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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Why is going back to school items so expensive?!

131 replies

yoodledoodle · 28/08/2021 14:45

I have 2 Dd's, one of 8 and one of 11. Oldest DD is starting senior school. It has honestly cost me an absolute fortune.
£200 at the school uniform shop on necessary 'logo' items
£50 in M & S on shirts/tights/socks etc
£30 school bag
£15 lunch bag
£10 water bottle
£50 school shoes
£85 trainers
£20 pencil case and stationary
£50 new school coat (plain black no logo)

Plus I have younger DD who I have also spent around £200 on to cover her new school uniform and new bits that she needs.

In total over £700 on school stuff!! Plus I have ended up buying little odds and ends! I know this sounds excessive but the majority of her friends and some of it could have been bought a bit cheaper but I don't think anything was particularly excessive?!

I feel so sorry for the pressure it puts on parents who can't afford it. I don't know what the answer is but it honestly can't be to spend this amount of money on uniform

OP posts:
Original poster
yoodledoodle · 28/08/2021 18:36

I take on board what you have all said. Maybe I have gone OTT. It's a learning curve for me as this is my oldest DC. I just don't want her to ever be bullied etc. She's had a tough few years and really is such a lovely girl and I sometimes as a parent we don't know what the right thing to do is. Some of the things Iv bought I'm sure will last her well into y8- so at least that's something.

I know what pp's have said about perpetuating the problem. But my immediate concern is my dd's welfare and happiness.

Argh being a parent is tough

OP posts:
N0PE · 28/08/2021 18:40

Do you have to buy the logo'd stuff? Would they be punished if they didn’t have it?

I don’t know any schools that insist on logo stuff. It’s available if you want it but you can just buy it all from Asda in the matching colours instead.

I'm fairly poor so no logo stuff for my DC. The council provide a £150 grant for each child that gets free school meals. It does spend fast but we managed everything with that.

Miniroofbox · 28/08/2021 18:41

Much of that you could’ve bought cheaper.

Original poster
yoodledoodle · 28/08/2021 18:44

@N0PE
The school insist on logo stuff- they are very strict. Only a state comp (but catholic) and they have been in our local news several years on the trot for excluding students without logo stuff, wearing hair gel, more than one earring, school trousers to slim cut etc etc
The trousers and skirts now have to be purchased from the school shop- the skirt is a unique design and trousers have a particular piping and logo on. Jumpers are a unique colour and knitted- you definitely wouldn't be able to buy them in a high street shop!

OP posts:
N0PE · 28/08/2021 18:48

Bloody hell. Mine are at a catholic high school and aren’t like that, thankfully. Thanks for explaining.

Our school allows black jeans, black joggers, black trainers (rather than proper shoes). I very much appreciate this and even more-so after reading this thread!

stripedbananas · 28/08/2021 18:48

I have had to buy expensive trainers for my DC since year 6 esp now their feet are larger than kids size. They absolutely have to have the right trainers for School otherwise they'd look like they haven't a clue. And thankfully on the plus side they are the trainers that last the longest and are fully waterproof and comfy so well worth the money as mine have to walk half an hour to school each way.

L1ttleSeahorse · 28/08/2021 18:49

The trainers here arent school shoes though but for pe!

CinnamonJellyBeans · 28/08/2021 18:50

The government is spending over £5000 educating your DD this year. £700 seems like a fair contribution, especially as she'll be wearing her uniform for almost 200 days of the year and it can then be passed down to your younger DD.

L1ttleSeahorse · 28/08/2021 18:51

N0pe logo'd blazer / school skirt from shop here for secondary too. Even logo'd jumper at primary locally. :(

stripedbananas · 28/08/2021 18:51

I don't think what you've spent is excessive OP

However my DC are allowed to wear trainers to School so no need for extra School shoes although of course they then have expensive branded trainers for out of school.

Bloody trainers being so expensive it's very annoying actually.

Original poster
yoodledoodle · 28/08/2021 18:52

@CinnamonJellyBeans
I also pay a lot in tax that contributes to my daughters education! The price of her school uniform isn't relevant to the quality of the education she receives!
Her school also enforce parents paying a fund towards the upkeep of the school by monthly direct debit. But that's a whole another thread....

OP posts:
Original poster
yoodledoodle · 28/08/2021 18:54

@stripedbananas
Thank you. I think I did go a bit overboard on the trainers but they are the one thing I knew were likely to be particularly expensive. Maybe next year I will get a cheaper pair for school. It doesn't help that she is now in the 'adult' section so it's automatically more expensive

OP posts:
Theunamedcat · 28/08/2021 18:58

[quote yoodledoodle]@CinnamonJellyBeans
I also pay a lot in tax that contributes to my daughters education! The price of her school uniform isn't relevant to the quality of the education she receives!
Her school also enforce parents paying a fund towards the upkeep of the school by monthly direct debit. But that's a whole another thread....[/quote]
Showing your face a bit here dearest

CinnamonJellyBeans · 28/08/2021 19:00

Do you actually pay enough tax to cover their education as well as all the other free state services they and you are entitled to?

I'd be very surprised.

It's a free service that gives your kids an education and allows you to work while they're at school without childcare costs.

You (over)paid the only contribution you have to make and you're on mumsnet complaining.

Did you expect the government to provide their uniform. Did you expect M&S and Nike to waive their profits for you?

Original poster
yoodledoodle · 28/08/2021 19:02

@Theunamedcat
What's that supposed to mean?

OP posts:
Original poster
yoodledoodle · 28/08/2021 19:05

@CinnamonJellyBeans
Of course I didn't expect the government to pay for their school stuff, what a ridiculous comment! The taxes I pay may well not cover other state services that I or my family use. That isn't the point of this thread at all. Like I said, the price I pay for her uniform isn't relevant to the quality of the education she receives.

OP posts:
AllTheSingleLadiess · 28/08/2021 19:10

@Porcupineintherough

Good news is that they grow out of uniform slower now

How old is your ds @AllTheSingleLadiess? I've got a 13 and 15 boys and this is not my experience at all. Ds2 has grown 8 inches and 4 shoe sizes in the last 2 years.

Ds15 is the same shoe size now as he was in y9 so I've only had to buy school trousers/pe joggers because he's taller and school shoes because they've developed holes over 2 years. His blazer and pe kit were bought 2 years ago and his school bag is 18 months old. He doesn't wear a coat to school.
CinnamonJellyBeans · 28/08/2021 19:10

It's got to be bought and paid for, just let all the goods and services used by your household

It's stuff for a whole year of school. It's a lot of stuff, so it costs a lot of money.

I don't get why you're so surprised by this that you started a thread

ActonSquirrel · 28/08/2021 19:12

I'm an adult and I wouldn't spend £85 on trainers for myself let alone a child who will outgrow them in one year or less.

caughtinanet · 28/08/2021 19:28

@N0PE

Do you have to buy the logo'd stuff? Would they be punished if they didn’t have it?

I don’t know any schools that insist on logo stuff. It’s available if you want it but you can just buy it all from Asda in the matching colours instead.

I'm fairly poor so no logo stuff for my DC. The council provide a £150 grant for each child that gets free school meals. It does spend fast but we managed everything with that.

Where do you live? Are you in England?

Every secondary in my area has strict (not always expensive though) uniform policy and certain items must be the logo-ed ones. For my DC is it blazer, PE top,tie and hoodie but the hoodie is a choice item.

I'm quite surprised that there are secondaries now that don't have a logo-ed uniform.

Sleepinghyena · 28/08/2021 19:39

£50 for shirts and tights!!!
I have DD 13 and DD15 - shirts approx £15 per pack from Asda (and they DO last all year) and £9 each for tights (Primark £3 for 3 pairs x 3) Primark opaques also last for ages.
So £24 against your £50!
And £50 for a coat! Ridiculous! You do know they loose everything/drag it round the floor/ shove it in a bag with a muddy, damp Pe kit??
You could have spent much less than you have done

CaveMum · 28/08/2021 19:45

Whilst I understand that you don’t want your DD to be bullied @yoodledoodle (and I speak as someone who was horribly bullied at secondary school), simply buying the “in” trainers won’t prevent it.

As sad as it is, if a child is inclined to bully another they will use any excuse they can - if it’s not wearing the right clothes it’ll be because they wear glasses/are too smart/not smart enough, etc. The best thing you can do for your daughter is teach her resilience and let her know that she can always talk to you about anything. Teach her to surround herself with good friends who value friendship and loyalty over material things and you will have done the best you can.

Original poster
yoodledoodle · 28/08/2021 19:54

@CaveMum
Thank you. Luckily she has a lovely set of friends but suffers with crippling anxiety. I think I may have overcompensated and just want her to happy. I know material things doesn't equate to happiness but I just want to make things as easy as possible for her.

Also to PP's who said that they wouldn't spend £85 on trainers for themselves, neither would I. But as a teenager, I remember that feeling of not having the latest stuff.

OP posts:
Hemingwaycat · 28/08/2021 20:07

The £85 trainers were a bit unnecessary but I get your point. My eldest is starting secondary this year too and I’ve spent £300 on his uniform, none of it could be avoided. He needed football boots with interchangeable studs for rugby which were £40, his school shoes were £50 and his bag was £30 so that’s over £100 in itself. His coat was £50, logo uniform stuff was £100 and the non logo uniform stuff was £50.

Also have two DD’s in upper KS2 and their stuff has cost me about £250 all together. It’s crippled me.

Hemingwaycat · 28/08/2021 20:09

Oh he needed £20 worth of stationery too, forgot that gem. Secondary school uniform is extortionate and the worst thing is they have gender specific blazers so I can’t even reuse DS’s once he’s outgrown it… sigh.

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