Please clarify re state primary uniform

[HoratiaWinwood]

DS goes to normal state primary. When he started I requested a uniform list, to be told there wasn't one, but I could have an order form. I spoke to other pre-school parents with children already at the school for advice, and on that advice bought a limited selection of logo uniform (fleece, two polo shirts, PE kit) and made up the rest mostly at M&S in pure cotton as DS has a history of sensitive skin and eczema and doesn't get on well with manmade fibres.

At the Reception Parents Meeting we were finally given a list of sorts which specified colours but not logos.

But now we have had a "reminder" in the school newsletter that jumpers, cardigans and fleeces must bear the school logo.

I'm annoyed because (1) that's the first I've heard of it and (2) I have a feeling it isn't allowed. DS is four and therefore fairly messy so needs at least two and preferably three jumpers even though I seem to have the washing machine on all the time.

We live in a well-off semi-rural catchment, so the financial difference between school logo jumper and plain is irrelevant to most parents. But it certainly isn't irrelevant to us.

I am going to write to school pointing out that he can't come in a uniform jumper as he doesn't have any so we would have to wait for the order to come in, and explaining why I didn't think there was a need to get logo jumpers anyway. But I'd be grateful for your thoughts because my reading of previous threads has left me confused about what schools are allowed to enforce.

Schools (both primary and secondary) are allowed to enforce uniform (prh47bridge and other expert posters have linked the exact guidance to earlier threads about this).

Ok, thanks. I'll still grump that they didn't tell us (I've triple checked) but I'll not argue against the rule.

Thanks again.

Hello Horrie.

There are lots of threads about this. Primary schools can set a uniform
Policy and can take reasonable steps to enforce it ( for primary school, 'reasonable' means stopping short of exclusion).

What seems wrong here, though, is that offering you an order form suggests there is only one supplier and there is guidance from the OFT which prohibits schools from setting up monopolies for supply of school uniform. Schools are also supposed to take account of costs and hardship when setting the uniform policy, which also weighs against insisting on lots of logo-ed items.

A further point is that if there has been an actual change of policy from anything in the current colour to logo-ed items from one supplier - rather than just poor communication - this should have been subject to a consultation with parents.

Cheers Maud.

I knew there had been threads. I have read them. I was still none the wiser.

Currently he wears trousers, polo shirt and jumper in fully compliant colours. I have no desire to make him stand out. He is growing out of them, so I planned an outing to Next Big Town at half term to get bigger ones. But now it appears I need to put a form in to school to buy theirs instead.

Since my earlier posts I've spoken to another parent who said "they have to be logo jumpers? But Mrs F in the office said they don't, so we should get the plain ones from M&S". Mrs F is the member of staff responsible for ordering uniform

I'm torn between "you can't make me buy these expensive and crap ones; I'm completely compliant up to the point you can enforce" and "ok I'll make sure DS isn't the only one in his class in a plain jumper".

This month he also needed new school shoes. He has grown more than an inch since Christmas. It adds up and I don't know what will give.

my boy's school tried to get me to buy a logo bag - i bought one last year and it fell to bits so the one i got for this year is much sturdier and does the job, i ignored them when they told me i had to buy a logo school bag. they've stopped going on about it now (hopefully, fingers crossed - i've probably jinxed it now by wiriting this !)

I've just bought Dd's first uniform. I was really shocked that the cost of good quality uniform from her private school was less than the rubbish synthetic logoed stuff from the local primary. seeing as cost is not meant to be prohibitive, that really made me think . I don't know how schools can justify £,14 for a sweatshirt when m and s charge £8 for a jumper and the supermarkets less than that. maybe a mumsnet campaign for sew on reusable badges is called for!

A lot of people in my school bought the logo jumpers once and then cut the logo off, hemmed it and sewed it onto the right colour plain jumpers repeatedly as they grew.

Try this link
www.schoolwearmadeeasy.com/index.php?route=common/home
You may find it cheaper than ordering from the school

Sorry just realised that it's for Scotland

First law of primary school, smile, nod and carry in doing what you've always done.

Senior schools may try a bit harder to enforce things because a certain amount of the uniform violations are down to the pupils.

Primary schools can't really do much if the parents quietly stick their letters in the bin.

The HT will have something else to worry about tomorrow.

Certainly at our school most older DCs wear logos, but not all younger ones do because of having cheap spares and because the girls cardigans don't fit the smallest slim girls at all.

If your HT is expecting to do any more than encourage the wearing of logos he'll waste a lot of time fielding E-mails from irritated Mothers.

All, but very large primaries have minimal admin staff, hence as I say, almost all primary HT's decrees going away after a whike.

I think a mixture of logo and cheaper uniform is fine.. My DS is in reception and managed to lose 2 named logo sweatshirts. School found one and deputy head said lot of parents buy non logo stuff until the children are in KS2. she was fine with that

Hi HoratiaWindwood:

Agree with Kilmuir - KS2 is better and tons go missing or are taken home by wrong child in KS1.

What I will also say (and this may just be our school) logo stuff seems to disappear rather swiftly (because its expensive perhaps?)

As long as the colours are vaguely correct you should be o.k.

My advice is to check the school prospectus and website - if there is a picture of a child in a plain pullover/ sweatshirt - then you are well within your rights to carry on as is.