School uniform for DD - How much/little to buy

[BsshBossh]

DD starts YR this September. She's spent most of her life at childminder/nursery/preschool and does a good amount of crafts/art/outdoor playing. Yet it's rare she's needed a change of clothing. She's a bit of a neat-freak and rarely comes home dirty. As a family we do three clothes washes a week. With this in mind, how many school dresses/skirts/polo shirts/sweatshirts do you think I'd need to buy for her?

avoid trousers for young DDs

have you ever seen the toilet floors in a reception class, trousers pool on the floor.... you get where I'm going with this

3 polos
2 skirts or pinafores
2 cardigans or jumpers

never needed any more than this although it is amazing how many times they get yoghurt down their backs

Oh yes, I avoided trousers, but for fit problems - too big on waist, usually, and they grow out of them much more quickly as you can wear a skirt that's a couple of inches too short but trousers soon look silly .

My very messy DD managed just fine on 3 polo shirts, 2 pinafores, 1 skirt and 2 cardigans. She has a clean polo shirt and pinafore/skirt every day, and we sponged the worst off the cardigan so it lasted 2-3 days.
Washed Tuesday night so stuff was dry by Thursday morning.

If she is not keen on jumpers/cardigans (DS isn't and hardly ever wears one) you need only get 1.

Do not forget that if they are going to be in a big playground for the first time they will fall over more often than you think so spare tights.
A sun hat to take in daily or to leave at school
A couple of sets of cheap gloves and hats even named stuff goes walk about.

We started with 3 pinofortes, 3 cardigans and 5 poloshirts.

Very soon I got to 5 cardigans and after Christmas I bought 2 more pinofortes already the next size up.

So we ended up with 1 full set per day.

I only bought 2 Summer dresses and that was ok last year. DD wears Summer dresses since Easter nearly daily and I have now 5.

I do a wash under the week but I like being on the safe side in case I don't manage.

Thank you for this thread. Have just returned from a trip to Tesco and M&S to lose my uniform-buying virginity.

She is for diddy for her age and not yet 4yo, so have got a mix of size 3-4 and 4-5 polo shirts (3 of each), a couple of shirts, a pinafore and a few skirts, plus a v-neck jumper and a cardi. The prices at Tesco were unbelievable - £2 for a jumper (yes I know it won't last!). Also got a few bits in M&S in their 20% off.

Friend has informed me that we will be expected to buy some embroidered items as well - I expect that is where the expense will kick in, and shoes of course, although she does already have a plain black pair that would do for starters.

Mighty relieved to have got the main shop done though!

£2 for a school jumper! How I envy those whose schools don't insist on logo'd uniform, and then charge £18 for the privilege
Especially annoying when they constantly lose the bloody things.

We aren't obliged to buy anything with a logo, but most people have the logo sweatshirts / cardigans / bookbag and the school PE shorts. If you need to order anything from the school don't forget that they shut in July (I forgot!)

We've always had mostly M&S stuff and it wears really well, trousers always seem to look just as good at the start of the year as the end, bar the odd blob of paint.

Don't leave getting your school shoes till too late is my other tip, first couple of weeks in August is a good time, by the end of the holidays the shops are out of half the sizes, the queues are out the door, the parents are frazzled....

Wow, great responses, thanks all again. Good point about YR DDs, trousers and the pool of wee on toilet floor - would never have thought about that