How much does school uniform cost you?

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Current state secondary school let's us do supermarket own stuff apart from pe shirts and jumpers so it's not too bad. Plus we buy them as needed, not bulk buy everything at the start of a new year.

Changing schools in September to another state secondary. No pe kit but EVERYTHING else has to be branded. Polo shirts are £14 each, trousers are £25+ depending on the style... I didn't even look at the jumper or the "soft cell jacket" they are "encouraged to wear".

Nothing on Ebay or vinted and it's a tiny school so unlikely anything will come up on FB.

We don't have a tumble dryer so have to buy enough uniform to deal with my sloppy laundry schedule and for uniform to air dry in time. My son can be very difficult at the moment (hoping changing schools will help) and I can't face having the "change out of your uniform" argument every night.

When my eldest started school 16 years ago it cost me £550 incl shoes. I nearly fainted at the cost! And that wasn't one thing for every day. That was 3 blouses (£30 each), 3 skirts and 1 blazer plus pe kit.

This won’t help immediately, but the new Children and Wellbeing Bill which is currently going through parliament, will limit all state schools to a maximum of 4 branded items (one of which is the tie), from September 2026.
The current guidance says schools must demonstrate how they take steps to reduce the cost of school uniform; https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms#cost-considerations
have you asked to see how they are meeting this?

Check with the school to see if there’s a PTA or parents hub. Ours organises 2nd hand uniform sales regularly throughout the year. Also worth seeing if there’s a Facebook page linked to the school where you could post that you’re looking for 2nd hand uniform - year 11s will be only needing their uniforms for another 6 weeks or so, so you might find a lot of interest from mid-June.

That's a really good thing.
Although this school are within the four item rule, I can't imagine why having a little logo on a pocket of a pair of trousers makes any difference to "school pride" or whatever they say it is.

It's a really small school. We live in a high deprivation area and can afford it (I'll pick up some overtime for a few weeks if necessary) so I would feel bad taking anything away from people who do need it.

I find it pretty expensive despite it not being overly prescribed. Ours is just white shirt, tie, black jumper, black trousers and black trainers or shoes.

DS has split more than one pair of trousers playing football so now wears denim with a wee bit of stretch. Nike trainers, men’s size 9, expensive but cheap trainers wear through in weeks. I feel like there was a massive jump from being able to shop in children’s section where trousers were £10 to the gents where I’m paying £40 quid.

He joined army cadets last year and they make him iron and he’s gotten much better at hanging up clothes. Clean shirt every day but hang up jumper and jeans and you can rewear. Much better for environment too.

Oof.
I remember my school uniform only had a few branded items but the uniform list itself was huge! This was also pre supermarket days so you had to go to a specific local department store to buy the uniform. The badge alone to sew onto the blazer cost £10 in 1990. My mum left it on the shop counter after paying and was really upset when the shop denied this and she had to buy another one

I bought:

2 jumpers
2 skirts
5 shirts
1 PE shirt
1 PE jumper
Assorted socks and tights

The uniform order was £160, all branded except for the shirts but they’re very specific type cotton polo shirts, so at £5 each, I just bought them from the uniform company too. Maybe extra £20 in socks and tights. So £180.

Ours do not wear blazers and ties, which makes it easier. I do wash at least 5 times a week, but sometimes she just has to wear jumper/skirt twice if not dirty. Enough shirts though for a fresh one every day.

DDs uniform is so cheap compared with how mine was! I had certain skirts, certain blazer and jumper (purple, so couldn't just get anywhere), long list of PE kit...

Meanwhile DDs have a school blazer (£27), tie (£6) and PE tshirt (£10) The PE jumper is recommended but not compulsory (but its worth the £18!). If they want to wear a skirt, these are a kilt at £28 but girls can wear trousers. Shirts are plain white, plain black shoes, not trainers, and then navy shorts, leggings or tracksuit bottoms.

It does add up a bit with two children when you add in the shoes and generic bits, and the stationery, but overall its alright.

Ds secondary gives all pupils a full uniform (other than shirts) for free when they start. We also have a very good local school uniform bank too.

Only the blazer and PE kit are logoed and both are reasonably priced (£25 for the blazer)

Does the school have a Facebook group? DD’s uniform is expensive but can always pick bits up second hand through the group

You can challenge the school's uniform policy. Refer the school to the statutory guidance on the cost of school uniform, which all schools should have complied with by summer 2023.

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

The guidance says "Actions schools should take
Governing boards should ensure that schools consider these factors when developing or reviewing their school uniform policy.
Assess the overall cost implications
Schools should assess the overall cost implications of their school uniform policy for parents and be aware of how costs could mount up where multiple items of the same garment may be needed. For instance, when a child may grow out of an item quickly or where spare items are likely to be needed."

Clearly multiple polo shirts and trousers will be needed so you can ask the school how they assessed the overall cost implications of requiring branded polo shirts and trousers.

As far as the jacket is concerned, the guidance also says "To ensure that school uniform acts as a social leveller, optional branded items should also be kept to a minimum... To avoid parents having to purchase multiple expensive items such as coats, bags, and trainers, which they may already have purchased for use on non-school days, schools should avoid being overly specific about such items in their uniform policy. For instance, it may be appropriate to require a coat to be simple, sensible and without any branding but requiring a coat to have the school logo or certain school colours would be unnecessary."

You can complain to the Department for Education if necessary. I did and the complaint against my child's school was upheld and they were forced to reduce the cost of their uniform policy. If you post a link to the school's uniform policy I'm happy to draft something for you.

www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/yorkshire-mum-wins-victory-12-27234718#comments-wrapper

Far too much for poor quality school uniform.
I have two DD’s at different grammar schools and it’s almost all branded.
DD1 has certain blouses that cost £38 for a pack of 2. So 4 blouses set me back £76! Her blazer was £67! I emailed the supplier and asked them why prices are so high but got no reply.

To kit both of them out (both year 7) cost me £1200. I didn’t buy enough for each day, that was one skirt each (no trousers).

The worst part is that none of the shades match, the skirt and jumper are different shades sp it doesn’t look like nice and certainly doesn’t look like a pricey uniform.

Well over £200 for a state secondary uniform. All branded and a new uniform so no chance of getting anything second hand. A big expense before starting year 7, and that was for only one of most items, and a few more shirts.

I'm very proud of the fact that my DD was made it to year 11 in the same blazer she started year 7 in. I got a decent size in skirt, jumpers and blazer and I've not had to buy any more. I have got a few extra shirts over the years. Got to be honest she looks quite raggedy now but it's only a few more weeks.

My daughter’s uniform cost about £400 when she started secondary, including a £90 blazer. The shop told me it was the expensive blazer they sold as it had piping on the lapels 🧐.

When my son started secondary school I brought.. 3 ..logoed polo shirts , 3 logoed jumpers, and a logoed p e kit. Cost me £160 . It lasted for years!!! Apart from trousers and school shoes it did him and his younger brother.

Last time I brought uniform for a child in secondary school the branded stuff she needed didn't cost a fortune thankfully 2 blazers and 2 pe polo cost me £80. The rest I was able to get at asda. School give them all ties

I can understand a clean shirt every day but at secondary I don't understand the need for clean trousers or skirt and jumper every day. I was at secondary school in mid 70s to early 80s Grammar school and most of us had one jumper and skirt which got washed weekly. I remember going home, hanging up uniform and it being fine to re wear the next day. Blazers were wool went to the dry cleaners just about every half term.

State secondary. Approximate total of £715

My shopping list is:
School branded
Shirt £14.75 x3 = £44.25
Jumpers £24.75 x3 =£74.25
Blazer £47
PE Trousers £20 X2 =£40
PE 1/4 zip £29.40 x2 =£58.80
PE Polo Shirt £18.60 X2 =£37.20
PE socks £4.50 X2 =£9
PE shorts £12

Trousers I buy from M&S £20 pack of 2 x 2 =£40
Shoes
Trainers
Rugby/Football Boots Grass
Football Boots Astro
Around £300-350

My sons school is also an IPad for learning school so I pay £18 a month for the iPad and insurance then I put £80 a month on his lunch account.
It's a great school and we're very happy with the education he receives so it's definitely worth the cost to us.

I'm shocked that the ask so much financially from parents. It must be in a wealthy area.

Just checked my receipts for kitting out DD y7 last year. £102 of branded items of which included blazer, jumper, pe t shirt, fleece and shorts, plus non branded sports socks. Add in 3 M&S shirts, 2x trousers and a skirt plus socks and tights, it was easily under £200. Shoes are a killer though.

i don’t think the above was in any way unreasonable for a year’s worth of clothing, and most things will do more than one year.

DS has just changed primary schools. I'm selling off his old school uniform and can still get relatively decent money for it.
If bought new, one of his jumpers was £45 (he had 5 or 6 of those), t-shirts are about £25 (also 5 or 6), house colour top was another £25, PE top (£20), PE joggers (£30) and PE shorts (£25) were also needed.
I had managed to get a lot second-hand as well.
His new school doesn't have a school uniform and he just wears t-shirt and jeans/shorts and trainers.

I had 3 school blouses and 2 school skirts. I wore the skirts 2/3 times before washing. My blazer was huge in year 7 and by year 11 I couldn't move my arms in it (same as most of the students tbh 🤣).

Unfortunately, my son is as messy as anything and none of his uniform is ever clean enough to wear 2 days in a row. Plus, we gave up trying to get him to change out of his uniform when he got home from school. I think we'll have to insist on it going forward, at least with regards to wearing his trousers for a second day.

Very little, I use the school second hand clothes, they do sales but I also turn up and ask for things. This is primary and in the days I did always buy new and way too much I donated huge amounts to the school. I even bought back one of my older children’s jumpers for my younger child last year. But given it was only £2 I wasn’t bothered. about paying again.

High school the same, before starting I asked on fb the best charity shops for the high school uniform. Got a few responses including one woman who had a bunch of her DDs stuff I could have. I only bought a skirt and school tie new. Everything else gifted or charity shop bought. Only thing I bought this year was a blazer part way through the year as couldn’t find a second hand one in the right size.

There is a charity shop near the high school that gets most local donations, during the summer holidays all school uniforms are free. The same charity has started setting up free community hubs in local areas so they reach more people. They cover most primary and high schools in the area.

My position is I’m happy for second hand clothes because I can then spend money on decent school shoes.

Absolutely check local charity shops and Facebook pages and see if you can get second hand in the future.