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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

school uniform again

17 replies

shelley72 · 25/07/2012 07:11

so ive just come to order the logoed stuff and they seem to do age 3/4 or 5/6. why dont these providers do age 4/5 ?

i have a feeling that age 3/4 will fit (just) and look lovely on his first day but not fit by christmas - if we're lucky - and that 5/6 will swamp skinny DS.

its always better to buy bigger though isnt it even though it will make him look a bit scruffy. we have the ordeal of buying shoes next !

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MrsNouveauRichards · 25/07/2012 07:32

I have gone for bigger mostly, but have a mix of sizes. So DD has some pinafores that actually fit, with a bit extra room, polo shirts are quite big, but under a pinafore not so noticeable, cardigans are big on her but she is unlikely to wear them much tbh, and I got summer dresses at least a full size bigger as they may only be worn a couple of times next term.

Maybe get one or 2 bits you know will fit this term, so he can be smart on the first day, but have the next size up at home too?

Shoes, I got from shoesforkids.co.UK and I got a pair of Clarks shoes, in 10G which is a half a size bigger than she is wearing atm (which fit generously)

Tiggles · 25/07/2012 08:35

I gave up buying uniform too big as my kids started chewing the cuffs as they found them annoying...

Original poster

shelley72 · 25/07/2012 09:28

ooh thats a good point LittleMissGreen - DS is terrible for chewing sleeves as it is when he's upset / nervous as it is ...

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Fuzzymum1 · 25/07/2012 16:02

I had the same problem last year - I wanted 4/5 as he was close to outgrowing 3-4 at the time. I spoke to some parents at the school to find out if they thought the uniform came up a bit big or a bit small and they all said it was a bit bigger than other brands so I went with 3/4 and it has lasted him the year - it was getting to the point of only just fitting when he broke his arm at the end of may so I cut the sleeve off one of his jumpers below the elbow so he could still wear it.

dixiechick1975 · 25/07/2012 16:12

If possible can it be tried on?

DD's uniform that has to be bought from the school is a real mish mash of sizes - the uniform bears no resemblance to the age or size stated.

eg DD who is a head taller than the rest of the class and the size of an 8 yr old needed the smallest tracksuit pants they made - they had to ask the supplier to remake as they were totally unsuitable for the normal sized 5 yr olds

DontEatTheVolesKids · 25/07/2012 17:16

they call it 5-6 size because after 5-6 washes it shrinks down to size 4-5, or even size 3-4 by the time it's been washed 50-60 times.

Best strategy is to buy 2nd hand in charity shops.

Original poster

shelley72 · 27/07/2012 10:14

thank you all for the replies.

well. uniform has arrived - ordered one sweatshirt in 3/4 and one in 5/6 and PE shirt in 3/4. PE shirt is massive. 3/4 sweatshirt (as suspected) fits well now but who knows by september and the age 5/6 is huge. so im still none the wiser . they are a tenner a time, which i know isnt much money to some but im not sure we can afford at the moment to get 2 jumpers in each size, along with all the other bits and bobs he needs.

unfortunately no school second hand shop and have checked on ebay too. do you think 2 sweatshirts are a necessity - would we be able to get away with just one do you think?

the company that the school uses dont deliver to the school, its 3.95 a time for delivery and you have to foot the bill for returns too. someone somewhere is making a nice tidy sum!

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mummytofive · 27/07/2012 14:32

keep the logo one for school 1st day, school photo day and assemblys, use the cheaper supermarket for everyday. i think i am right saying schools cannot insist on you having logo uniform. so i have just got the bare minimum from the company and stocked up on marks n sparks. esp as polo shirts under a jumper are not going to show anything but the collar!

Original poster

shelley72 · 27/07/2012 15:08

mummytofive sweatshirts, PE tshirts, PE sweatshirts bags etc all have to be logoed so we are stuck with using that company and their odd sizing. I have already stocked up in M&S on basic polo shirts and trousers as you suggest. im not sure schools were like this in my day

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MrsNouveauRichards · 27/07/2012 18:37

I think if it is just an ordinary primary school (not private or religious) they can't legally expect you to have all logo'd or something, someone else will probably know more than me.

jubilee10 · 28/07/2012 08:06

Our school doesn't 'insist' on logo items but the few that don't have them stick out like sore thumbs. It may be that once you have washed and dried the 5/6 it will be a better fit.

Do you know any parents of older dc's that might pass any on. A mother at the school asked me what size ds's fleece was as she needed to get one for her ds starting school after the summer. Ds had pretty much out grown it and I had ordered the next size up (which is huge). It was still immaculate so I asked her if she would like it to 'start them off'. She was delighted and took his sweatshirts and polo's, shorts and trousers as well.

We need a clean one for each day but ds goes to breakfast and after school club so is wearing it from 7am till bedtime. If you are picking him up in the afternoon you would have a chance to wash and dry it. I do think you will need at least 2 though.

3duracellbunnies · 28/07/2012 08:32

Well Shelley72 maybe your first task when your son starts is to volunteer for the PSA and start up the secondhand uniform shop. Ours emerges about once a term and at school fairs. People donate old uniform and it is sold on for a pound a piece, both logoed items and high street skirts, summer dresses etc, plus some brownie type stuff. By including non-logo highstreet stuff the school shouldn't miss out too much, as say half of it is high street stuff that they would get no profit from then for every logoed item you also sell another item, so make 2 pounds for the school. Point out that people probably pass or sell stuff on anyway, and this way the school gets to profit on second hand as well as new stuff. And of course because you are running it you get first dibs on the nicest uniform which of course you give a donation for

Original poster

shelley72 · 30/07/2012 07:33

well 3duracellbunnies its interesting you should say that as i was out the other day with DCs, got talking to a friend of a friend type of thing and turns out they were the chair of the now defunct PTA and i have already beenvolunteered for sept - which after reading about the horrors of PTAs on here leaves me feeling a bit .

apparently there is no PTA atm - so no fundraising, school shops, functions etc as the head decided to disband it due to lack of interest (only 3 members i heard). there will be a new head from january so the chair is going to try and get a useful PTA up and running again.

i like your idea about the uniform shop, and will make it my first suggestion

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3duracellbunnies · 30/07/2012 08:11

Some easy projects are probably the best way to get it going again. For example the secondhand sale, if you can get in at the begining of term with requests for clothes as unless you are super organised many parents use the start of the winter season as a chance to update the wardrobes, clear out old stuff. It will take a little while to build up a good stock but will save loads.

Off topic, but we do cake sales once a month, and each class/year group takes it in turn to make cakes which are sold for 30p after school. They raise about 100 pounds and are very popular.

NoComet · 30/07/2012 12:12

I agree with littlegreen it's better accept replacing small jumpers.

By the time large ones fit the cuffs are toast. If they don't chew them, they stick their thumbs through them and wearing them over their hands frays them to bits.

NoComet · 30/07/2012 12:16

Generally at DDs school non logoed cardigans were quite common in reception and Y1 because the sweatshirt ones are too bulky and look daft on the slightest girls.

GateGipsy · 30/07/2012 13:51

Shelley72 good for you! PTAs don't have to be a nightmare. They can be whatever you put into them. We try to have as much fun in ours as possible. Evening meetings at the local pub are always well attended for some reason :D

The more events you run, the more successful you are, the more people will want to get involved. A good relationship with the head is a must though. Otherwise you just don't get anywhere. We have a standing meeting slot with ours, every two weeks. It might get cancelled due to the Head's busy schedule, but it works most of the time. Is always good to keep the communication open as long as everyone knows it is not for the PTA to just moan etc. and not bring individual complaints in. We try to run it so that as well as people who are running events, some of the other other members come along too. It helps with communication.

Simple events are good. We do cake sales, always popular and fairly easy to do. We put out a newsletter once a term (are now trying to get it monthly), and we run quiz nights (grown ups only) at the school. We also do a second hand uniform sale alongside the cake sale (have these at the end of each half term).

Direct message me if you want any help or assistance. Can I also recommend joining hte NCPTA? Free and you get lots of support, courses, advice.

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