To say DS won't comply with school uniform?

[LegoVsFoot]

For context, school has been terrible about communication so far - not responding to any emails, cancelling a registration day only an hour in advance, etc.

I checked the uniform policy - nothing on website. On the uniform retailer page, there were guidelines, but nothing about boys' trousers and nothing for sale, so I figured there were no restrictions. I bought DS some plain trousers over the summer.

It's now about a week before school starts and a school Whatsapp has been set up. I asked about the uniform just to make sure and a parent with a child already enrolled has replied saying they're only allowed to wear grey uniform trousers from Next or M&S.

It’s too late to return what I bought and I don’t have the funds to buy all new clothes simply because school didn’t bother to tell parents the uniform.

AIBU to send him in in what I bought because there is no information stating differently?

Not read the fill thread but isn't it possible they've changed the trousers rule and that's why they have removed the info? Either way sounds v frustrating!

Not new arrivals from overseas

Yes lots of social housing still exists but non-British expats have no way of getting in them

Summer, Easter Christmas or are the fucking schools aff again?!!!

Definitely the latter

When we first became expats we had almost no money in our first few weeks. We were going to be refunded move costs but not until my first salary got paid. We made sure DCs were fed but skipped meals for ourselves.

It is possible to be starting an amazing expat job but have no money now.

I have literally never seen blue school trousers
Sorry totally missing the point

Poor kid if you are deliberately going to send him in the wrong clothes just because you feel the school should have been more clear.

Yabu

www.marksandspencer.com/2-pack-boys-regular-leg-trousers/p/clp60450510?color=BLACK

I bet, if you take them back and ask to exchange for grey, explaining you bought the wrong colour they would happily exchange them. I've done this months after buying after a sudden growth spurt with the "emergency spare" pair of school trousers. You probably wouldn't get your money back, but I am sure they would exchange them.

Or go to local Asda, their grey school trousers are dirt cheap.

In my area its the academy schools that are obsessed with uniform and having everything logoed, other than tie and blazer and pe top I buy my sons uniform at asda or amazon his school is an RC comprehensive.

It's a shame, but the vast majority visit schools, so would know the uniform colour or ask a neighbour. I just saw earlier 4 pairs of grey trousers for age 12 on Facebook marketplace, £10 or free if you can't afford. Instead of moaning, just get some cheap secondhand trousers. Loads of people literally giving them away. You can try to take yours back to the shop too and swap colour. Calling the school office won't make them change the uniform policy from grey trousers to whatever colour anyone fancies, so it seems pointless.

@Christmasiscominghohoho you do understand half term means half way through a term? This is not half term it's the summer holidays. It's the end of term.

Oh my life I’ve heard it all 🤣🤣🤣🤣

However, calling the school office will clarify what the policy actually is. OP can't assume that the parent she has talked to has necessarily got it right.

It's a pity that you weren't able to find the full uniform list, and I'm sure that it wasn't intentional, but I'm sure you won't want your son to stand out at his new school as different.

If your son hasn't yet been wearing the trousers, It's worth contacting the supplier And explaining the problem. They may well be happy to swap the trousers for grey trousers (check that you have the correct shade of grey), if not perhaps you could afford a couple of inexpensive trousers from an inexpensive supermarket or similar.

If money is really tight, I'd be happy to help you to meal plan so that we could make your money stretch further. You could always buy one pair of trousers for £5 and ask in the school office whether they have any second hand uniform. It's also worth checking your local charity shops.

There is a zero-waste shop near us which is doing a free uniform exchange. If there's anything similar near you they are almost guaranteed to have grey shorts or trousers.

I supply teach in primary. Many children have the wrong colour trousers or pinafores. Black instead of grey is fairly common but blue less so. No school that I have taught in would make an issue of this if you explain that you cannot afford the correct colour right now. I would find a gifting site on Facebook and ask if anyone had spare grey trousers they can pass on.

Per their website, Virginia Primary School in London requires black or navy trousers. So they are out there. Most of the others I checked did require grey.

I want to know what shade of blue. Baby blue, Aquamarine, Azure, Cobalt Blue, Royal blue, Navy blue, Air Force blue?

But if it’s not their uniform policy and WhatsApp mum was mistaken, the OP doesn’t have to faff around changing what she’s bought, or look for second hand stuff in the right size.

I understand you not magically knowing but you must have seen kids from this school around as it's local?

And you must have noticed that kids don't wear blue generally as a uniform trouser?

Black I can understand as neutral but seriously try and exchange the blue for grey.

The retailer doesn't matter

Why do people keep saying the op must have noticed the colour of the trousers local school kids wear?

As if that's an actual thing people pay attention to?

Did you not think to pop in before the end of term then? Even a quick walk past at playtime would have given you a clue.
Anyway, as someone else has said, go onto the school website and look at the photos to give you an idea. In the meantime, I’d change the trousers you already have for grey ones. Most schools have grey trousers. Pop down to Asda for a pair. Cheap as chips.

Yes definitely the colour will be unacceptable so you'll have to replace those but I don't think they can enforce which shop you buy the unlogo-ed items as long as you comply with the style.

I DON’T believe OP I’m afraid. School websites are checked for compliance regularly and they HAVE to show a contact ‘phone number an uniform details (amongst many other things). I agree they are sometimes hard to find but they do have to be there. I expect that if OP posted or even messaged any of us with the school website we could find the info for her.

I wouldn't be missing a day's work to pop in to a school to observe kids' uniforms and make sure they haven't missed anything off the guidelines.