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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

How much uniform for reception?

35 replies

PumpkinPie2016 · 03/08/2018 13:23

Probably a daft question!

My son is starting school in September and I am wondering how much of each item of uniform to buy for him. His school uniform is fairly simple - grey trousers, red or white polo and sweatshirt either plain or with logo.

While he's been at preschool, he has generally come home looking like he's been down the mines

How much uniform have people bought for their children and was it enough? I work full time and don't have a tumble drier to dry uniform once it's washed.

Thanks in advance!

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lorisparkle · 03/08/2018 13:35

I have 4 or 5 polo shirts (they are so cheap but often ruined by dry wipe pens), three sweatshirts (often have yoghurt down them) and 3 or 4 trousers (often covered in grass stains and go into holes quickly!). I usually only have logo on sweatshirts. I have been known to give sweatshirts a quick wipe if I have not kept on top of the washing. Label absolutely everything and practice dressing and undressing for pe (especially not taking off pants!)

lorisparkle · 03/08/2018 13:37

Have you considered an electric dryer. I am tempted but have not got space for one. I find I have enough uniform as long as the boys remember to bring it home from school and they put it straight in the wash when dirty

TheVonTrappFamilySwingers · 03/08/2018 13:38

If I were you get 5 polo shirts as they tend to get grubby. 3 sweatshirts and 3 trousers.

MissMarplesKnitting · 03/08/2018 13:38

I have five of everything to avoid dirty uniform issues during the week.

Upside is I rarely need to replace anything during the year.

DownWentTheFlag · 03/08/2018 13:38

6x polo shirts (all ruined by suncream stains by the end of the summer term)
3x trousers
2x shorts
1x school logo jumper for the first day photos, and the official school photo
3x plain jumpers
Grey socks

I would recommend Stickins labels.

RedSkyLastNight · 03/08/2018 13:39

The answer to this depends on:

how often you want to wash
how messy your child is
how much you can afford

and (based on recent MN threads)

how much the parents at your school will judge you for sending in a child with a speck of dirt on their jumper and how much you care about this.

You will have posters telling you that you need 5 sets of everything so your child can have a clean change every day and you wash at the weekend.
We managed with 4 polo shirts (they generally come in packets of 2), 2-3 pairs of trousers and 1 jumper (I don't think anyone at DC's school had more than 1 jumper).

Oh, and if you have the choice of white or another colour, choose the other colour. White polo shirts go grey almost instantly.

NotUmbongoUnchained · 03/08/2018 13:41

I’ve bought enough for clean uniform everyday. 2 jumpers, 3 cardigans, 3 pinafore dresses, 3 skirts, 6 polo shirts and 2 pairs of shoes.

lorisparkle · 03/08/2018 13:43

Oh yes I forgot about shorts. Ds3 much prefers shorts and they are so much easier as they don’t go into holes at the knees!

Our school does second hand uniform which is great for spares!

Original poster

PumpkinPie2016 · 03/08/2018 14:45

Thank you for all of the replies and suggestions!

I like the idea of one logo jumper for photos and the rest plain

I will definitely get him the red polo shirts rather than white as I know they will be white for about a week before he gets paint/felt pen/spaghetti bolognaise on them!

I am hoping to manage with:

3 trousers

6 polos (out local supermarket well them in packs of 6)

3 jumpers

That way, he can wear for 2 days and then it will be washed for the next time.

DH does pick up and drop off and they are home before me so I will tell DH to ensure ds gets changed after school to preserve the uniform for the day after

OP posts:

5000KallaxHoles · 03/08/2018 14:59

If you go for the red version of the polos rather than white they hide the stains so much better (you have a uniform very very like ours). Asda do a pack of 5 red ones for like £7 online only but you can click and collect instore - that's done mine fine for the entire year but they were really starting to look tired by the end of the summer. I bought logo cardigans last year but I'm not this year since very few of the kids wear them going into year 1 and beyond.

I overbuy because red can be a bit of a pain to get around here - there's only one school does red compared to loads of navy and royal blue so the shops tend to stock that more, and because DD2 loses things and falls over constantly so things get more of a battering.

If they're like our current Reception class who have the kids out in the woods and doing forest school and in the mud kitchen constantly you'll be pushing it with a jumper for 2 days... if they're like the shit Reception class DD1 went to where they sat them at tables far too much of the time - a cardigan could do her the bulk of the week!

Yura · 03/08/2018 16:23

If your son loves playing football, i would get 4-5 pairs of trousers as knees rip easily (3 ripped knees a week are not uncommon for us). and some iron on mender/patches, and wonderweb to transform them into shorts once the knees are beyond repair.

SoyDora · 03/08/2018 16:25

I’ve basically bought enough for a clean uniform every day so I’m not ever scrabbling around for clean stuff.

ISeeTheLight · 03/08/2018 16:27

I've got 6 sets. DD was in pre-school last year, but it's in the same room and same uniform as reception. We had less and it was a nightmare as she always comes home absolutely filthy (think flour, paint, mud, sand and you get the picture).

PoppyPlum · 03/08/2018 16:29

I see others have beaten me to it on the white polo shirts. Pick any other colour!!

Both my DC schools have white polos and I simply cannot keep them looking nice.

BubblesBuddy · 03/08/2018 16:53

Although I had DDs, I bought proper non iron cotton type shirts. They lasted and never went grey. They always looked smart. I think the polo shirts seem to last about 5 minutes. We had them just for sport but they were rotten quality.

babyboyHarrison · 03/08/2018 17:20

Over the course of the whole reception year we have got through 18 polo shirts. Some due to growing but mostly due to them being stained. We had yellow polo shirts and my son wouldn't wear his bottle green jumper (which would have hidden most pen marks) and they just looked a state really quickly. That said they are cheap and we only ever bought supermarket ones. Ones with logos on are so expensive by comparison. Think we have bought 3 trousers in size 4-5 and 3 in 5-6 which we can still use next year and 3 pairs of shorts. We had two jumpers but gave one to a friend and the other is in the drawers unworn. We also had some white vests to keep him warm in winter due to lack of jumper. Oh and two PE t-shirts and shirts and pumps and I think that is about it.

White shirts can be dropped in bleach/ vanish to gat stains out whereas red will probably fade so may be some merit in white over red. Either way, expect 6 will be fine to start with one for each day of the week and a spare for the school bag just in case.

Original poster

PumpkinPie2016 · 03/08/2018 18:24

Hmm good point about the football - he loves playing football so perhaps more trousers will be added to the list!

They do forest school in his reception class and go outside a lot too so will bear that in mind

OP posts:

Leyani · 04/08/2018 07:15

I ended up buying more because I got so fed up with midweek emergency washing. 5 of everything and then a big wash at the end of the week saves my sanity - mine is covered in mud and pen every day. Fortunately was able to pick up some trousers secondhand and not everything needs a logo.

OverTheHedgeSammy · 04/08/2018 07:53

Just focus on what will make your life easier, and that is having enough uniform on hand for the week.

My 2 went through phases, some weeks they trashed their uniform daily, other weeks not so much.

I made sure I had 6 sets worth so I could wash during the week - BUT - I did that through the second hand uniform sales.

And it's not just getting dirty - DS2 is hopeless about bringing his sweater home - so at a couple of quid each at the second hand uniform sales i had about 9 all up (DS1effectively same size so shared).

On Fridays I insisted on all uniform coming home so he would be coming home with a bulging bag once a week. I couldn't be bothered wasting 30 minutes every day sending him back in to find his jumpers/sweaters, I just wanted to get home, but on Fridays I just accepted the fact that we would be the last out. The teacher was also willing to work with me on it, as it was only once a week.

That goes for water bottles too.....

MrsPreston11 · 09/08/2018 15:50

I have enough for (actually more than) a whole week of clean every day without washing.

But I have girls so got a mix of summer dresses/skirts/pinafores and trousers. And they have a choice between cardis and sweaters so a mix of those too. But do agree with only get 1 logo and then the rest plain. sainsburys sweaters/cardis are a 2 pack for like £4 or something crazy, so I thought "why not" and got a weeks worth. Then I don't feel and if something can't be saved and needs binned.

If I had a boy I'm sure I'd have 5 trousers and some shorts though.

Also - mine keep their uniform on until bath time. It's cheaper than real clothes!

RainbowGlitterFairy · 09/08/2018 17:49

I work in a reception class, unless your child is very clean your best options are either buy 3 of everything and do a wash Tuesday evening so its dry for Thursday morning, or buy 5 of everything and wash at weekends.

With a school that does lots of outdoors stuff and from the sounds of your OP a fairly messy child you are very unlikely to get 2 days out of a jumper.

Please label absolutely everything and I would always suggest a spare pair of socks in the book bag (because children splash in puddles and wet socks are uncomfortable)

Yummymummy2810 · 11/08/2018 21:02

For my youngest dd i have 1 cardigan,1 jumper, 4 polo shirts , 1 skirt , 1 pinafore dress and 1 trousers

NapQueen · 11/08/2018 21:04

My ds has 3 jumpers; 5 polo tops; 2 trousers; 1 shorts.

I would prefer a zip up fleece or cardigan rather than jumpers as he is large of head so may swap to those if I can find any.

QuickWash · 12/08/2018 12:00

Mine have at least 5 of everything and on Sunday eves I hang up 5 sets of uniform ready for the week complete with underwear (and tights as I have girls). I buy generic stuff from Sainsbury when on 25% off so it's pretty cheap and I have the coloured oiolos bit white and only one logo top for each of them for special occasions.

Even my 8 Yr old still often comes home with food or mud on her dress and life's too short to worry about it. I prefer them to not get changed when they get home and just know that a set of uniform goes in the wash basket each day. If mine changed into home clothes they'd get dinner on that and then I'd have even more to clean!

tomhazard · 13/08/2018 07:50

I didn't buy enough! I ended up topping up to 5 polo shirts- she almost always needed a fresh one each day, 4 skirts , 5 cardis/jumpers, 5 dresses in the summer. More than you think! Hopefully your school is like ours and most can be bought from the supermarkets

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