Am I reading this right? School uniform

[UndertheCedartree]

My DD is going to be starting her secondary school next week, so I'm looking at sorting uniform. (She's starting late as had to go through an appeal.)

Having been used to being able to get her uniform from Asda, it's all really expensive! There's no where in our city you can buy the uniform, you have to go to another town to get it adding to the expense!

Now to my AIBU. On the school website it says 'Navy jumper with badge to provide protective clothing for Art lessons

YANBU the school expects you to buy a £20 jumper to be ruined in Art classes
YABU it must be a typo, they will wear aprons in Art

See if the school have a used uniform sale, these often happen during the new starters welcome evening. Also look on Facebook.

I have no idea if that’s a typo but would seem a really strange request to have a jumper specifically for art. Maybe contact the school reception and ask for clarification.

From my experience, secondary school uniform is a lot more specific than primary where you could just grab any appropriately coloured cardigan.

Apart from the basics I would wait and see what's actually required and worn. I had science lab coat and DT apron I never wore.

I'd just contact the school and ask for clarification. It seems most likely to be a mistake in the website copy.

I'd contact the school and ask if it's a typo...

More likely to be "navy apron/overall with badge"!

Some secondary schools have expensive uniforms to act as a form of covert selection (even though they're not supposed to.) But a jumper does sound odd. Do you know any other parents to ask? Otherwise the shop will probably know. One little tip- ring in advance to check what they've got in stock -sometimes they run out of stuff and have to order extra in by this time of the year.

Sounds a load of nonsense. Is it an academy by any chance?
Is there a parents Facebook group (or even just a local town group) that you can go on and ask other parents.
A school I know of said they had to have separate football boots for football as well as trainers for other sports - turned out they hardly ever did football and they were rarely used. Parents have stopped buying them and just send them in with trainers.
Ask the folks on Facebook.

I will ask the school. But we've missed all the new starters things.

Yep.,my son had an apron and a pair of rugby socks ,that he didn't wear.once ,yet it wss part of the uniform🙄

It's just the normal jumper they wear. But has that bit added to the description!

We're going in to see head of Y7 tomorrow so I'll clarify. But it's in the list of main uniform items - jumper, trousers/skirt, blouse.

Thanks for the tip about uniform. I'll do that. And yes, I do have another parent I could ask. Just wanted to check it wasn't a stupid question!

Surely you mean town?
I can't believe you live in a "city" and have to travel to another city to get uniform....unless we are talking Manchester and Salford and its just across the river so not even worth mentioning

Yes, an academy.

It sounds like some words have been left out
It's a jumper....part of the uniform.
I imagine at some point it said provide an old shirt/ jumper for art lessons....that's what we did.

It's an odd request, an expensive jumper to get covered in paint in art. An overall or apron would be more practical.

Clarify with the school first. Also, as someone else already said, hang fire on some of these apparently essential peripheral items. My DD1 also had expensive stuff like a lab coat (embroidered with her name) which were never worn. I also remember a specific request (which I ignored) from the PE department to supply special tennis kit in addition to the regular PE kit of embroidered t-shirt, shorts, socks and trainers. The request didn't come again and few parents heeded it anyway. Tennis was played in their t-shirts and shorts.

This sort of bollocks from schools is part of what turned me from being a supporter of school uniform to wishing they would all just abolish it. It is thoughtless of them and becomes far too expensive.

I echo being careful about buying everything.
My dds hated the tracksuits, and they were allowed to wear black leggings instead, but that wasn't on the uniform list.

Also second hand uniform is often run by the PTA. School reception should be able to give you a contact number and I bet they will help you with what they ahve got.

Just to clarify-many schools opt for such expensive non optional uniform items because they do sole supplier contracts with whatever uniform company, and this generates a commission for the school itself. It really isn't to do with status or any of the other ideas. Schools make money from uniform supplier contracts. You can't blame them tbf.
Most schools are also very understanding and will help out by issuing second hand or expired lost property items. They HATE publicising this, because it compromises the commissions they get on new items.
But they most certainly will help you if you contact them. I reckon for a late starter they will be extra helpful as having the wrong uniform would really not help their integration.
Just phone them, explain it's too much for you and they will help.

Of course you are assuming that art is messy! Might not be. Plus you appealed for this school so surely you should suppport its ethos?

No uniform is great if parents can afford the fashions. It costs a lot more if Dc is eying up the clothes modelled by others!

Ask the school, or ask on local FB groups if parents can clarify what is actually needed. I know DD's secondary uniform list was eye watering to start with, but when we went to the new starters stuff the Head was like "buy the tie, blazer and PE top - rest of the stuff is non-essential and get to Asda for all the skirts and shirts and stuff, and they probably won't need a jumper as the classrooms here run really hot".

No state school uniform is eye watering. Try looking at the cost of a private school uniform to understand eye watering!! State school uniforms are frequently cheap horrible fabrics and pretty nasty. I’d rather pay more for quality.

Sadly some people don't have the option to pay more for quality

Feel better for getting your privilege off your chest?

No, I mean city. We have lots of school uniform places in our city. But no, I have to travel to a different town!

Why is preferring quality privilege? It’s a reasonable aspiration. I hate spending hard earned money on tat. Plenty of parents would prefer better quality uniforms. Or at least the choice to have them. Many don’t want Dc sitting around in stinky polyester all day. I get some do find them expensive but then happily pay £100 for trainers. There’s loads of pre owned and charities that help out.