When do we need to start thinking about school uniform?

[MrsNouveauRichards]

DD starts reception in September. I am terrible at getting things done on time and I am determined not to be shopping the week she starts at school!

Are there any times when shops do deals on uniform? Where is best and where to avoid?

How much uniform do they really need? Please help a poor newbie school mum get it right :o

My top tip is to buy tights as soon as you see them on the shelves. Even standard colours like navy can sell out really quickly and not reappear. And get more than 5 pairs to allow for ripped knees, mysterious disappearances etc.

Since DD1 started reception in September, I have discovered:

• Two school jumpers aren't enough. You will be lured into a false sense of security through September and October, while it is still warm and they take it off at the beginning of the day, but come November they will start wearing it and making it dirty. You will start to get very stressed at trying to wash and dry the one that isn't being worn, before admitting defeat and buying another.
• Pinafores can do more than one day. Polo shirts cannot.
• Pinafores keep polos shirts cleaner than skirts.
• Pinafores are considerably easier to get clean than polo shirts.
• Trousers are much easier for girls on PE days. Have two pairs as they normally do PE twice a week. But only buy trousers with adjustable waists (M&S do them).
• Only buy skirts with adjustable waists (M&S).
• You'll need at least four summer dresses to avoid the uniform-related stress already experienced during "jumpergate".
• Some supermarket stuff feels a bit nasty and isn't much cheaper than M&S, Next etc.
• Label everything, including your child. For the latter, iron on labels are frowned upon.
• When buying labels, only put the surname on them if you are planning to reuse uniform for a younger sibling. This will literally halve the pain.
• Iron on labels apparently don't work. But sew on labels have to be stitched all the way round, otherwise your child will hang their clothes up using the label and not the loop intended for the purpose and the label will need restitching.
• Buy many pairs of tights.
• Many schools will have second hand uniform sales, often as part of the summer fair. Go along and see what you can get, though they often don't have smaller sizes.
• PE kits often stay at school for half a term at a time. This is worth remembering when you need to buy new shoes for your child when their feet grow overnight as their plimsols will no longer fit.

HTH.

Another thing on labels - I got mine from Cash's and had a flower plus surname put on in brightly coloured thread. This makes it easier for DD1 to identify it without having to go to the effort of reading the whole surname (they are only four, after all). And it made her feel pretty special when we sat down at the computer and chose how they would look :o

I looked at cash nametapes this morning, they have a flower picture and DD's name is a flower name, so figured that may help her with identifying her belongings.

YY PE = undressing, put PE kit on inside on and back to front, star jump, roll PE kit into a ball, get dressed (sometimes in all of your own clothes).

The first rule of PE club is 'don't take your underpants off'. DS is thrilled by DH's tales of accidental post PE nakedness. He has had a few close calls. Second rule is polo shirts are better than shirt and tie for getting changed.

*Adjustable waistbands are better
*School jumpers last longer if LO is taking sandwiches (but not yoghurt). DS looks like he rubs his plate onto this top - not a messy eater at home.

*I have bought less this time. He had a massive growth spurt and this is really noticeable with trousers. This time I got some age 6 and some age 6-7.

Shoes should look like this when together.

lol it is only cooked lunches at the dcs schools so i have no cleaner options but when dd was in reception she sued to come out - puff out her lunch stained chest and say "guess what i had for lunch mummy" - i have incredibly messy children!

bigbadbear gosh i am dim. I wondered why on earth the label companies had pictures on offer on their labels. I have only had a child at school for 5 years - why had i not twigged??

In fairness alittlebitshy, I do tend to overthink things! But DD1 was thrilled and it didn't cost anymore, so why not?

Oh gosh, I have to start thinking about this - DD1 starts Reception in September too. Thanks for the thread, OP.

So do (state) schools give you guidance on all this or are you just expected to know it all already? When might I expect them to give me any information (if they are going to)? (Am in Herts btw).

Am I very naive if I'm hoping that I can re-use everything for DD2? If so, it is worth going for the M&S / Next type places rather than supermarkets in the hope that it'll be better quality and more likely to last for DD2?

Thanks for all the great tips everyone, by the way! . I have just started a new job but to be honest, all the stuff around DD starting school seems much more confusing!

Oh God, this all sounds like a nightmare!

I have stocked up with iron on labels and sticky labels already. The way my sewing is, iron on is the way to go! Failing that, I have a laundry pen.

Should I start buying tights now?

I don't know what body shape DD1 is. She's a 4yo body shape, looks the same as all the others. Eek!

Should add, the school is v v hot on uniform. Only black shoes, plain navy coats, only blue hair accessories. I'm going to fail miserably at this!

I use iron-on labels and have only issues if I am in a hurry and don't do it properly. I had to do a second batch in October and no label has been lost ever since.

I hate sewing. Writing the name can be done as well but I found that DD then struggles looking at the label at the bottom of the shirt/jumper/pinoforte. I iron the label at the top and DD finds it a lot better after PE.

If you have a coat where the hood can be taken off, label both if you want the hood back.

DD has a pair of school shoes, a pair of non-school ones, a pair of wellies, a pair of boots for winter and plimsolls for PE. Not that they wear plimsolls but it is part of the kit. So buy the cheapest ones. I couldn't find anything in DD's size and had to pay £12 for Start-rite ones. I now have already the next 2 sizes up at home.

Buy a lot of unusual keyrings for the book bag.

In Asda yesterday, they had a little stand full of school hair accessories.

I already know about the tights! Tried to get some navy blue ones for DD to wear with a party dress and couldn't get any in her size anywhere. Borrowed some in the end.

However, I have got a 25% off VIP voucher for M&Co so going to see if I can use it to stock up on any tights they have in the right colour/size.

Check with school if they have a second hand uniform sale. I have bought both kids at school a full set of new uniform each to start with but have stocked up on spares from the hardly used grown out of school second hand stuff.

Marker pen for writing surname on cuffs/hems of clothes, easy and big for kids and teachers to see and cannot be removed by those thieving oiks who collect school uniform.

Now DD wears green and DS wears red so I can keep track of which item belongs to which child. I would buy all of same colour so you can pop them all ion the wash together.

M&S have 20% off school dresses today only. DD1 will start school in summer uniform which is compulsory so I'm getting in early. Is three enough?

I have all ds's. With the first two I kidded myself that three of everything would do and then stressed out trying to wash and dry mid week. With ds3 I have five of everything it goes on clean in the morning and into the wash at night. That said, I work full time so ds is at after school club until 6 pm so is wearing his uniform for the whole day. It may be different if they are changing after school.

I bought m&s trousers and they are wearing very well but, although thin, he has a long body and short legs! He is wearing age 4 at almost 6.

GwendolineMaryLacey - I would get two dresses in one size and another in the next one up. Summer uniform being compulsory is mad. It wasn't very warm last year.

School jumpers are really expensive and get muddled all of the time. I put two iron in labels in - one in the sleeve.

My DS's hood is detachable and goes missing all of the time. I wish it was attached.

We were given a school handbook at an open day and this set out what was needed. I don't like having to wash and wear and so have a lot - in different sizes though. I have 3 trousers, 3 shorts, 5 polos, 3 shirts (long), 3 shirts (short) 2 elasticated ties. He wears trousers twice but everything else is fresh each day. He has a bath and gets changed into pjs and doesn't need many non uniform clothes.

I stock pile whites to wash separately. The cotton shirts still look like new - the polos are wrecked. Ds prefers them and I cba ironing proper shirts. Next year, I will keep one polo and shirt back for photographs etc.

Another newbie here!
Is it better to buy the cheap-as-chips supermarket uniforms or pay a bit extra for Next/M&S etc?

I'm tempted by the supermarket stuff as it's so cheap and I expect DS to out-grow/destroy it fairly quickly but is it going to fall apart by half-term?

The asda trousers/skirts/jumpers all looked pretty good but the summer dresses looked quite flimsy, so maybe it depends on the item?

Oooh, and where does the widest plimsolls? DS's feet are ridiculously wide

I haven't found quality to be an issue and buy from department stores and supermarkets. I prefer John Lewis and ASDA for polos - over NEXT and M&S. I haven't tried Tesco and may give them a whirl with clubcard vouchers.

My DS has grown a huge amount over the year. He destroys his shoes playing football.

I had Sainsbury and can't rate them enough
Skinny long polo shirts which are long enough to stay tucked in.
The girls summer shirts weren't though, but have a burrerfly scalloped bottom so maybe not supposed to be.

Def polo shirt under pinny rather than shirt and skirt. Dd always pulls skirts down to wee not lift up. Because she is skinny and the adjustable waists are hoiked in so far, she can't get them back up.

Also dd has to wear a tie and because her pinny holds her tie inside she has worn a polo not collared shirt.
Buy lots of tights and more in the next size up. If you have a skinny long legged girl don't bother with M&S. Try Zeco (am I repeating myself).

I love the Marks and Spencer Stainaway polos. They do them in girls and boys styles. You have to buy them two sizes bigger than they normally wear to withstand tumble drying but they definitely have stayed much cleaner than the Asda's or Sainsburys's tops.

I like the Asda's trousers for little boys as they are just pull up with no fly. Not adjustable waist but OK for my DS.

Definitely see if they are having a summer fete. I pick up his school jumpers for 25p instead of £8 new. I then buy 5 of them so no problem with washing.

Speaking to a friend yesterday, she said her school are quite relaxed with uniform and plain jumpers are fine, but it is worth having at least one with school logo for photos and school trips, especially to big museums as there could be 5 different schools with the same coloured uniform!