheap third backup pair but will see how we get on)
1 x shorts (in case it's still warm in September, but I'm buying big in the hope they'll still fit next spring/summer)
1 x PE kit (plain t-shirt, shorts, sweatshirt and joggers) I assume they won't do PE two days in a row but if they did I guess I might get a second t-shirt, depends if they wear it all day or not

Plus obviously school shoes and trainers for PE.
Our school is phasing out book bags and doing small backpacks instead so I'm just getting the backpack (why would you have both?!)
Plus as everyone else has said, free school meals so no lunch box, and I don't think he'll need a pencil case.
I am getting him a personalised key ring for his school bag (so he can spot it more easily) and also have all varieties of labelling options (stikins, sew-in which I will only use for the more expensive stuff, and stamptastic).

He has a water bottle but it sounds as if I need to get him another one.

Oh and winter coat but I had a look online and there doesn't seem to be much yet, it's the summer sales for now. I'll look again in a month or two. I want something warm, waterproof, with reflective bits, NOT in a boring colour like black, navy or blue.

Oh and to go back to the OP (sorry) I do think it's a bit trickier with girls because you have more options: skirt, pinafore or trousers, and then summer dresses. Boys wear polo shirts (or shirts) all year round and then it's mostly trousers with shorts in summer.

The only thing I haven't worked out yet is what socks to buy, what colour and long or short But I'll try not to overthink that one

If its english primary noone takes a pencil case and no lunch box as free school meals for first three years.

1 gym kit adequate.
School jacket optional
Ankle socks optional for sept start.
5 cardigans is plenty.
More waterbottles. They leak if you look at them and get lost a lot.
More tights. Every day item from oct onwards.

1 pe kit only, no pencil cases at our school, 2 ties as they always lose one in the house.
More tights than you can imagine. The school chairs at our school were always ripping my DD's tights.

'If its english primary noone takes a pencil case'

My kids are at Primary school in England and they absolutely take a pencil case, it's required.

No need for Pencil cases unless she's high school

1 PE kit is plenty, surely?

You must all have very clean children 😂
I had to change a cardi everyday. I needed 5!

Covid has changed some of this so at our primary they now go in with pe kits on so they don't need to change. They also take own pencil cases in case the shared pencils got slathered with covid. Not sure if it will continue in the new year, it may be worth holding off until the guidelines are released and schools can give a better idea of what will happen.

I would get another water bottle they always get forgotten or go missing

In a week, my 11 year old will go through 1 cardigan, 1 pair of culottes, 2 polo shirts, 1 PE kit and 5 pairs of socks.

Nursery child will go through 1 cardigan, 2 polos, 2 pinafores, 3 pairs of tights or 5 pairs of socks.

5 cardigans is excessive (2 at most, especially if she's wearing a blazer over them). Get more tights. One PE kit, two pinafores and one skirt will suffice. 5 shirts will be ample unless they've come in a huge multipack.

Does she need trousers for PE?

I found in reception that polos and sweatshirts got much dirtier than bottoms. We have 4 sweatshirts and if we’re lucky might get two days’ wear out of one of them. The girls in the class tend to wear pinafores rather than skirts, and that means their polos stay cleaner for longer. They don’t really sweat at this age so it’s more to do with how much mud/paint/lunch they get down themselves.

My kids are at Primary school in England and they absolutely take a pencil case, it's required.

In Reception?

'In Reception'

Throughout the school I believe, but I don't have one in reception currently so I can't be 100% sure. But it was the case when they were in reception, yes.

We get a list of what the pencil case needs to contain (glue stick, colouring pencils etc.).