Refusing to pay £50 for school uniform extra.

[HillyHollock]

AIBU to refuse to buy this.

DC are in state school, in a fairly economically depressed area -so i will not be the only one with this dilemma .

The school suggested introducing a school sports top that could be worn on PE days (max one day a week) or to external sporting events. It was also mentioned to the students that they could wear it over everyday uniform.

Somehow this has developed into tracksuit bottoms and top for £50. And I have had several messages from the school to say I must buy it.

I want to contact the school and say I cannot afford this (this is true).

Previous PE uniform has been generic tops and bottoms in grey.

My DC are 13 and 15 and growing fast: I will have to replace at least the bottoms before the end of the school year.

I do not have the budget for this. I already have to buy full uniform for both and new shoes plus books.

This school has form for being totally deaf to the students/teachers/current cost of living crisis. DH thinks DC will be penalised (they could well be) for not having the new pe uniform (again: one day a week) and we should put the cost on a credit card.

Another point: the every day uniform is prescribed trousers and jumper and they are expensive enough. And I am convinced when they first raised this point that it was just a top but they have deleted all those letters relating to this.

Well, if you can't afford it, you can't afford it. I'm a teacher and if a parent said it to me, I would be understanding and so would the school. There's no shame. They should work something out. They should should have discretion to help you buy it or make an allowance.

Does the LA or school have a discretionary fund at all? Failing that, if you cannot afford it then you cannot afford it - I imagine you will not be the only one. Who thought this up and who gave anyone the right to encourage parents to use credit simply to buy uniform? 😐

Can you talk to the board of governors. Their expectations are too high

Point the school - specifically the board of governors - towards this guidance.

On school uniforms
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms

On the cost of school uniforms
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms/cost-of-school-uniforms

E g. "Nonetheless, school governing boards should give high priority to considerations of cost for parents, and they should be able to demonstrate how best value for money has been achieved when developing or making any change to their uniform policy."

This guidance was brought in to discourage this sort of thing, OP. Make the school aware you're aware of it and ask them to justify the expense in a COL crisis.