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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

Branded state primary uniform

25 replies

gutzgutz · 03/08/2014 12:53

DS starts reception in September and I am starting to buy uniform. He has to have branded school uniform sweatshirt and t-shirts for PE. I generally have second hand/ hand me downs for my DSs not because we can't afford new but money is tight and that way we have more for days out etc. We are not on benefits apart from child & tax credits.

Can the school insist on branded uniform? I was thinking of buying one of each and then a supermarket generic (I.e. a red sweatshirt / t shirt without the logo) as a second when the other is in the wash.

I don't want to get DS into trouble but neither do I see how the school can insist on this when it is a state run one. DS2 may not attend this school and they don't do second hand sales so it seems a waste to buy lots of branded uniform which is likely to last a year at most.

Anyone else have experience of this?

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fairgame · 03/08/2014 13:00

When DS was in ms school they had a branded uniform but no everyone wore it because not everyone could afford £8 for a jumper. As long as kids were dressed in the correct colour there was never a problem if they didnt have branded uniform. I'm sure your DS will not be the only child in generic uniform so don't worry about it

nlondondad · 03/08/2014 18:27

@gutzgutz

Is the new school a Free School by any chance?

Also, do they use facilities outside the school for PE, for example go a distance to playing fields?

Toohotforfishandchips · 03/08/2014 18:40

Expect to need at least 5 days shirts and more jumpers unless you want to wash everyday. Most people use non branded stuff most of the time for that reason. Reception uniform gets trashed quickly

Galena · 03/08/2014 19:10

DD's school uniform list says logoed jumpers, etc, but in reality nobody minded if it was just the generic colour. We had at least a full week's clothes in reception, and 5 of everything adds up if you just buy logoed.

HouseofEliot · 03/08/2014 21:15

Ours had logoed uniform but some wore unbranded in the same colours and nobody said anything.

I don't agree with the poster above that reception uniform gets trashed. My Dd's had two years each out of the same uniform and then I passed it onto a friend it still looked in good condition. I have only had to replace uniform when they have outgrown it not because it is ruined.

HouseofEliot · 03/08/2014 21:17

Just realised the poster above may have meant getting dirty not destroyed. Mine have clean uniform every day but come home clean usually any way.

Toohotforfishandchips · 03/08/2014 21:27

House - every child in reception I have ever known ends up ruining tshirts with glue, paint and white board marker very quickly - plus mud etc from the outdoor classroom - at our school 90% looked like a dogs dinner by summer term. One friend turned all her white ones into dusters every term as ruined and stained.

HouseofEliot · 03/08/2014 21:46

Mine had to wear white blouses and any paint soaked off easily with vanish or fairy liquid. The cardigans are now on their 4th owner and still look good. They always had packed lunch so nothing messy to get down them.

Bilberry · 03/08/2014 23:18

Check with your local council - there are sometimes grants for school uniform for families on low incomes.

Original poster

gutzgutz · 04/08/2014 10:12

Thanks all. I shall go ahead with my plan then. It's just a regular state LEA primary. I can't be the only parent who doesn't want to spend loads on logoed uniform. I wouldn't qualify for any help, it's more I'd rather use the money for things I consider important like swimming lessons. A red sweatshirt is a red sweatshirt IMO.

OP posts:

glenthebattleostrich · 04/08/2014 10:18

I don't think they can force you to use branded in an lea controlled primary. They can request but not insist.

500internalerror · 04/08/2014 10:28

Ah the joy of shirts covered in permanent marker....

I wouldn't worry. We have branded pe kit & non branded normal uniform. But loads of people but plain pe polo shirts, & oddly some people sew the school badge onto plain jumpers! We also have a mix of old & new versions if uniform because of hand-me-downs.

tiggytape · 04/08/2014 15:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

JimBobplusasprog · 04/08/2014 17:15

Tbh you only need 3 jumpers if you wash them midweek and weekends. And if you size up they'll last a couple of years. I would not want my child marked as different from the start for not wearing the same uniform as the others. We only had one pe t shirt each too.

The polo shirts my eldest ds wore in reception had two years of wear from him and two from ds2 and dd will get two years from them hopefully. The jumpers have had four years of wear too.

AlpacaLypse · 04/08/2014 17:23

I'm sorry to hear they don't do a secondhand school uniform sale at this school. We (the PTA) used to run one on New Parent's Evening and also at the taster day in the last week of term.

Of course a lot of uniform doesn't actually survive Reception... the glue, the paint, the mud, the general rolling around on floors, knee scuffing...

I kickstarted with two logo-ed sweatshirts per child, then tended to buy each one a single new one each year, in time for the Official Photograph.

Girls, so in summer they moved to knitted school colour (green) cardigans. Ours all came from Woolworths and were really rather good. I do miss Woolies!

Original poster

gutzgutz · 05/08/2014 07:37

Tiigytape, would would they do if I refused to conform? Suspend my child until I did? Seems drastic.

I don't believe reception children will spot this so he won't be "different". If the teachers do then I don't care as long as it doesn't adversely affect his education.

Perhaps I'm just annoyed as I find the whole idea of tinies in uniform silly. At my state funded LEA in the early 80s there was no uniform. Why now?

OP posts:

bakingtins · 05/08/2014 08:06

I think reception children will spot it at a hundred paces if he's the only one without the branded sweatshirt. I'd at least start the year off in one and have a look what the other children are wearing. You probably need at least three - my son doesn't appear to be able to end the day with a clean or even cleanish jumper. We now have five so I can just wash at the weekend. He only has one PE top though, they bring it home to wash every holidays but otherwise they stay at school (eww) I did buy a supermarket top as an emergency back up and it was a waste of money as he's never worn it. I don't think our school would make a fuss, in the summer lots of girls wear unbranded cardigans, but they do all seem to have a school sweatshirt in the autumn.
How much are they charging? Our school charge £8. They also sell secondhand uniform. Do you actually know the school don't do this since that would be a term time only thing.
I remember when I was at secondary school they changed the uniform so you could only wear stuff bought from school at extortionate prices (e.g. Yellow stitching on navy skirt waistband) which all the parents were up in arms about, but if it's just a sweatshirt and you can get everything else from the supermarket that doesn't seem unreasonable.

teacherwith2kids · 05/08/2014 08:23

I would say buy the minimum, but only branded, and then see how things pan out in September. IME, schools vary in their 'norms' in this, with some schools being 100% logoed and some being more mixed. However, I would say that the usual variation is girls wearing non-branded cardigans - boys in non-branded sweatshirts are rarer, even when I have taught in schools in very non-affluent areas.

As bakingtins says, you only need 1 PE T-shirt - DD had the same one from Reception through to leaving Year 6 as I bought VERY big to start with and it was fashionably fitted by the end!)

Then buy 2 sweatshirts (DS and DD only ever had 2 of these, though admittedly they were a lovely practical navy blue!). In September, you will a) be able to find out whether DS is a clean-and-tidy or a daubed-in-mess type [and also how rigorous the school's attitude is to e.g. aprons for painting!]
b) see how many children wear non-branded tops
c) aim to meet some parents of older children in the playground, who may be able to provide some hand-me-downs - the PTA and the school secretary are also useful sources of info about second hand stuff.

NynaevesSister · 05/08/2014 08:31

Our primary school enforces this strictly and we have about half the roll on free school meals. However we also do second hand uniform sales with all the branded stuff just for 50p. Sure there a marks on some etc but after a couple of weeks in reception new stuff will look like that too. The materials used are very hard wearing, none of it ends up as dusters.

AuditAngel · 05/08/2014 08:42

Our school (church primary) enforces logo jumpers/cardigans and polo shirts (boys only, summer only), plus pe t-shirts.

I once sent DD into school in a plain sweatshirt as her cardigan was filthy, her spare was at school and she had a terrible cough. Needless to say they made an effort to send home the missing jumper!

DS is going into year 6, we never see kids in non regulation (i.e. Non logo) items.

tiggytape · 05/08/2014 09:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bronya · 05/08/2014 15:19

I used to teach in a school that insisted on a Logo sweatshirt and PE shirt. Most parents bought one of each, in a size that would last a couple of years. They washed the sweatshirt at the weekend, and the PE shirt at half terms/holidays. We were always careful to tell the children to take their sweatshirt off before doing anything messy (e.g. painting) so it was generally fine to last the week.

nlondondad · 05/08/2014 17:41

@gutzgutz

Why uniform now?

I wonder this also.

However I think you have some good advice on this thread regarding school uniform, and the fact that there could be a uniform at a state school, and it could be, if that school chooses, be strictly enforced. But really schools vary a lot, in that many have a "dress code" really rather than a uniform, and actually it can be a convenience for parents. I think you basically do need to find out what the schools attitude is, and you will have a few days at the start of term to find out.

Where it could be an issue is if the uniform is elaborate and expensive. in which case they could be a cause of exclusion, which, of course, no doubt could be an attraction to some parents.

Original poster

gutzgutz · 05/08/2014 18:48

I'll have to investigate further re second hand sales. I have to admit I was surprised they don't do this but maybe the teacher I spoke to got it wrong. It's the waste as much as anything, especially if DS2 doesn't attend the school as we plan to move.

Will start off with branded one of each and go from there. DS1 isn't too filthy a child but I can't see one being enough. They are from £12 according to the school suppliers website. I think that's a fair amount although if I look at it per wear then it's minuscule, if it lasts the year!

Don't get me started on shoes.....school ones, pumps (indoor PE), trainers (outdoor PE) and weekend shoes. Ahhhh, perhaps I am focussing on the wrong things!

OP posts:

aubreye · 06/08/2014 08:10

Oh my, all four DC are in a Private School (DH insisted) and every bit of uniform is branded. All though we can afford it, I feel as though having a logo on the Pre-preps grey skirts are ridiculous, as is the fact that a boater is a necessary item of clothing. It's just a way for the school to make more money and quite frankly I don't agree with it. Luckily, DS1 is in his final year this September and DS2 can have his hand-me-downs!

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