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?

Regardless, your dc needs grey trousers or they will probably be sent home.

Really? A four year old in Reception?

Why not when no one knows the child's name. School.websites are accessed by all.

Which school is it?

and no it's not 'outing'. He's not going to be the only child going. He might be the only child going in blue trousers though!

What nonsense. Surely you know the school, have seen children from there and the uniform. It was beyond your power to find out what colour trousers they wore? I don't believe this for a second. Buy the correct uniform.

Have you visited the school at any time?

@TooManyPlatesInMotion

You could try reading at least the OP's posts if not the thread.

THEY ARE THE WRONG COLOUR!!

As long as you havnt took the labels off the shops usually will exchange them without receipt

If this is genuinely so poor that you can't actually believe it is true, that's saying something.

I did not fail to 'look properly'! The information is simply not there. I looked through everything I have received from school.

They cancelled their registration day but changed the date, and they discussed the uniform but did not mention trousers which led me to assume there were no restrictions. Their take-home information also did not mention it.

Regardless of your school's rubbish communication OP, please please don't be 'that parent' ready to die on a hill about trousers. Don't put your child in that position because they're the person the teachers deal with daily. Go to Asda or Tesco, buy a two pack of dark grey trousers. Sell the blue ones on ebay if you can't take them back but please don't put your child in that position.

Yup, been there!

Of course lots of 'holier than thou' PPs will tell you that all of this is obvious! If it isn't your system or even your first language then none of it is obvious.

If this is state primary then quite likely there will be children in a variety of different coloured trousers. Your DC won't stand out.

We were in the Dutch state system for a while. No uniform (thank goodness) but lots of other assumptions that we would just know XYZ.

What colour is the jumper?

Seems like a fuss about nothing.
Get on Amazon - order grey trousers. Job done.

I'd swap the trousers and get grey.

There are loads of ways to find out about a school uniform. Most areas have local facebook pages, whatsapp groups, buy & sell groups where you can ask questions and local people will respond confirming.

You can ask in person/by phone in the local school uniform supplier shop, they will always know the requirements for every school they serve.

You can ask other parents.

If you are in dire straits financially the school will likely get your child the right trousers from a PTA stock of second hand stuff or a lost property box. If you are not financially struggling they'll expect you to sort out the right trousers within a week or two of term. Simply refusing is unlikely to go down well as school trousers are very cheap and widely available in the UK.

I'm amazed that a parent can not know this basic information about a school before applying for a place. Unless you have just arrived from outside the UK? Surely this is the kind of thing you sort out before the summer holiday?

OP, I don't know why you keep going on about not knowing. You know now. Fix it and stop acting like a petulant child.

Marks and Spencers in the middle of a cost of living crisis?

Whatever next? All sandwiches in packed lunches must be on f*cking Waitrose brioche?

"THEY'RE THE WRONG TROUSERS GROMIT"

If this is state primary then quite likely there will be children in a variety of different coloured trousers. Your DC won't stand out.

I'm sorry but I really don't think this is true. Unless the uniform policy is clear that a range of colours are included, all the other children are likely to be in the right colour, school uniform is generally adhered to in the UK.

OP you need to buy him some grey trousers. He's starting a new school, it will be stressful enough for him, without being the kid in the wrong colour trousers because his mum wants to make a point.

Just get some cheap grey trousers. With a massive cost of living crisis there is no school in the country that will enforce buying from Next or M and S, I suspect you’ve either misinterpreted that message or the other parent possibly has English as a second language and missed something like an eg. in a message from school. But they are likely to enforce wearing the right colour. It’s weird sending kids to school in a new country because the locals don’t actually realise that some rules are unwritten and don’t think to explain it to you. I had so many moments where I got things slightly wrong when my DS started school in another country.

Have you looked at their Twitter for photos of the children?

Look up the relevant borough on the eAdmissions website here www.eadmissions.org.uk/contact. There should be info about each school on the council website, including phone numbers, probably in a downloadable brochure. If no number for the school then ring the borough council school admissions department.

I think it's a bit unkind to send your child in the wrong colour trousers. Unless they're a very confident child, starting school is hard enough without being made to stand out because you have a different uniform to others.

Other ways to get the info and check that the mum who told you grey is correct: join a facebook group for the local area and ask, ask in the local library, change your username and ask in the local section of Mumsnet: www.mumsnet.com/talk/local?radius=1.

OP - ask the "M&S trousers" parent for the school's phone number. If they have an older child at the school already then they must know it.

Does the website state a colour for pinafores/skirts? Trousers would normally be the same colour. A bit late now though.

DS2 is in senior school - the official trousers colour is any shade of grey, but lots of the boys wear black (DS included) and it's barely noticeable as different to charcoal grey. Hopefully sending your DS in black will be OK, if only for a short while. Definitely not blue though!

What a palava. OP your reactions to these responses is really odd, you made a mistake, now you know the actual colour he needs to wear, all you need to do is return the trousers and exchange them for grey ones.

Issues with the school’s communication problems and lack of phone number can be addressed in a couple of weeks. Don’t drag this out. You say you’re feeling nervous and like it’s your first day of school, well it’s not, it’s your son’s and he’s the one who will actually be experiencing it. He needs all your support now, not for you to be one of those parents who is trying to bend the rules and using him to make a stand about “complying”.

This is very easily sorted, as long as you let go of the drama.

Is there any reason why you can't simply swap the trousers for grey ones or go to a supermarket / Primark and buy a pair today? I would possibly keep the black pair on the of chance that the WhatsApp parent is incorrect.

Starting school/moving country is all v stressful but this seems quite easy to fix.