Private school - uniform cost

[FrancyFancy]

I'll start by saying its 50/50 as to if my son will actually go to a private school, we haven't decided yet.
This morning I was at the local play park with my DS (2) he befriended a little girl. I got talking to her mum, I'm pretty new to the area and don't know anyone local yet.
Was asking about schools, her DD is due to start at one of the several independent prep schools, my son is registered for this school (doesn't guarantee a place). It has a distinctive very sweet uniform, which I mentioned, she told me it was £1500 including shoes etc. She said if you didn't buy as many duplicates you could probably get it down to £1000.
I had a look on the suppliers website, blazer (for all years including Kindergarten(equivalent of Reception) was £110, the duffel coat/winter coat, £130, hats at nearly £40 each (girls need summer and winter). Then a full games uniform, with its own coat costing another £40, summer dresses nearing £40, pinafores over that. Blouses £22-£26 depending on sleeve length/size
Seems like for boys it would be a lot less but still stupidly expensive.

AIBU to think this is totally ridiculous??

Private school parents - Is this the norm? If not how much do you spend? Has the uniform costs put anyone else off of private?

The reason schools like this have incredibly expensive uniforms like that is because it makes them. Much more exclusive and keeps the poor people out. Maybe… you’re one of the poor people 😱

We even had school regulation knickers. I still have nightmares about opening up my knicker drawer to find they are the only ones I have in there and I am getting dressed to go out for the night.

Offer to run the 2nd hand shop - though it’s the only parents’ job you’ll be fighting for.

Yes. If you’re quibbling about the cost of the uniform then you’d better hold on to your hat if you’re intending on putting your child through the private system from Prep onwards. My kids went private seniors but if it was today it would be impossible to afford it now. I looked up their old school to see the current fees and they’re thousands a year more than they were even two/three years ago. I don’t regret them going but it’s a huge financial commitment in all areas. Whilst their state school friends sat free GCSEs theirs costs hundreds per child.

Everyone buys the uniform - or as much as possible - from the second hand sales the schools run usually twice a year. My DD is starting reception in Sept and I got nearly everything second hand for £130 total. I'll probably have to spend another £200-£250 in the official uniform shop getting new items I couldn't get second hand (but as your child gets older, it gets easier to get everything second hand because there's more stock in larger sizes).

Also many items - unless it's a very "premium" school - are things like white shirts or polo shirts which you can get from M&S. It's just the blazer and other logo-ed items usually which are specific.

I'm not downplaying the cost of private school, which is crippling for most people, but I'd definitely find out about the second hand uniform sale. Madness to buy everything new. Half of it gets lost and they grow out of it so quickly anyway.

I think we pay about £350 per child. But we've quickly learned after the first year that a lot of the compulsory uniform isn't actually compulsory. Like who needs a PE waterproof - they walk about 50m from the playing fields to the school building. And you don't need to get a hockey skort, the PE skort in a slightly different shade of navy is good enough. That sort of thing. And if you want to buy 4 of everything, that's on you.

It sounds on the more expensive side. Our prep tries to keep the overall basket price reasonable. However, independent education is decision to buy a particular product. That doesn't just include the education but uniform and potentially trips etc. It's up to the consumer i.e. you to decide if you have the resources and inclination to do that. If you don't feel it is value or if it will be a big stretch for you, I would advise looking at different schools.

Not sure if it's normal or not but I have sent 3 children to private school, 2 of whom have left and I haven't spent that much on all 3 put together.

This made me laugh, my first year teaching in Belfast we were going swimming in the first few weeks and one kid puts up his hand and goes "Are we allowed to wear our gutties that day?" To say I hadn't a clue was am understatement 😅 I miss the Belfastisms.

well that is partly what you are paying for

Don’t worry op get the uniform second hand many of the children will be in second/third/forth hand blazers and old shoes,
old shirts and pe kits as this is a signifier that your child belongs there

At the DCs school it’s equivalent to other schools but there isn’t the option of getting unbranded stuff from supermarkets.
The Prep school blazer is pricy I think and there’s a hat - it’s very cute though

Meanwhile in the real world I used to go to George asda lol

Wait until they start going on the most expensive outings, trips abroad etc when all the children are expected to go.

My DC is at private school, and we don't pay anywhere near this. If we bought everything new and duplicates, maybe it would be £400-£500, but they have an excellent nearly new sale, which is very popular with parents, and lots of the things there are in excellent condition and half the price. When he first started, there were more one-off purchases, like games bags, PE bags, etc, but obviously they last, so we don't need to renew those.

I don’t know why you are so surprised that a private school charges a lot of money for their uniform. If you are being funny about cost of uniform, what do you say about the fees?

if an extra £1500 for uniform is going to break the bank then private schools not for you surely

This might happen on a small prep where the whole class goes to the Science Museum or something but in secondary school, of any type, there are no whole year trips where everyone is expected to go. In fact, you have to be very quick of the mark to get your kid on a trip.

It's £2,000 a year for the prep school uniform my daughter attends, that's without many duplicates. So many winter and summer variations. The quality isn't even very good.

Go to the last second hand uniform sale of the summer term (will often be a the summer fete) and kit your child out there - the only thing I bought new was the PE shirt as it had to be personalised with initials. Kitted her out head to foot at the second hand sale for £150 including plenty of spares.

It's outrageous but it's the cute uniforms that attract a lot of people, it grabs your attention. It may sound stupid but it was the case for me though mine ended up going to state school initially due to location then due to sn

Nonsense. Our child is at private school because our state school option couldn’t meet his needs (and was a nest of bullies). We love the private school teachers but loathe the private school’s uniform cost and so do all the other parents there. It’s about what the headteacher thinks is cute not what parents want (just like state school logos).

Anyway, OP, costs vary a great deal between different private schools. We buy shirts and trousers from m&s BUT if we buy all the compulsory uniform new it comes to about £500 excluding the 5 pairs of shoes (indoor PE, outdoor PE, football boots, astroturf boots, black school shoes). What is really difficult to allow for is lost/stolen uniform. If your kid comes home saying their £60 PE bag or £90 blazer has gone missing from their peg, you basically have to just buy another one.

@FrancyFancy

My kids had one cardigan not 4, 2 skirts/pinafores, 5 shorts and managed fine, I had a washing machine and tumble dryer

I've worked in both private and state schools. The private don't care what the supplier makes as a profit on uniform, hence the ridiculous cost.

State schools are obliged to make the uniform affordable, so the suppliers have to charge a sensible price. It is often the same manufacturer and supplier, they just charge more to private schools because they can.

The only truly expensive part of my child’s private school uniform was the blazer and that lasted him all the way through. The PE kit was not much more expensive than regular sports wear.

Never spent 1500 that’s mad. DD was at private from 2-18 and with the exception of the first year at nursery, I got everything from the second hand shop at school. So I maybe spent £150 a year if that? Nearly everyone did the same.

Having sent both my kids to private school at the same time, the uniform cost, although expensive, was a fraction of the overall annual cost.