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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

Reception - How much school uniform do I need?

41 replies

Bringmewineandcake · 25/05/2017 23:04

DD1 will be starting school in September. Before I head for the shops to stock up on uniform, how much will she actually need?
She has the choice of summer dresses / pinafores/ skirts, no blazer required.
I'm just not sure what would be a reasonable ratio of socks, jumpers, polo tshirts or blouses, cardigans, skirts, pinafores and dresses.

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PlaymobilPirate · 25/05/2017 23:06

I only have a ds so no dresses etc to think about.

We started with 3 each of trousers, jumper, polo shirt... but quickly bought more as we just couldn't always get them washed midweek if necessary. We both work longish hours

5 of each... wash them all at the weekend. Means no thinking midweek

Northgate · 25/05/2017 23:10

Depends how often you want to do washing!

It's not at all unusual IME for DC to come out of school with ink or paint or mud or school dinners smeared on their clothes.

We have 5 shirts, 5 pairs of trousers, 5 pairs of socks, and 2 jumpers. We would have got more jumpers but we had to get logoed jumpers and they're £££ at DC's school.

ineedamoreadultieradult · 25/05/2017 23:10

When they started school I got 5 full sets. I worked on the basis they every day all their clothes would be filthy and as a large household I can't always guarantee to turn uniform round in the wash in time. I just got cheap packs from the supermarket. Nothing with the school badge etc so it didn't cost too much and made life a lot easier. As they get older you can cut down as they don't tend to get as covered in food/mud/paint.

MrTumblesbitch · 25/05/2017 23:11

I have a ds too. In an ideal world, I'd have 5 of everything. His trousers cost £38 each pair though so I have 2 and wipe them with a damp cloth wash them every night.

Def get extra white t shirts and socks as those buggers get filthy (maybe it's different for girls?!)

1MillionSelfiesTakenByMyKids · 25/05/2017 23:12

DS here, but definitely 5 of everything!
And even more of socks because those go AWOL.

1MillionSelfiesTakenByMyKids · 25/05/2017 23:13

(Thank God for Sainsburys and state school only requiring generic uniform!)

multivac · 25/05/2017 23:14

Just to add a note of contrast, our sons had two polo shirts each, one pair of trousers, and a jumper (in reception)/fleece (from about Y2). It was fine. Of course they got mucky - but that stuff washes and dries in next to no time... and sometimes, y'know, they didn't look pristine for school.

paxillin · 25/05/2017 23:14

5 of everything here until about year 3. We both work ft though and wash on the weekend.

How does she come home from nursery, top to toe caked in pen, mud, food? Let that be your guide, some kids can make trousers or skirts last a couple of days, mine others would ideally need a change halfway through the day.

Thesunrising · 25/05/2017 23:15

We get by on: - 2 pinafore dresses, 2summer dresses, 1skirt, 3 pilot shirts, 1 jumper, 1 cardigan, 5 pairs of tights, umpteen pAirs of white socks. DD is quite tidy and doesn't lose things so we are a bit lucky in that respect.

SnickersWasAHorse · 25/05/2017 23:16

I teach reception. Be aware that there is a very good chance that your dc will get their clothes completely filthy every day. Either playing in the mud kitchen, covering themselves in their lunch, getting covered in craft materials, toileting accident, covered in grass from the playing field at lunch time. The wearing of an apron seems to make no difference.
It's worth having a spare set in a bag at school for toilet accidents.

But no matter how much you do or don't buy in the name of all that is good please write their name in it. All of it.

shouldwestayorshouldwego · 25/05/2017 23:16

Pinafores keep the polo shirts cleaner and are generally fairly resistant. I would say three/four polo shirts and three pinafores with a skirt for PE day.

SnickersWasAHorse · 25/05/2017 23:18

His trousers cost £38 each pair

Good lord! I don't spend that on nice trousers for me! Are they made of gold thread and signed by the Queen?

wrinkleseverywhere · 25/05/2017 23:22

None of the Reception girls wear a summer dress in September unless they are a younger sister/cousin/neighbour of a girl who has been through the school & handed down.
A mix of pinafores & skirts works well as, for example, if you wear a pinafore on a Monday, the polo shirt under it is likely to have survived unscathed & can be worn on a Tuesday with a skirt. I'be found I need fewer cardigans for DD than I do jumpers for DS as the shape of the cardigan means toothpaste/food etc is more likely to hit a jumper whereas on a cardigan wearing girl it will be the shirt or pinafore that gets hit.

multivac · 25/05/2017 23:22

Reading back, I think I should clarify that our boys had a pair of trousers each, not between them. That would not have worked, for a range of reasons.

MrTumblesbitch · 26/05/2017 00:08

snickers they are indestructible cord. Thank god for the second hand shop at school is all I can say!

Muddlingalongalone · 26/05/2017 00:14

I have 5 x pinafores/polo shirts (unless I buy the 2 packs in which case 4 dresses and 6 t shirts. 2 x cardigans as they have to be logoed and are pricier but tbh she's been on 1 cardigan since mid Oct and we've coped

Original poster

Bringmewineandcake · 26/05/2017 00:23

Brilliant! So I guess I aim for 5 tops and a mixture of skirt/pinafore/summer dresses to cover 5 days too.
Why don't reception girls wear summer dresses, wrinkleseverywhere? (I now have the elephant song in my head btw)
She doesn't come home too mucky from nursery, apart from her socks! I think she must take off her shoes and run around outside in them.
Sainsbury's, Asda etc are definitely going to be my friends for the uniform! Has anyone tried Aldi's school wear?

OP posts:

PickAChew · 26/05/2017 00:26

it depends. is your DD a set of clothes a day sort of girl? Are you going to be able to wash every other night, or have to wait until the weekend? Work it all out from those starting points, plus any other factors you feel important.

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 26/05/2017 07:08

I think I have six plus sets but that is mainly because I buy specific trousers and tops as ds struggles with buttons.

Wh0Kn0wsWhereTheTimeGoes · 26/05/2017 07:13

It's not worth buying summer dresses for autumn term when it might be cool enough for winter uniform from the off and even if it starts warm you're unlikely to need them for more than a month. They'll probably be outgrown by next summer.

NapQueen · 26/05/2017 07:17

Dd is in Reception. She only likes dresses so has three jersey style pinafores, five polo shirts, ten pairs of white socks. I got plain white socks so every now and then I chuck them in a bleach wash.

One pe kit (skort, white tshirt, pair of socks, pair of sandshoes).

As we came into Summer I bought her five summer dresses. I prefer the Morrisons ones.

NapQueen · 26/05/2017 07:17

Oh and she has one cardigan because she hates wearing it so it stays hung on her peg.

Roomba · 26/05/2017 07:21

DS2 is in reception. I bought five polo shirts, three pairs of trousers, one logo'd jumper and two plain jumpers at the start of the year.

He outgrew one pair of trousers but I have managed without buying more as they dry out quickly when washed. The amount of polo shirts has been fine. I bought another jumper at Christmas after DS cut a big hole in one by accident, they take longer to dry out.

DS is very grubby and can spill anything on himself within three seconds. I dint have a tumble dryer or much outdoor drying space and have coped fine with this amount. He doesn't lose uniform though - DS1 goes through a lot more as he loses everything!

NotCitrus · 26/05/2017 07:49

I had 3 for ds who was incredibly clean. Luckily dd wanted trousers so she's ended up with 4 plus a couple summer dresses now, and I need the lot as not only is she invariably covered in paint and lunch but keeps leaving clothes around and coming home in other kids' uniforms...

The polos hardly get dirty but the sweatshirts really do. Especially when they wipe noses on sleeves.

CruCru · 26/05/2017 09:13

4 polo shirts
2 pinafore dresses
3 summer dresses
2 sweaters / cardigans
10 pairs of socks (some will get lost)
1 set of Games kit

The younger children at our school don't wear skirts but if they do at yours, I'd get one.

I would buy slightly too big - they'll grow quite a lot during the year.

Name tapes and a sewing kit. I also use stikins (on the book bag and in school shoes / Games shoes).

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