Can somebody please remind me again about state primary school uniforms being enforced.

[LynetteScavo]

DS's school is changing their uniform and school logo (junior and infants are combining to be a primary) we've been told we should provide one logoed polo- shirt and one logoed sweatshirt, but can replace the other uniform as and when our children out grow it.

Some mums I've spoken to are refusing to buy the new logoed polo shirts, as they cost £10 each, and have bought polo shirts in the new colour, but without the logo from M&S/supermarket. I really don't blame them, for those with more than one child at the school there is a massive difference in the total price when buying a few shirts.

I had already bought the requested one of each, and went back to the school wear shop today (pay day! ) to buy some more. But of course the shop is sold out, and there is a huge waiting list for the new uniform.

So I bought some plain polo in the new colour from Sainsburys. (DS had grown out of his old ones, so I had to buy something).

On the one hand I feel the school are being quite cheeky to introduce a uniform which includes a "compulsory" £10 polo shirt, and think other mums who have bought the cheep ones are doing the right thing to make a stand...on the other hand I like to conform, and am scared of DS being told off for not having a logoed shirt.

Where do we stand on this?

[prh47bridge]

I have to agree with PanelMember regarding enforcement. Contrary to what some posters seem to think, primary schools are entitled to have a uniform and to enforce it. The child can only be excluded if breaches of uniform policy are persistent and defiant - unlikely for a primary school pupil. A pupil who is wearing an incorrect uniform can be sent home to correct the issue. That counts as an authorised absence and would be entirely lawful, although I would expect a primary school to call the parents to come and collect the child rather than sending them home on their own. If the pupil continues to breach uniform rules and is sent home as a result it becomes an unauthorised absence - again, entirely lawful. I was going to link to the current guidance from the DfE but I see PanelMember has already done so.

Note that the guidance says a lot about keeping costs low. Indeed, insisting on an expensive uniform can be a breach of the Admissions Code.

[mrz]

On the final day of term the father of a child joining us in September came into order uniform and both I and the secretary tried to persuade him that he could buy polo shirts from the supermarket in school colours quite cheaply rather than buy five with the embroidered logo as he intended. We failed to persuade him

[limetrees]

Lynette - you have done the right thing IMO. You were asked to buy one polo, you did this. I would not get involved any further.

I would say that you can manage with one polo through the winter months - it is under the jumper usually and so it won't get too dirty. You can wash and dry for the next day if necessary anyway. My DS had 2 logoed polos for reception year and it was totally fine. He's going to wear them for Y1 as well, so actually, even though they were logoed they have been very good value IMO.

[startail]

No one wears our logo polos here either.
Expensive and the collars go beige on washing.

[GloriaVanderbilt]

our governors ignored this guidance even when a complaint was submitted.

They still demand we buy from an expensive sole supplier.

Nor did they take a blind bit of notice of the joke 'consultation' in which everyone wanted to stay the same.

Shower of b*stards

[crazymum53]

When my child's primary school changed the uniform sweatshirts the school ordered sew-on labels with the new logo so that parents could modify existing uniform.
Have the governors considered this option ?

[caughtinanet]

mrz - why the face about wanting to buy a top with a school logo?

I wouldn't buy a supermarket top when there's a uniform alternative and I wouldn't be very happy to think school staff were judging my choice before my child had even crossed the threshold.

[mrz]

He wanted to (and indeed did) buy FIVE logoed polo shirts although the school uniform policy is happy for children to wear school colours... so the face is a [can't win]

[mrz]

update

he sent a letter to say his ex wife will pay

[dolphin84]

Our school have just changed polo shirt provider. They are not overly expensive £7 I think but the quality is horrible. I have got plain ones which are just as good. Surely it can't matter this time of the year as jumpers are worn over the top.

[ImNotaCelebrity]

Summer dresses for our local state junior school are £18
They are very distinctive and there is nothing remotely similar in regular shops, not even colour-wise. It's a relatively wealthy area, but even so ...
My dd will be wearing second hand all the way when the time comes!