State primary making parents buy uniform from them by changing it to obscure colours?

[peapodlovescuddles]

Are schools allowed to do this? My younger ones are at (an admittedly fussy and prissy and decidedly middle class) primary school. As legislation required parents to be able to buy the uniform from m&s/asda/tesco etc without the school badge the school got upset, the children didn't look as smart (true) so from September they're phasing in a new uniform. In principle you can still buy the uniform from anywhere but I have never seen lilac sweatshirts on sale in Sainsburies or royal blue skirts...
A good friend of mine doesn't have much money and this is going to kill her financially. The sweatshirt for the infants costs £22, her DD will need 2. The Pinafore/skirt will be £30.

While the new uniform looks lovely this seems to be a way of discouraging lower income families from applying. Can they do this?

And does anyone know if there are any highstreet shops where you can buy the following?

Lilac sweatshirt
Lilac cardigan
Royal blue bib pinafore
Royal blue skirt

or for the juniors
Lilac jumper
Royal Blue skirt
Royal blue blazer (blazer isn't compulsory)

Thanks

One near us too - it's a catholic school, though they have the logo on, so am guessing they're sold from school.

Lilac check dresses are in M& s but never found any others for dd1s school who are purple & black

The Office of Fair Trading is very much against monopolies for the supply of uniform, as they drive prices up. As a last resort, parents could complain to them.

Lilac and Royal blue sounds gopping!

Is it actually Lilac as opposed to purple?

I think it is disgusting they have done this.
I would not be happy and would be gathering the support of other parents and opposing it.

Have found a Royal Blue Blazer in John Lewis. Not cheap (and its optional anyway) but its not in the £80 price bracket some blazers are.

www.johnlewis.com/17522/Product.aspx

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Was approached by a mum today who has started a petition to ask the school to swap the colours of the jumpers and polos for the little boys so its a royal blue jumper and a lilac polo and allow the girls to have a grey skirt with a royal blue jumper. The lilac-royal blue combo does have some (albeit convoluted) meaning behind it which makes it slightly less preposterous but it looks pretty foul. I have polos or shirts in anything other than white.

I can see why the school want to look 'unique' etc and have feel the children feel recognizable to a certain extent. I can think of a couple of nearby primaries that have unusual colours, we have a sunshine yellow sheatshirt/emerald green polo combo a few miles away, and somewhere must have a brown skirt as I see a few of those pottering about.

The links have been really useful though, thank you mumsnet!

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