Has anyone ever challenged overpriced logo uniform

[GideonMack]

Hello :)

I do appreciate before I start that it is fairly likely the attitude of 'does it really matter' can be used here, but I have a bee in my bonnet about this..

Our DS has just been giving a Academy school (from Infant to junior) the school he presently attends has a logo but in no way enforces that you must wear a logo... and I stupidly presumed this would be the attitude at his new school...

Boy was I wrong! I contacted them about Uniform arrangements and was told by the office manager, that I can only buy the uniform through them and that he has to wear a Jumper with Logo, a Tie with Logo, and in years 5 + 6 a blazer with logo...

initially I thought no problem I will just buy the generic colour of his school, I requested this

I was told that was he to attend without the correct logo on his uniform he would be excluded for the day and everyday until he attended in the correctly uniform with the logo

and no surprise the uniform is high priced.. £20 for a jumper, £15 for the tie, £75 for the blazer

this is crazy, and I asked if they have a legal right to refuse my son education based on him not wearing a logo! they just said it is their policy, but that is a policy, not law!

the problem I have is I obviously don't want to start my DS education at his new school like this with them refusing him entrance etc, but I hate to feel ripped off and it is just a logo for petes sake!

can I write to them and tell them he will be attending in correct uniform but without the logo, or am I flying solo and being pathetic?

Well, you are in line for a " well you agree to a school you agree to a uniform" response. but I think Yanbu.

that expense for primary is bonkers. what's wrong with a pack of two for a fiver at asda. especially if it's covered by a jumper.

I'm with you

I would challenge. I think I am right in thinking that school uniform is only legally compulsory from secondary age upwards (11+).
Write to the governors stating your concerns?

Oh and it's in the admissions code that's schools aren't allowed to discriminate with their uniform against families who can't afford it.

Are there any other parents with concerns about the price? You may stand a better chance fighting this in numbers.

The primary school my son will be attending, their logo jumper costs £9.75!

I didn't think uniform was strictly enforceable in that way? Surely £75 for a blazer must be unenforceable for a state school, academy or not? Many parents won't have had a choice as to where their child ends up so can't be said to have accepted such costs. That is outrageous.

See Page 5 of DfE guidance on school uniforms - the importance of cost consideration. NB academies are their own admissions authority. I'd be writing to the Head and Governing Body.

@hassled

we were giving this school by the LEA, we did not apply to the school, it was our 3rd choice as it was out catchment school, we preferred the first two but both were out of catchment and the head of are first choice told us we had a 0.05% of getting in! :(

i thought our (state) school uniform was expensive at £16 for cardigan, £13 for summer dress etc..
tie has to be bought at the school office but is £5
blazers are optional, you can buy any black blazer and sew on the school badge (£5 i think might be less)

i think it is ok to have specific/logo uniform but those prices are out of control!

How you came about the place at the school makes no difference to the fact that uniform costs cannot be "so expensive as to leave pupils or their families feeling unable to apply to, or attend, a school of their choice, due to the cost of the uniform".

That is very expensive. Our school blazer is 26 pounds and an acedemy to boot. That is vastly different. If others can do it at a third of the price why can't yours? I'm not sure I would make a stand by not sending my child in without the proper uniform but I would want to know why the huge cost. Do they have a second hand sale in the meantime?

I meant to add I also asked if they would sign up to that Tesco FF site that does logo uniform and gives kicks back to the school but makes the uniform a sensible price

apparently they have a exclusive deal with their supplier

That uniform is more expensive than my son's secondary.

Unenforceable. Uniforms are not compulsory for primary school children as there are no uniform grants from local authorities. Tell them to feck off and stop trying to brand your child as part of their marketing campaign.

Harrow's blazer is only £70 so probably cheaper to send kids there

Blazer

I was reading about Sue Townsend's life the other day; apparently she was a very bright child, and was offered a place at grammar school, which her parents were forced to turn down because they couldn't afford the uniform.

So she left school at 15 (I think), and there followed decades of menial jobs, then early marriage and motherhood and unfulfilment, before her second husband encouraged her to take up writing again.....

...and that's why affordable uniforms are important!

Oo, this one's only £10.

School I have never heard of

My DH's grandfather had a scholarship to grammar school and got teased mercilessly because of his lack of uniform. He ran away to fight in WW1 at 14 as a consequence.

I would buy the nearest possible thing without logo and tell them that's all you could afford, challenging them to provide good quality second hand uniform if it's a problem for them.

If you are going to rebel against uniform then you need a lot of parents to rebel. The head teacher at dd's school has given up attempting to enforce logoed sweatshirts after a year of trying.

blazers for our academy are black and £25 but you can buy a black one and sew on the school badge If you want to. Jumpers are £15 but must be worn, ties are £3.50. £75 is very steep, our £25 ones are really good quality compared to say the £10 asda ones.

Thats senior academy not infants

Definitely write to Chair of Governors; outrageous. As others have said also discriminatory. Perhaps keeping those who can't afford it 'out' is the idea?
Our school's logoed top is £7 but wearing school colours instead is fine.
Any logoed tops I get are from school 2nd hand uniform sale which also has big stock of unlogoed!
Compulsory blazers in years 5 and 6- who do they think they are....
If govs don't play ball, naming and shaming somehow in your local press?

My dds secondary school is ridiculous in terms of costs of uniform. It's £22 per logo sweatshirt. Polo shirts are also logoed and even the pe kit has a short and long sleeved top - both essential, both logoed £20 each. It's a state school in Norfolk.

I did write to complain to the Head and the Council that the cost of the uniform was very difficult for low income families such as ourselves (dh earns just above minimum wage, we have another child with disabilities etc) but nothing came of my letter as I expected other than a sorry.

It cost us about £250 to set dd up to start secondary school including all uniform and shoes etc. We weren't entitled to any grants as we receive working tax credit.

It's been very tight. The trouble is even if you can send them in no logoed stuff you are marking them out as different from all their peers which personally I think is really horrible for them. Especially at my dds age it makes them more of a target for bullies.

I truly hate all the new logo stuff. It's very elitist. There is no need when you can buy perfectly smart non logo uniform from asda or tesco for £3 a jumper.

At primary level they are trying it on.
Nasty elitism.
Check out price of school dinners compared to other schools too.
With fsm for ks1 you will be ok for a while there...

Those prices are outrageous! I'd talk to the governors and show them prices like Tesco embroidered uniform.
My kids go to a comp and logo blazers are just under £30. (Not through Tesco)

Our school states only jumpers with logo are compulsory. You can also buy the badge and sew it on.