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.

No but I personally would prefer children to be dressed in something nicer.
Plus you also need to buy clothes for home so you have to buy two lots of clothes instead of one.

My mum couldn't afford decent clothes for us. I was in her old cast offs and clothes from charity shops at secondary schoold age. Im so grateful for school uniform so no one had to see my own clothes.

We save up couldn't affford otherwise but they have a lot of 2nd hand uniform round us, supermarkets do it and you often get it of local facebook group.

But if your mum didn't have to buy two different sets of clothes could she have afforded better stuff?

School uniform grant for low income families. Free!

I sometimes had to wear my School dress in summer holidays as I had so few clothes.

Ah ok.... that's different then if your uniform was free.
The thing is clothing is a lot cheaper these days so those on low incomes don't have to rely on charity shops etc.

You’re right children do need to be clothed.

But the choice doesn’t have to be unclothed and uneducated or £200+.

I’m not against uniform, although many countries don’t have uniform. But it doesn’t need to be branded and so expensive.

There are cheaper non polyester alternatives.

School uniform is the cheapest of clothes in a supermarket and available for next to nothing second hand. Parents are aware that when they have children they need to clothe them.

Lots of privileged comments here.

YANBU op. I’ve saved since Christmas to buy ds1’s uniform, he’s also starting secondary. His secondary school gets around the branded uniform rules by saying the skirt and jumpers are optional but if they want these items that have to buy those specific ones. Most girls want the skirts apparently and ds1 will get cold without a jumper so in reality parents will still buy them. I’ve not managed to get anything second hand despite my efforts!

They also insist on the branded PE kit which is absurd imo, and again get away with saying the PE jumper is “optional” but if they want to wear a jumper it has to be that specific one.

Total cost £171 and that’s just on branded items. One family has three kids starting y7, no idea how they will afford it.

The primary school was much more sensible and affordable. No branded items required, all kids still looked smart.

Presumably those who can afford private school fees can afford that? If not, maybe the kids shouldn’t be going to private school!

Our school has just changed the uniform policy on trousers - the girls were wearing flared legs which I think looked smart, now they have to wear tailored trousers. I've struggled to find some suitable and am now paying £30 a pair versus £5 leggings. I can afford it but many will struggle, for no real reason

The sweatshirts are branded.

Then they have to have PE kit which consists of a top, shorts and socks, then they have to have a tracksuit which is a top and jogging bottoms. All are branded.

The school haven’t said any of it is optional.

I’ve no idea why people are telling me to safe up.

I’ve already said the cost is not a problem for me, but I can see how it would be for many, many people.

My point is that the uniform is too expensive for the quality you get. £25 for a polyester sweatshirt that’s badly made isn’t good value.

Judging by the state of the sweatshirts I can’t imagine they’ll be of any use to anyone once a child has worn them for a year.

If you count pay per wear its the best value you can get. 5 days a week , practically the whole year and as they get older you can get an extra year out of it..perhaps. Or like my dd wear the same skirt and jumper for 6 years..her choice even though the sleeves were threadbare. Those clothes owed me nothing!

I am a School Governor, and schools are only allowed (by law) to have 3 branded items (plus tie for high schools).

But they aren't going to be wearing just school uniform all year are they? You still need to buy normal clothes too so its an extra 200 quid on top of what you're already spending on clothes.

It’s not the supermarket items that are expensive though.

It’s the branded items.

Yes people are aware but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t the truth that the uniform is a rip off.

I think the obvious answer is you need to complain to the school their uniform policy isn't following the new laws. That way you'd help out all the parents who are struggling to afford it at your school.

We have just bought

blazer x1, skirt x1, tie x1, PE top x1, PE hoodie x1, PE shorts x1, PE bag, PE trainers £250

still to go- shirts, socks, shoes, rucksack

oh and I forgot £40 on stationary.

most surprising of all- laptop and 2x headphones

So close to £1k by the time it’s finished

i can afford it no problem, but that doesn’t stop be wondering how on earth lower income families manage

We know this is true but there are
a lot of schools openly not following this. I won’t link for privacy reasons but our school asks for 4 compulsory items openly on the website and there is one other item that you wouldn’t really be able to find an alternative to the branded items anyway.

They also insist you must buy 3 “unusual” things (ie hockey socks/ PE bag in house colours) for which you can’t really find an alternative to their branded versions, even though it’s not a compulsory item

It just goes to show the state of standard of living in the UK. At today’s prices, £200 would be the equivalent of food shop for, maybe 10 days for a family. Silly money but that’s where we are. But to allow the same value towards an annual school expense is a stretch for a lot of families.
Wages need to go up.

any black or navy joggers in my kids school, non branded white polo

any trainers and no seperate pe uniform as always wearing a tracksuit

jumpers or cardigans are logos but only cost 8£

it was one of my deciding factors choosing schools actually was the uniform

Oh yes I’d forgotten £25 on the most expensive scientific calculator. Can’t be the cheap version.

Your list reminds me I still have stuff left to buy!!!

I think tbats the issue rrally.
£29 on a blazer, £10 on a PE top and £5 on a tie doesnt sound much (thays everything you have to get from the Uniform shop for DDs school.

But they need a bag, and trainers, and school shoes, and stationery, and a water bottle, and a calculator, and the Set Texts, and trousers and shirts, and PE shorts, and Food ingredients, and transport costs, and school trips and xxxxxxx.... its endless.

I agree with the OP, and those who have pointed out other costs. Just because some people drive an SUV or spend large amounts of money on other luxuries for their children, does not mean everyone should have to fork out a lot.