School Uniform for reception starters.....When? Where from? How many of trousers/shirts etc ?

[herbgarden]

DS is my first to go off to school.

So,

(1) When do you buy uniform - DS will be just 4 in July and is quite little (and skinny). Don't want to be the mum joining the queues in late August or hunting for stuff like small sizes which is sold out.

(2) Where is your preferred place to buy in terms of wash/wearability ?

(3) How many of shirts/trousers do you buy. DS is a scruffy urchin so I don't expect him to be that clean at the end of the day...

(4) Do they have to have proper school shoes?

(5) Do you buy them a "school" coat??

Advice pleasse !
Thank you !

when - beginning of summer holidays

tesco or sainsburys would be my suggestion for where

maybe 3 pairs of trousers, 5 polo shirts, 3 jumpers

I buy a pair of fitted shoes, depends on your school's uniform requirements if they need to be school shoes, or can be more trainer in style.

I often get 3 in one coats - where a fleece can zip into a waterproof outer. Means can be warm and waterproof one or the other depending on weather conditions - remember they will be outside for long periods at lunchtime and need to be warm - also with the EYFS they should have lots of access to outdoors and may well be outside in rain, so schools oftenb ask for a set of welies to be left at school

think BHS may have adjustable waist trousers if you have a skinny minnie

IME at the first sign of anything more than v.light rain outdoor playtime is cancelled so don't worry too much about wellies/waterproofs!

logo jumpers (presumably from school)x 3
polo shirts(sainsburys are chp and fine) x5
trousers x 3 (m+s good quality/wash/tumbledry well)
pair of pe pumps

I would agree with Panda, 3 pairs of trousers, 3 jumpers and 5 polo shirts. Although it depends on how often you wash. You may need more than that. Sometimes we struggle with only 3 pairs of trousers.

I would look to see how many of the children at that school have a school coat. If not many, then get a suitable coat from any shop.

I like M&S for uniform, quite good quality, although their polo shitst have not been grat this year.

My boys have proper school shoes, it is easier.

when you say proper school shoes do you mean the Clarks type school shoes ? do they start at quite little sizes? I just think it'll be hilarious to see DS going off to school in a big pair of shoes and

I have a skinny DS and have got trousers from Sainsburys at the moment with adjustable waists. Would like to know how to stop him going through at the knee though.

He has about 4 pairs of trousers I think, 5 polo shirts and 4 jumpers (two school logo, two not) although one of the school ones is coming to the end of its useful life. He has "school shoes" and an ordinary coat.

I find that whiteboard marker pen is a major culprit in making black marks that don't come off . And there is general grub, green knees (if hole hasn't appeared in trousers) etc. Once he had mud everywhere - still quite impressed by that one

Some schools do their own logoeed school coats - if yours is one of them a good tip is to buy a keyring with your DS' initial on and fasten it to the zip, it's an easy way to find his coat out of a dozen identical ones. Otherwise, like everyone else has said, supermarket uniforms are fine, two pairs of trousers at least, 5 polo shirts and 2-3 jumpers (though it depends how good your household is at getting laundry dry).

I would buy mid July - often offers about then too.

We go away first 2 weeks of hols always and I must have it sorted before then

I like M&S if you have the money - wears well IME. Also adjustable waists etc, unlike cheaper ranges.

5-6 polos; 2-3 trousers/shorts/skirts (obv not for DS!); 2-3 logo jumpers (they wash and dry quickly).

Mine have black Clarks shoes - black shoes are a uniform request at our school. Clarks go as small as size 5 for school-style shoes.

No school coat here. But they do need a good waterproof coat pref with hood. I have found Mr Boden's coat works well.

I wanted 100% cotton, so really had to shop around. Trousers from John Lewis, pinnis/skirts from Tesco, Polos and cardi's from Asda. I find M&S polos shrink horribly. Summer dresses from M&S.

Our school does have kids out in the rain, so we need waterproof trousers (especially for trips) and a waterproof coat, we buy Regatta trousers and the school logo-ed coat (we have a keyring on the zip,so she know which coat is hers). Also have to have a pair of wellies that stay at school all the time.

We don't have to have black shoes, my DD has red shoes, not Clarks as they don't fit her well, current ones are Umi, previous ones were Petasil.

DD is a scruffy minnie, nothing lasts for more than one day. I only wash uniform at weekends and I like her to have the choice of skirts/dresses/trousers/shorts, so we have a ridiculous amount of uniform.

Will any of the clothes available last through 2 children? I have 2 DDs and usually get nice stuff for DD1 as DD2 will wear it too. Do things like pinafores, jumpers and summer dresses wear out no matter what or is it worth it to get decent ones and do hand-me-downs?

Ds (reception) has 3 pairs of trousers from M&S (he is also little)

They do school trousers from age 3 which he is still wearing now

At the beginning of the school yr I had to roll them up!!

He has 4 white polo shirts (M&S but tbh as others have said I won't buy the polos from there again)

2 school jumpers with school logo on and one without.

He also had to have book bag and PE kit bought direct from school (plimsols not though) but was allowed to wear his own coat.

not sure when they start it but M&S do 3 for 2 on their school wear someitme ( I think July)

we get 5 pairs of trousers 5 tshirts and 5 jumpers. he gets a clean set each day

trutex website also v good.

IF he has to wear proper shirts rather than polos buy them short-sleeved.

Shirt cuffs get destroyed with reception paint activities - not sure what the red and black paints are made with but NOTHING I have found gets them out!

I would definitely recommend M&S, they may be a bit more expensive by IMO better quality and look better for longer. They often do 3 for 2. I would buy sooner rather than later or check for size and then order on-line. If you keep it in the packaging you can always take it back.

I am sure you have checked this but make sure that the school don't expect you to have sweatshirts or polos with logos.

As regards a coat I personally think a fleece with a waterproof jacket works best. If it is cold and wet they wear both, if just wet they can wear the jacket only.

It's very exciting when they start school, have fun!

Another here for M&S for uniform, they are £4 for little ones. 3 pairs of trousers, 5 shirts and 2 jumpers.

Recommend john lewis for little feet, my dd had size 4 feet when started (now teenager with size 1 so never grew!!!)

I'm a domestic slattern so DS had 5 trousers, 5 jumpers and 15 polo shirts (I think they came in packs of 5). TBH polo shirts are very cheap, and when DS was in reception they had to be white so it made sense to have loads because then I had enough to do a white wash. This year his polo shirt is red and I could have got away with much fewer as they can go into an ordinary wash and don't show stains.

DS is super skinny and I bought Trutex fairtrade cotton trousers for him (he has eczema and can't have any teflon type treatment on his clothes). In reception year I bought jumpers from Mothercare, and they didn't wear particularly well. This year I bought jumpers from Asda and they are wearing brilliantly. His polo shirts come from Next.

I buy 5 polo shirts from M&S or Sainsbury, summer dresses from M&S, tights from John Lewis (they don't shrink as much as the M&S ones), the best pinafores I've bought have been from Asda and still look good after a year's wear so will be saved for DD2.

Shoes-wise, most schools are happy with something sturdy, practical and that the child can do up/undo without help (the Reception teacher won't thank you if you send him in laces unless he can do them himself).

Whatever you buy and wherever you buy it from, please label it clearly* and ensure your son knows what his labels look like. I use the iron-on transfers (they're like tattoos) from easy2name.

*by clearly I mean with first name/initial and surname; parents who use secret codes inside sleeves or cut out the labels to 'make it easy to identify' are helping no-one. The labels need to help your son identify it as his and his alone but also need to be read by the adults in school who find abandoned sweaters etc. in the dinner hall and want to identify the owner.

I buy 6 jumpers and trousers and slightly more polos. That did the whole of the reception year. This year i've had to buy more polos and jumpers mid-term as some got stained but luckily M&S seem to sell school wear all year round so was easy enough to get them.

Next is fab for trousers for skinny children, only buy them from there in the jean style as they are narrow and have an adjustable waist.

if your school has uniform that has a logo on you may have to get it from the school itself. In which case you will have to get it before they close at the end of july for the summer

Another vote for m&s. I started out with 2 skirts and 1 pinafore for dd and found it wasn't enough. I really recommend getting 1 for each day so you don't have to worry about turning round clean washing during the week. I got all of Dd's stuff on the 3 for 2 deal last July. The only thing I would say is that my friend has a DS and she wasn't impressed with their trousers.

In spite of what the school may prefer no state primary can enforce the wearing of a uniform from a specific supplier. Items with the school logo may well be sold by the school but you are perfectly entitled to send your child in wearing the Asda/wherever equivalent.

At our school ds can either wear shirt/tie or polo's/sweatshirt. After day one ALL kids wore the polo's/sweatshirts.

We got loads of white cotton polos from M&S and got logo'd ourselves for ds last year.

With the M&S 3 for 2 and £4 a logo it worked out slightly cheaper than buying school logo'd polycotton polo's at £6.50 (or from National School Wear shop) and they look and have lasted better. Collars sit nicer and bottom hem is better shaped. They do shrink so if you do buy make sure you buy at least one size bigger and it works out better if you give them a wash before getting logo'd as the polo's shrink but the logo doesnt. (need to organise this quickly as embroidery places are very busy at this time of year).
(didn't need pricey logo's on polo shirts in autumn/winter/spring as the logo'ed sweatshirts covered them most of the time).

Sweatshirts, bought 2, but have since bought another 4 this year (all due to whiteboard markers stains that wont come out )

Trousers 3 pairs of BHS have lasted all year (look a little bit tatty and slightly short now but will do till summer). These fitted skinny ds best as well elasticated at back.

Also bought 1 v neck logo'd jumper, a pack of 3 M&S long sleeved shirts, pack of 3 M&S short sleeved shirts and 1 tie and they have only been worn twice. Once on first day and once for school photo! Also bought 3 pairs of shorts which was a bit ambitious for Scotland in August. With last years poor summer they were never worn! tbh wish I hadnt spent the money on the shirts/jumper as his school photo looks really uncomfortable and not what he looks like going to school.

National schoolwear shop logo'd school bag has lasted well and still looks like new 1 year on.

Hi Herbie, I bought 3 pairs of trousers and jumpers from Next. The jumpers are cotton, were nice and soft and have washed really well. The trousers still look good despite all the rough and tumble and the mud. The have adjustable waistbands and the ones I got were "combat" style - couldn't bear the thought of my 4 tear old going off to school in flat fronted trousers and looking like a miniature accountant!

I bought loads of cheap polo shirts thinking they'd get trashed but actually over the winter their jumpers take the worst of it! I found Tesco ones shrank an awful lot. Sainsburys were better.

DS is skinny but average height and I bought age 4 from Next and age 4-5 polo shirts.

DS's school has no rules about coats so we just got a warm waterproof one. In fact I got two as I couldn't decide which one to buy in the shop and I intended to take one back. I never got around to it and actually, with all the mud he sems to roll in, two coats have been very useful!

And yes, they probably do need proper school shoes. DS did but check with his school. We got Clarks ones which have magically lasted him all year!