Does your child's school have a 'regulation' coat?

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Our new one from Sept does, and it's a heavy, impractical DUFFLE COAT! (About £65)

I can't felt feeling that this is so outdated and impractical?

I can understand the school not wanting kids to turn up in an array of multi-coloured anoraks, but I'm sure I've seen some fairly smart waterproof coats (some with zip-out insides) which would surely be much better?

My 5 year old can barely stand up in his coat it's so heavy, and of course it can't be washed....

Madness....

ours does and the kids hardly ever wear it. Can you hold out and not buy? do you have a blazer?

We've recently moved from Duffel coats to 3-in-1 goretex rain coats with zip in fleeces. They are about £30 and very practical (Every morning Ds has a little muse about which combination he is going to wear - it is almost unbearably exciting at 8.10am in our house).

yes but it was updated a few years back before we joined the school to be a 3-in-one or fleece lined/waterproof outer in navy, costs between £25 and £35 ish. Still got blazers for lo's in summer though (I suppose I should think about dry cleaning them over hte summer )

lizs ours sounds similar

Interesting - did you (the parents) actively 'campaign' for the change? I don't want to start at the school 'all guns blazing' but it's the one thing I feel could do with updating?

I suspect parents stopped buying them tbh and got plain navy alternatives so they decided ot standardise that, You do still see some of the old style raincoats on the girls and in 2nd hand sales.

We have a wool blazer which gets treated as a coat as far as I can see. Ghastly in summer though as they have to wear it as they come out of school. There is also a regulation raincoat with zip-in fleece linig. All boys are meant to have one and it is meant to be in school every day, but I don't think anyone does keep it. You also have to buy an impractially large size to fit over the blazer (sleeves are the issue) so I feel confident that d1's will see him through to 13.

ah now ours is an either or with blazer. When ds joined the school he already had a similar plain navy winter coat and I refuse to buy the regulation one until it is too small !

if my kids wear them , they getleft at school. I looked for them today and co9ul only find one.

We actually have quite a good and relatively modern uniform (smallish private school in London). No blazers for boys or girls; no ties ditto. Boys wear open necked shirts with heavy regulation jumper over - in summer they wear lovely short sleeved shawl collared Aertex button up (ie not polo style) shirts. Winter coats are fleeces, which then button into the 3-in-1 coat - this for both boys and girls.

Interesting.
As a 'newcomer' to the private system can I pick your brains then... exactly how rigid do schools tend to be about the regulation uniform?

e.g. DS already has a 'plain navy' waterproof, but it has some white piping on the sleeves. The woman in the school clothing shop said "oh no - it has to be completely navy", but then she was trying to sell me one, of course!

Is there any flexibility? Do the children get singled out/ get a note home ?

damn - I've bought the duffle coats now - wish I ahdn't !

We have to wear the full uniform, and it is only available from the school shop. Flip side is that the uniform is not particularly fussy and there are not huge amounts of it, but different winter and summer uniform and we do get told when to wear each! (I suspect I will notice it more when DD goes into uniform, as the boys stuff is not much different between winter and summer)

DD's school is similar to Lizs's.

Blazer which DD always wears when it's going to be dry but warm (not much this term then!) and a fleece-lined showerproof, zip front which can be worn without a blazer.

Initially the school had a choice of navy duffel or zip-out lined Gortex type jacket; now children are allowed to wear any plain navy or black coat when it's cold enough that their fleece thing won't be enough. Since most of the kids get driven to school, the fleece is plenty.

Ours are usually pretty strict but noone has complained about ds' - it has reflective piping so not plain navy. All comments re that have been positive and it may now be incorporated itno the regulation one ! Other "offenders" even have two tone blue ones ! Personally I'd risk it

OK -thanks! And another question - is it worth me popping along to the 2nd hand uniform sale after the end of term, or will I instantly be branded a pauper?

You should always go to 2nd hand shop. You will be branded somehow who knows where to spend and where to save money!

We had ours at sports day this year and took about £200 in the first half hour of the day. Our 2nd hand uniform is priced at 50% of original price, only good condition accepted and 60:40 split parents' assoc:parent.

Oops- 60:40 split parents' assoc:parent.

Sorry 40:60 split parents' assoc:parent.

I buy most 2nd hand tbh - it gets damaged and lost so easily or costs £££ new. There is no stigma attached to ours

Believe me you'll have other ways ot spend the money you "save" anyway - sponsorship, charity, pta events....

Only muppets or parents of pfb buy new (or WOHMs who never can get to the 2nd hand sale) It is great for items that are used daily eg cricket whites, raincoats, scarves, tracksuit etc.

Oh dear, I'm a muppet, as I have bought the essentials new already... as I wasn't told about a secondhand sale until yesterday, and I wanted to sort it all out before we go on hols.

Not too bad though, as DS2 will inherit everything from DS1. I will go to the sale and look for fleeces/ tracksuits/ science overalls etc though!

spare tracksuit bottoms are a godsend in winter, extra jumper and similar which may get taken off and discarded. I got most of ds' games kit 2nd hand .