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Original poster

Private school uniforms - how much do you need?!

82 replies

Mendi · 04/04/2013 10:15

So, DD is moving from state primary to a private school in Sept and we have just received the uniform list. It just lists what is required, not how much of each thing, and I am wondering how many of things like blazer, sports kit you get? Blazer in particular is really expensive, but I guess they wear it every day so you need two, in case one gets dirty?

It's probably obvious how clueless I am. Please help.

OP posts:
mnistooaddictive · 05/04/2013 07:36

I am with seeker, lots of state schools have blazers. Why does the fact it is private change how many shirts you need?

SoupDragon · 05/04/2013 07:46

DSs rugby kit dries really quickly! Both the set for school and the set for the club he plays for at the weekend.

MrsCampbellBlack · 05/04/2013 07:50

One blazer and I wash it in the machine on wool cycle with woollite and its fine!

Also at our school they often where there sports kit all day if they're doing swimming/games etc so worth checking that out as I know I got the balance wrong re. amount of formal uniform v kit.

I also quickly learnt that stuff like grey trousers could be bought cheaper from m&s than the official school uniform shop

seeker · 05/04/2013 08:15

I find soccer kit dries quickly, rugby slowly because it's chunkier.

LIZS · 05/04/2013 08:17

Depends on the kit - some are synthetic and take no time to dry but other schools still use heavy cotton reversible which do. You may want more than one set of skins too.

Graceparkhill · 05/04/2013 08:19

I would say buy a couple of spare ties and hide them. My DS2 goes to school( not private) with v strict uniform policy. Ties go missing a lot and it would be a huge no no to turn up tie less.
I had to get permission to send him in trainers for a day when he lost one shoe!

SoupDragon · 05/04/2013 08:20

Thankfully, DSs kits are both that nasty slippery manmade fabric. Thick but dry as soon as it's out of the machine. Which is lucky as he was wearing the school one for rugby on Monday, Hockey on Wednesday and games on Friday! Shorts do need to go on the radiator and the dumb white ones into a bucket of bleach

I hate sports kit on principle though.

seeker · 05/04/2013 08:25

Check about skins- ds's friend's school won't let them wear them. Track suit on the touch line- as much bare skin as possible on the pitch. Toughens them up. Or something,

Prawntoast · 05/04/2013 08:28

The reason for questioning how many of everything is because private school uniform lists will usually add up to £500 + once you have got all the sports kit. Therefore it might not be affordable to buy as much of certain items as you may well like. Make use of any 2nd hand sales, they are generally run 2/3 times a year.

onadifferentplanet · 05/04/2013 08:34

if you know someone with a child in the school,ask them how much of the uniform on the sports list ever actually gets worn. At ds school the list was endless and ended up costing me more than the actual uniform .4 years later half of it has never been worn and the large school logoed sports bag has only ever seen the light of day when we go on holiday as its so big we can get everyones stuff in it!

BooksandaCuppa · 05/04/2013 09:17

Opposite round here, seeker - skins are compulsory to wear in winter at ds's school whereas at friends' dc's state school (and the school I work in) they 'encourage' the parents to buy skins and then the PE teachers won't let them wear them (to toughen them up!)

BooksandaCuppa · 05/04/2013 09:18

Am so glad, btw, that ds really isn't sporty. His stuff barely needs a wash from one week to the next - except the white (black) socks...

seeker · 05/04/2013 09:20
Grin

Maybe it'll be Bash Street not St Custard's ruling the next Empire then!

PollyEthelEileen · 05/04/2013 09:45

One of everything, except shirts and sock.

You know how often you do laundry.

Schmedz · 05/04/2013 09:53

My DDs' school insist on base layers with the school logo on for PE...expensive! At their previous school one summer dress cost £40. One white school shirt cost £13 ( you can buy multiple packs at dept stores for much cheaper than this!)
Where the school specify a specific item of clothing that either needs a logo or is a specific brand/style/colour, you don't have the option to replace with a nice Tesco/BHS/M&S generic version!! That is why the majority of my girls' school clothing comes from the school secondhand shop Smile. It still cost well over £500 to kit them both up, but as they wear the items for the majority of the year that isn't too much.

Until they lose their stuff of course......

OnGoldenPond · 05/04/2013 10:22

I would definitely get at least 2 of sports kit items - at DS's school sports kit is ALWAYS going missing - left kicking around the changing rooms, getting shoved in the wrong sports bag, etc etc...

I would actually get 3 pairs of sports socks as they are always coming home with just one and for some reason these are the items that tend not to turn up again.

Get as much as possible from the second hand shop so you won't mind so much when stuff goes missing. Particularly good for blazers, as these tend not to get worn out before the DC has grown out of them. I have never yet bought DS a new blazer and he looks just the same in his second hand blazer as the other boys who always have brand new everything - and at about a quarter the cost of new.

Lots of parents go to the second hand sales so your DC will not be singled out, and there is always lots of stock as boys grow like weeds! Grin

Original poster
Mendi · 05/04/2013 10:53

What are 'skins'?

DD's uniform list includes a 'base layer' is that the same thing?

OP posts:
seeker · 05/04/2013 10:59

Yes. tK Maxx is brilliant for base layers.

LIZS · 05/04/2013 11:36

Do check you are allowed generic/branded ones first and in what colour/s

beanandspud · 05/04/2013 11:44

One blazer that goes through the wash and comes out fine! I know a lot of parents that dry clean school blazers and I was a bit Shock - by the time you've done that half a dozen times you could buy a new one.

Find a friend with a child in the year up as they will have the most helpful information regarding uniform and how strict the shirt/trouser/coat/sports kit policy really is.

Also find out the opening times of the school shop and whether they do online ordering - in most cases you can always get more stuff at fairly short notice which seems like a better option than a cupboard of unused school uniform.

1805 · 05/04/2013 11:49

Agree with comment about how much time they spend in games kit. Both my dc spend more time than the games lesson in their pe kit. They even eat dinner in it sometimes which means white logo-ed polo shirt has spag bol stains on it.

Also, I have started buying large name labels and sewing onto the front of their stuff so it is clearly visible.

£38 summer dresses sell for £17 in the second hand shop.

Also depends how old your dd is and whether she tends to lose things or not. Imagine a changing room of 7 year old girls all taking off identical games kit and putting on identical dresses..........

Hope she enjoys her new school.

HeartsTrumpDiamonds · 05/04/2013 11:57

Two independent primary schools I am quite close to (DDs go to one, I work in another) don't really mind or notice if you source bits of uniform from somewhere cheaper e.g. John Lewis, M&S

  • tights & socks
  • summer dresses
  • cardigans
  • PE trousers, shorts, skorts
  • outer coats, hats, scarves, gloves

Obviously for anything branded you will have to go to the school's uniform supplier or the second hand uniform sale. Tip: volunteer to help out at the sale, then you get in there first! Also, since your DD is starting in Sept, you could find out when the Summer Term sale is on and pop along to that, as the Autumn term sale is likely to be too late to help you.

SoupDragon · 05/04/2013 12:02

DSs are not allowed to stay in sports kit beyond a lesson - even for walking home after afterschool training!

MrsCampbellBlack · 05/04/2013 12:11

You see my reception child goes in his tracksuit 3 days a week and only wears smart uniform on 2 days - luckily his is mostly hand me downs so doesn't make much difference but I'd have been a bit annoyed if I'd bought lots of proper uniform.

Picturesinthefirelight · 05/04/2013 12:22

My two just have 1 blazer each. It's wool so can only be dry cleaned. We wipe down any obvious spills (dd eats her lunch in hers silly girl) and it gets sent off to the dry cleaners every half term

Blouses Snd shirts can cons from anywhere do they have about 3 each

2 skirts for dd (school specified)
2 trousers for ds ( from anywhere)
1 tie each plus an old spare.
1 lot of PE kit
2 summer dresses for dd