To think school uniform is too expensive?

[Loveheart1133]

Secondary school is going to cost in excess of £200.

That’s just for one child. That’s for 2 sweatshirts, 1 full PE kit, tie, 2 x trousers, 5 x shirts, shoes, stationery.

The £200 is not including school bag, coat, trainers for PE.

I know that the government were supposed to be making new rules about limiting the number of branded items. But as far as I can tell the school require logo jumpers, PE kits which consists of shorts, top, socks, and tracksuit. Plus Summer polo top.

I’m lucky in that I do have the money, but I can imagine for some families especially with 2 or more children it’s completely unaffordable.

Items get lost despite being labelled never to be seen again.

I know people will say they get a lot of use out of them etc etc but honestly I begrudge paying all that money for polyester clothing to dress my child like a mini adult going to work in a bank.

Isn’t it about time that uniform has an overhaul and was actually comfortable and affordable.

My daughters school has a non compulsory uniform.
It's a SEN school so those that don't wear the uniform are divided by cheap trackies/shorts and t-shirts bought from Primark vs eccentric miss-matching anything goes bought from charity shops.
It's great 🙂

On non uniform days and at college Ds wore joggers or jeans and a t shirt. Joggers were a range of Nike, Addidas & Primark & t shirts were Primark or Asda/Sainsburys. He did have a joules fleece bought from the outlet shop. He has sensory issues and loved the feel of it.

Dd generally wore Primark leggings and a top. Occasionally H&M or New Look.

I assume he wore a range of different clothes and something different every day. Wasn't that more time consuming and more expensive?
Non uniform days/ wear something yellow/ wear a football shirt/ wear odd socks were always a nightmare. We even had wear pyjamas/ wear a onesie and of course world book day.

My children don't wear school uniform, they just wear the clothes they have, which they would wear anyway because certainly when I was in school wearing uniform I changed out of my uniform as soon as I got home, so actually used more clothes than my children do. Definitely not more expensive as I only have to buy normal clothes for them, not normal clothes plus uniform.

Clothes! Bog standard, normal clothes. When we were doing keyworker groups during COVID, the kids came in tracksuit bottoms, shorts, leggings and tshirts. If they were feeling particularly fancy they would be in jeans. What happens at college when there’s no uniform?

Clothes! Bog standard, normal clothes. When we were doing keyworker groups during COVID, the kids came in tracksuit bottoms, shorts, leggings and tshirts. If they were feeling particularly fancy they would be in jeans. What happens at college when there’s no uniform?

They all wear a uniform. Jeans, the same tops, and the girls always wore identical green jackets.

I once taught a class of hairdressers, they all had identical long hair, in this particular lesson, they had all put their hair into identical buns.

Certain vocational groups were expected to wear Certain clothes. Hairdressers had to wear a grey tunic. I think car mechanics wore overalls in the workshop. Equine studies wore jodhpurs.

Of course, they would all deny that they were wearing a uniform. But they all dressed identically. The rich kids wore designer jeans and trainers. The girls all carried identical Michael kors bags.

I live near a Sixth For mcollege. Every september its like a fashion parade. By November... its jeans, leggings, tracksuit bottoms, hoodies etc.

Anyone taking a Michael Kors bag to my son’s college would have been laughed at. Most of the students took battered backpacks.

There are schools not doing this, or labelling items as ‘optional’ such as a school jumper or PE bottoms. The designs of some non branded items are such that you have to buy them from the uniform shop. We have been advised that the football boots are a better bet for cross country as it’s so muddy.

There was a second hand uniform sale (nothing on Facebook) which I went to to supplement the new stuff. There was hardly any school branded stuff there though - and what there was was in a real state. The blazer was £93.

The primary school otoh had already tried to reduce number of logo items and also allowed trainers - they openly said they had spare second hand uniforms if anyone was struggling, and to speak to them about uniform issues as children who are comfortable learn better. By the end of primary, there were only two logo items which was fine.

But the items are a choice. When I was at 6th form as one of 1500 students, "jeans" was very loose as a description. Anything from skinny jeans tucked into heeled knee boots from Faith at Topshop to baggy wide leg ones with a little chain hooked into the pocket and chunky DC skater trainers. Some girls wore Bench jackets with the thumb-holes in the sleeves and combat boots, others wore Abercrombie hoodies. Bags ranged from battered Eastpaks to Longchamp tote bags. It's not all identical to them.

Sounds about right. In September it’s yay! We can finally wear what we want and showing off. Then the novelty wears off and most people stop caring.

Did you son's college teach hairdressing and childcare and other 'girly' subjects?. The business studies girls also had Michael kors bags. Other types of bags may be more popular now. Smiggle bags are not part of primary uniform, at one time, every primary kid had one.

Some boys had backpack. A lot didn't. It was not unusual for boys to arrive at lessons without pens or paper. When they left the lesson, they would leave their written work and any handouts behind them, but often took my pens with them. Girls usually had a notepad and pencil case in their michael kors bag.

The boys wore trainers, the girls were often in black ballet flats.

At my local secondary sixth formers have to wear a suit. All the boys head to Next and buy very similar suits and ties. The girls, quite frankly, look a mess. They all wear black tights and micro mini black skirts. They all wear shabby, dark coloured jackets. No idea where they get their interpretation of a suit from. The boys look much smarter.

He studied performing arts (he did music but he was in the block with the acting, dance & musical theatre courses) so yes, very girl heavy.
one of his good friends studied childcare although he was based in a separate building a couple of minutes walk away.

@HarshbutTrue2 The girls, quite frankly, look a mess. They all wear black tights and micro mini black skirts. They all wear shabby, dark coloured jackets. No idea where they get their interpretation of a suit from.

I'll just say finding a reasonably price size 6 suit that wasn't frumpy, was quite a challenge. Going for black was a good choice - because as long as they were wearing the same colour jacket and skirt the school were mostly happy, until a girl showed up wearing a pink suit and was publicly called out by the head of sixth form for wearing what she thought was an inappropriate colour - all the kids were appalled at the behaviour of that teacher - isn't it funny when that happens - even they recognised it should have been handled differently.

I have two children. One starting form one at grammar and one heading for primary school.

It’s cost me £1750 between the two of them - between uniform, fees and a laptop. Monthly train pass for the eldest is £50.

My son’s mandatory PE kit was £150 alone - bought directly from the supplier. Not including rugby boots and trainers (another £100). His blazer was £100.

It is what it is. It’s not as if I didn’t know, so I set aside the money.

It seems like Andy Burnham is aware of some of the tricks schools are using to try & get around the rules.

This year I’ve bought one blazer £40( both kids will have 2 from Yr7-11) Tesco shirts and trousers and a £5 tie.
£35 PE top and shorts
couple black jumpers
cheap

I went to a non uniform high school.
literally a non event. No one cared.
no one argued over it. I see the new about schools sending tons of girls home about skirt length and think it’s insane

Our local secondary has reduced items with a school logo to four, as per the new legislation. But it is stipulating that all other items have to be a specific (expensive) brand that is only available from one local supplier. It claims this is allowed because these other items aren’t school-branded. I suspect this probably follows the letter of the law but is certainly not in the spirit of it. The whole point as I understood it was to give parents flexibility to shop for cheaper alternatives.

This was announced months ago by Bridget phillipson.

Many parents are choosing to buy the optional branded uniform.

Most schools have a second hand uniform shop.

I hadn't given much thought to sixth form uniform. Back in the day, Top Shop was the go to place. And Dorothy Perkins. Where do sixth form girls go now? I know that boys go to Next.

How much does it cost to clothe a sixth form girl?

It is whole lot cheaper than wearing own clothes believe me! We are very lucky in this country.

Do your kids not wear clothes that aren’t uniform?