Uniform- how may of each item do we need?

[SimplyNigella]

DS starts pre-school in September and will wear the same uniform as reception, including PE kit with school logo etc. He's been at full time nursery but no uniform so this is all new to me.

I work full time and so don't have time for lots of washing and drying during the week, do I need allow one full set for each day of the week?

DS will need a blazer too, which I'm going to buy in the more generous size in the hope he can get two years from it. Can I get away with buying just one?

Is one set of PE kit ok?

Any wisdom much appreciated.

I worked full time whilst mine were small and honestly if you can afford it one full set per day makes life a lot easier. Only 1 PE kit though. If you have to cut back on anything you could get away with only 2 or 3 jumpers probably. It was very rare for me to be able to keep any uniform from one day to the next. Small children are muck magnets.

DS is currently in pre-reception and wears Uniform 3 days a week and PE kit two days a week.

I bought two sets of PE kit. This was useful as they would wear PE kit for school trips too so on some weeks they are in their kits 3 days and it isn't always easy to wash and dry overnight. With the uniform, i bought 3 pairs of trousers (for winter and spring term), 3 pairs of shorts for summer term, 2 jumpers. I found DS needed an entire change of uniform every day as he is quite messy with eating and generally gets things dirty from playing outside or painting etc.

Bear in mind that one set of shorts/trousers has to be given as a spare in the school bag in case of toilet accidents. And in the summer term some schools encourage children to learn to change out of their PE kits into their uniforms so on those days a spare complete uniform set gets taken in school bag.

I bought one blazer (hardly got worn because it was either too hot or too cold weather wise) but it had to be worn for school photos.

Thanks ineed, that was my thinking, DS is incapable of staying clean. Glad to know it's not just my child!

The only really expensive part is the blazer so I will try to get away with one of those, or the school does have a second hand shop so maybe one from there as a spare.

I bought polo tops from the supermarkets, packs of 2 so ended up with 6, and enough dresses / skirts to have one per day as it was rare that she stayed clean! Just 3 logo cardigans though, they seemed to be ok so suspect she was taking them off. Just one lot of PE kit as they didn't really use it in reception as it took too long for the children to change!

Some days the clothes would be ok to wear again but most days it all went in the wash and this way I didn't have to worry until the weekend. DD is year 4 now and I still buy loads so I don't have to stay on top of the washing mid week.

Ours only wear PE kit for PE so it doesn't get dirty too quickly, it stays at school most of the time and I have never had duplicates. We never had to have spare trousers or skirts at school for accidents either. I always had 6 polo shirts and three jumpers and trousers, they used to get a bit of food or paint on but that could be sponged off. Jumpers tend to go missing as they take them off most days even in winter but ours always came back sooner or later.

I get 6 of everything (except sweatshirts, 4 of those). That way I can wash and iron a weeks worth of uniform at once and have spare, in case I run behind or something has gone missing.

One blazer should be fine and one PE kit.

Don't forget school socks, 2x water bottles, a lightweight waterproof jacket and a warm winter jacket.

Thanks everyone, sounds like I'm getting it about right.

I have always had tons of uniform - but we can use supermarket stuff. I never run out - my two never mad any items last more than a day. Gets better by Yr3.
One PE kit. Stays in school until 1/2 term.
We provided spare trousers in reception, but didnt have to be school ones so cheap tracksuit ones were fine (accidents & v wet play)

Check with the school about PE Kit. Our prep school do PE every single day. To minimise the time little ones spend changing in and out of clothes, they either go in to school in PE kit, or come home in PE kit each day. i.e. they wear PE kit for half the day every day. If I'd listened to the advice of parents with children at other schools to only buy one set of PE kit - and that it would stay in school for a whole half term - I'd have been in trouble!!

Also - are you absolutely sure about the blazer for preschool? They most often are only required from reception. But one should be enough. If he needs to wear a tie, you may find they do them in two lengths, so be sure you get the shorter one.

I've always worked with:

3 x sweatshirt
4 x trousers
6 x shirts
2 x pe kit

Then, I can usually make on pair of trousers stretch to two days, shirts get washed at weekend, and sweatshirts one was midweek.

One blazer.

If I had more money, I'd buy more, but it does get expensive.

I work full time and do a load of washing before work or overnight and hang up in the morning. Only ever had 3 of each item. Luckily we didn't have a school that made 3 year old wear blazers. Never had an issue in 10 years and I have very messy boys.

Only one PE kit too as they only bring it home once a week. I know some schools make them wear it to school on PE day but that's mostly once a week in the schools that I know that do it.

2 jumpers and get tons of cheap tops, they get ruined within a second. I rue the day board markers were invented. I do one p.e kit because it only comes home at half term.

Thanks everyone, that's really helpful.

Car that's a really good point about PE, I know they go in wearing PE kit on swimming days but not sure how many other times a week they will need it. We have an induction day in two weeks so will remember to ask that.

They definitely do need blazers in Pre-Prep, I've ordered one and I've gone for the elastic ties which are slightly shorter too.

The school is moving from John Lewis to a local uniform supplier and the blazers are currently in clearance at half price, hence ordering everything now. (I've checked and the uniform design isn't changing!)

I buy 10 cheap supermarket shirts in September. It generally means that there is always a clean shirt even if I can't get at the washing. They get ruined with paint, spaghetti sauce and marker pens so I do throw them out as the year goes on. Keep one shirt for 'best' - photos, assemblies etc.

3/4 pairs of trousers but expect to replace them during the year as the knees go or they wake up one morning 2 inches taller!

We don't bother with jumpers - not compulsory and DS hates them - he just wears his blazer.

And wait until you have their timetable and then decide on PE kit. In Y1 PE was on Monday and Thursday so plenty of time to get things washed. In Y2 they had PE/games on consecutive days so I bought an extra set.

Buy 6 polo shirts - 1 for each day of the week and one to put aside for photos and award evenings.

Yes, the school does have PTA sales which I a, hoping to get lots of the logo bits from. Apparently you pay 'a donation' which seems a bit vague in terms of amounts

Sitting I have exactly the same ratios. Our school wears PE kit all day on PE day so we definitely need 2 in case wash day is badly timed, and own trousers on Fridays so could have got away with 3 school trousers but they came in 2s.

We've had to replace school jumpers half way through the year but that was through growing!

And dont forget that you can just buy uniform on line all year round... if you realise that your child is going to wreck every item within a day, then there's no panic to just get some more. I am of the 'send them in stained tshirts' brigade. White board markers esp ruin many a tshirt so I just send them in with clean polos with permanent pen marks on!!!!