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Original poster

School uniform: How many?

66 replies

babakeri · 29/04/2023 23:05

Hello,

We will be new to school this September and I have no idea how many clothes to get.

I have a boy, how many polo shirts, jumpers, trousers etc he will need. I would think one new for each day of the week?

Also, I really like the logo clothes, would it be nice if I can afford it when I calculate the end bill to get it all tops with logo.

Lastly, they have a school jacket again with logo, I quite like it, are they good jackets anyone who has purchased one before?

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Paddingtonsmarmlade · 30/04/2023 11:25

I've got 5 jumpers 4 currently as one has gone awol
6 trousers (came in packs of 3) more than necessary will only get 3 in the next size.
5 polos (white so pain to wash midweek)
2 pe t shirts (if I haven't got one ready I just send him in a polo on pe day)
2 joggers

2 days a week they go in pe kit with school jumper over

FlounderingFruitcake · 30/04/2023 11:37

I have enough for clean every day but take into account that they’ll likely spend all day in their PE kit if it’s sports that day, for us this also includes sports clubs. So my DD only has 2 days a week in full uniform versus 3 in sports kit.

I wouldn’t get the coat if you don’t have to. We have to buy it (private school) but it’s worse quality then her own coat so I wish I could send her in that instead.

student26 · 30/04/2023 11:45

My daughter has five of each. We wash everything on the Saturday and then hang up a full uniform on a coat hanger ready for the week ahead, including pants and socks. She’s five. She has a new set each day as she’s a messy little madam. I’ll be doing the same for my son when he begins school. I have a couple of cardigans with logos on which were free from the school and some plain cardigans from Tesco in the same. Can always see if the school has a swap shop? Polo shirts from Aldi, black leggings from Tesco, dresses second hand or from Aldi. Very cheap uniform and it’s lasted her well. Only thing we have had to change are the shoes.

updin · 30/04/2023 11:47

Find out if the school has kids go in PE some days, since Covid this has stuck around in some schools, mine goes in twice a week in PE kit so I need more PE kit and less standard uniform than I used to have! And we go through trainers at a rapid pace 🙈

WelshNerd · 30/04/2023 11:54

I've got 5/6 of everything. No logos as that would easily double the price. Everything gets washed over the weekend so much less stress.

Rockingcloggs · 30/04/2023 12:56

Mines in year 6 and since he started he's had 5 of everything

5 polos
5 jumpers
5 bottoms.

His uniform gets washed once a week on a Friday night, ironed and in his wardrobe on a Sunday ready for the week.

I don't have time for washing and drying midweek though.

Cornishmumofone · 30/04/2023 13:23

DD is a clean eater and doesn't tend to get paint or mud on herself. She wears her own clothes once a week for Forest school. She has 3 plain polo shirts, two logo'd cardigans and two pairs of trousers. She's in Y1 and had two plain jumpers last year. She also has two summer dresses. She normally wears the same uniform two days in a row. I occasionally wash her uniform mid week as I do laundry then.

Okunevo · 30/04/2023 13:32

Depends how often you wash and whether the child is likely to drop food on their clothes. I'd say five polos, two jumpers, two shorts/trousers to last a week, or three polos for a midweek wash.

Look at some second hand logo uniform that's a couple of years old to see if it is good quality. You could also buy a couple of sets new then second hand extras.

Weedoormatnomore · 30/04/2023 13:34

2/3 jumpers plus one in next size fpr emergency depending when you can do washing. All with logo depending on brand discovered they lasted longer than supermarket. Most have a sale during the week. Polo shirts 4 or 5 depending on pack sizes trousers was same as jumpers 2/3 plus 2 next size up depending on washing.

OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea · 30/04/2023 13:37

We had 3 jumpers, a pack of cheap supermarket polo shirts that come in picks of 5 so one a day and usually 4 pairs of trousers as they tend to come in packs of 2 and 2 isn't enough.

Depends on your child. Mine generally looked as though they had skidded through mud on their knees, spilled tomato duce down their polo shirt and mistaken their jumper for a white board most days.

SBAM · 30/04/2023 14:05

2 (logo) jumpers, school is quite warm so from now until October they might not wear them much indoors.
7 polos - enough for one clean every day, I do a whites wash on a weekend, but having spare means there’s a fresh looking one for school photo day which is in summer term for us, and also means if we go away on a weekend I’ve got something ready for Monday without stressing.
3 dress/trousers - we can usually get two days out of each one, so again I can get away with washing once a week and we’ve got some breathing space if something crops up.

1 set PE kit. It stays in school and comes home each holiday for a wash.

baconbarm · 30/04/2023 14:09

We have 5 sets, one for each day. Purely so we only have one load of school laundry at the end of each week and I don't have to fit in school laundry around after school clubs etc. DS has 5 logo jumpers, 5 logo polos, 5 trousers/shorts depending on term. You might want to get a pair of school shorts if it's warm where you are in September though- my DS much prefers shorts on warmer days.
I got the school fleeces instead of the coats as they could be worn under their coats in really cold weather and alone in less freezing weather.
Reception was the messiest for uniform with mine- especially black marker on tops (lots of whiteboard writing and play!).

baconbarm · 30/04/2023 14:20

Oh also our school supplier does a 10% off logo items at the end of summer term in July so worth checking if yours does? And M&S do a 20% off uniform sale I think it's in July but might be wrong on the month!

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 30/04/2023 14:22

Enough for a weeks wear with no laundry:- 5 tops, 3 jumpers, 3 trousers. Launder them on the weekend.

Skybluepinky · 30/04/2023 14:33

We always had 6 shirts, 5 jumpers and 5 bottoms.
I wouldn’t buy the coat unless it’s compulsory.

TheOldLadyOfThreadneedleStreet · 30/04/2023 14:40

In case you have a DC (I had one, they do exist) that didn’t generally get messy, I used to buy 3 polo tops, 2 shorts and 2 jumpers. Plus 1 set of PE shirt and shorts. I bought loads prior to reception as I thought he’d get dirty but he didn’t, I bought much less in future years. Plus he wouldn’t wear trousers until he was in yr 5. My other DC was much messier and needed far more changes of clothes.

dizzygirl1 · 30/04/2023 14:42

Mine are teens now but at primary had a minimum of
5polo shirts
3 jumpers/cardigans
3 to 5 trousers/skirts

In all honesty you know your child amd home routine, do you have time to wash each day? I'm not one to let mine out with dirty clothes hence having so many. Sainsburys and asda are brilliant for uniform and if you wait for the 20/25% off it makes it much better.

gogohmm · 30/04/2023 14:45

Depends on your washing ability: if you wash regularly anyway then buy 3 polo shirts, 2 bottoms and 2 jumpers, 1 coat. Tends to be better quality than supermarket stuff but if money is tight just buy one set of logo jumpers and 2 polos then a generic back up set

gogohmm · 30/04/2023 14:47

Ps mine rewore jumpers and skirts, I got lucky (no free school dinners then)

careerchange456 · 30/04/2023 15:05

Don't get the school jacket!!

I teach year 1. Anything identical is a nightmare because they inevitably go home with the wrong person at some point. Coats are the worst because they fall off their pegs and then 4/5/6 year olds grab any coat that looks vaguely like theirs.

Get logo jumpers because you have to but really don't bother for other items. Get things they can instantly recognise! (Coats, water bottle, shoes, trainers, etc etc!!!)

PurpleGoose · 30/04/2023 15:45

We don't wash mid week - we do the uniform wash on Fri night/Sat morning, so this is based on that:

A complete set of jumper, polo shirt, trousers and socks for each day (except PE day).

A complete spare set, plus pants & socks that is kept in her bag (school request this, but to be honest even if they didn't I'd still include it as at least once a week she seems to soak her sleeve ends or socks to the point of needing fresh during the day)

A complete PE kit set: school logo hoodie, house colour T-shirt, jogging bottoms, trainer socks, trainers.

A pair of PE shorts for the warmer months

A school logo jumper, plus white polo shirt that is kept in the drawer and only worn on school photo days (we have these twice a year, and I bought the jumper slightly big and it's done 2 academic years, plus will do her younger sister).

Most of our stuff is non-logo, however the logo stuff we get from the school's PTFA second-hand uniform sales. Now this will differ for every school, but the second-hand stuff for us is nearly new condition and a total bargain.

We got the school coat second-hand as the PTFA were selling them off super cheap - £3/£5 - some still had tags on!!! I wouldn't have bought it at full price from the uniform shop though, as she already had a waterproof coat. Our school one is really good quality though and nice and warm.

I'd also say, that if your school is like ours and has different coloured options for polo shirts go for the dark colour over white - ours are royal blue or white - as it wears better, but get a white one for photos as imo it looks nicer against the jumper (also royal blue)

If you made it this far, to summarise my advice would be:
6 polo shirts (1 for photos)
5 jumpers
1 logo jumper for photos (second hand)
5 trousers
1 PE hoodie (second hand)
1 PE t-shirt
1 jogging bottoms
1 shorts
1 trainers
6 socks
1 trainer socks
A warm waterproof coat of some kind - school one if its a bargain

HandScreen · 30/04/2023 16:12

5 of everything

Dacadactyl · 30/04/2023 16:14

At that age, probably 2 jumpers, 3 polo shirts and 2 trousers.

Reasonableadjustments · 30/04/2023 16:24

I would only get one logo polo and keep it good for photos and concerts etc.

I had 6 polos coz the supermarkets sold sets of 3 in a pack for my first and they were cycled down the kids until they were done.

I aimed to have a full week of uniform per child - could manage on 3 sweatshirts but it was tough if they had a messy week. Thank goodness as 2 and 3 came along the sweatshirts were passed down so I wasn't buying as much new every year.

I think I had 4 pairs of trousers for DS at first (also remember they might have accidents) and they were similarly passed down if not wrecked.

Dd had a mix of trousers and skirts - off the top of my head I can't remember how many. I think she had a pinafore at the bottom end of the school too.

Always had loads of summer dresses coz my friend passed on the ones from her girls and they didn't seem to get wrecked like the rest of the uniform.

Iwrote · 30/04/2023 16:33

At least 5 sets of everything, that way you're not stressed about washing them in time. I find having less just means they wear out and fade quicker from all the washing anyway, and look scruffy.