Ethics of being made to buy uniform from school shop vs cheaper options available

[Nattie]

'm reviving this thread as I am digging my heels in about having to fork out for uniform and school supplies.

I thought there were quite strong 'guidelines' from the Government about how much parents have to pay; I'm already paying for education through my taxes. Does anybody know the truth?

Anyway, ds started a State Middle School last September (we are one of the few regions in the country which still hangs on to it - another long tale......). I was sent a list of stuff he would need at the end of the Summer Term. I must admit that I was very apprehensive about the whole thing and believed the school when it presented me with this list. As well as an overpriced logo'd sweatshirt, I also bought pencils, pens, pencil case and calculator. In addition, I had to buy a whole new PE kit. I refused to buy the special red poly-cotton polo shirt at £6 a go, but did buy a rugby shirt, new trainers, football shirt and red football socks all through the school shop. It wasn't until I'd actually got the items that I realised I could have bought the majority from Woollies or Matalan at a fraction of the cost. I bought 3 red 100% cotton polo shirts for £4.50.

Then, dd has just started Year 2 at a new Primary school. Again, I've bought the logo'd sweatshirt but chose to use the white polo shirts that every other primary school in the region uses (at about £3 for 5). I'm now getting messages, via my 6 year old, from the Head, saying that I have to buy the poly-cotton logo'd polo shirts. I've not done it so far - largely because I object to being bullied via dd!

Anyway, I thought there was guidance from the Office of Fair Trading about what pressure can be put on Parents but I can't find it. I thought schools were supposed to offer parents alternative sources.

Any thoughts?

thanks

didn;t want you to go unanswered but don;t really know - my hunch gathered from half heard radio news etc is that they are not allowed to specify that you get their stuff and have to accept alternatives.

Do you know any parent gov you could talk to?

I think you should be looking at the Department for Education website for guidance/rules about school uniforms, not the OFT. I have a vague idea you are right but haven't had this problem myself, luckily, so haven't checked.

My son's school also sells second-hand uniforms, that other kids have grown out of - usually at the Spring fair/Autumn fair etc. etc. etc. Ask the PTA.

HTH

here

quote from link below:

"In particular, the guidelines warn that schools that have exclusive contracts with suppliers may be subject to enforcement action under the terms of the Competition Act. Overly expensive uniform policies may also fall foul of the School Admissions Code, which places a statutory duty on all governing bodies to ensure that their policies and practices do not disadvantage any children."

Develop a passive-aggressive allergy to polycotton.

School Governors have been told they should look at costs of uniform. If your dd is getting hassle from the HT, I would give her a ring and ask her about it, and consider writing to the Governors.

My boys attend a fantastic primary, and the HT there also thinks that all children do/should wear the logo-d polo shirts. Dh (Chair of Govs) informed her that my boys don't wear the logo-d polos, that our experience of them (2 shirts in 6 yrs!) is that they don't wear as well as the Tesco cheapies and they stain just as easily. We prefer that the boys have white polos, that are clean on every day, and if they get stained they go in the bin. We usually buy 4 new ones for each ds each year, and it's much cheaper than buying one logo-d one.

Dh also said that the school should advise parents of how much ££ they receive from the sale of these items. (At our school it's through an independent shop on the highstreet, but the school still gets some commission.)

HT was convinced and will take the reqt for logo-s polos out of the prospectus.

DD's school sells logo uniform very cheaply IMO. But I bought 2 of their polo shirts, washed them, and the collar came out a different colour to the main shirt, as I think the dye from the (green) logo ran into the yellow collar.
So went online, bought really cheap but IMO nicer ones from Adams. She starts on Thursday, so we'll see whether they're acceptable.
I found it very interesting that things bought via the pta at dd's school are so much cheaper than those at a friend's school. Tie was £2 instead of £6. Similar discrepancy in the sweatshirts and so on. I think part of this is that the school has completely opted out of the local school shops, and the PTA does it itself. Maybe because parents are perhaps poorer at dd's school than at the other (state) school which is in a more affluent part of the borough. If they want uniform to be widely adhered to, I think it is only appropriate that the cost of uniform items is at bare minimum.

as far as i know, school uniforms are not compulsory. the school can't force you to make your kids wear what they want. if you write a letter to the head maybe? also schools are not allowed to punish children for not wearing correct uniform if the parents have informed the school. hth.

thank you for your advice.

I'll write to the Heads of both schools. I have found that the polycotton shirts don't last as long as 100% cotton and I think the white ones look smarter.

OOOh this one gets me aranting.
My DD1s seconday school's reply when i queried this was that 'equivelent items are not on sale anywhere else' because the plain white shirts from tesco/sports kit etc do not have the school logo on!
I was fuming. Also government guidelines are just that guidelines and schools only have to nod in their direction and then carry on and do as they please - setting up a lucrative little byusiness with the local expensive sport shop/supplier.

We're lucky with the uniform issue.

At the talk the head gave at the start of term, she said that they could were any top, from anywhere, as long as it was the correct colour. Same goes for the jumper layer.

Ds has 2 school sweatshirts which he hates, as they have shrunk and he can't get them on and off easily. He also has a zipped up sweatshirt with a hood ( Tesco)and a red 'boys' style cardi with a zip down it ( La redoute). He can manange the zips better. the school cardi is made of horrible fabric and looked girly.

The PE kit is also flexible. Red shorts and white t shirt, from anywhere you like.

I would not buy the logo polo tops as they are so much more expensive than the tesco type ones.