School Uniform

[lisbey]

I've just been to a meeting at the Junior School my DS2 will attend from Sept. No surprises for me, as DS1 is already there. However, some of the Mums were outraged at the uniform policy.

The colours are the same as the infants, but the infants wear poloshirts and sweat shirts, whereas the juniors have shirt, tie, jumper.

The contentious issue was that the jumpers must be an unusual colour (the infants can choose the odd colour or grey) which can only be purchased from the school.

They are good quality, was well, need little ironing and cost £7.75 each. Ties are £1.25. To me that's an excellent idea and saves all sorts of hassle, plus means the children are smart and there's no competition over who's got what etc. The rest of the uniform is standard school colours and can be purchased anywhere.

The complaints were that the jumper's too expensive and girls won't want to wear a jumper (cardigans not available and impossible to buy in the right colour elsewhere).

IMO, it's small issue and if you're going to send your child to the school, you support the school. I really don't get the "she won't want..." Not her choice surely?

Do you think it's an unreasonable policy? We're not in an affluent area, this isn't a "good" school keeping the riffraff out with a strict uniform policy, but in the year since they introduced it (used to be same as infants) there has been a marked improvement in behaviour (of the children if not the parents

If you're 'not in an affluent area' maybe that £7.75 is actually rather a lot of money to some families? Especially when they might need more than one a year, or for more than one child. Plus you can get school cardigans from most supermarkets and online places for £2-£3. That's probably why some parents are disgruntled.

Is there a 2nd hand shop? That would help the "genuinely can't afforders". Otherwise I agree that £7.75 for 1 good quality jumper (surely you only need 1 at this age) is not a huge amount. DS's school jumper is similar price and it has lasted him 2 years with still some wear in it for DD

Well, when you consider that you can get school jumpers from £2 in Tesco, £7.25 is rather less affordable. Even if it will last far longer, so be a good buy overall, there are still plenty of families who can only afford to get the cheapest because of sheer lack of money in the short-term.

School uniform is supposed to be available from a wide variety of stockists to avoid this issue. Why can't they have grey?

And it is fairly normal to give girls the option of a cardigan instead.

Also, I doubt that the change in uniform caused the improvement in behaviour - more likely they are both symptoms of a change in attitude in the school leadership team, to clamp down on bad behaviour and change the uniform at the same time.

Schools cannot force parents to buy from one particular outlet (unless private) and a primary school cannot even demand any uniform anyway.

girls won't want to wear a jumper?? what utter rot.

most small children don't mind too much what they wear until their parents start telling them they don't like it IME!
we all wore jumpers to school and survived to tell the tale

if they genuinely can't afford it then they need to speak to the headteacher about it

It may be a tad expensive for some people considering how cheap they are in the supermarket.

Can I ask why they don't do cardigans? I ask because it would upset me as I like my DD in pinafores and these just don't go with jumpers. Surely if these are the rules, then it's only fair that a cardigan is offered. Are there plans to introduce a cardigan?

We have strict uniform as mine are at indie school but we have a cardigan. Though I have to say I really am not keen on the shirt and tie combo as the polo shirt is far, far more practical for primary aged children.

That's exactly what the head said Pixie.

Arch- it's because it's a difficult colour and they haven't been able to source one. Has been the same colour since I went there nearly 40 years ago, so would be a shame to change the tradition imo. Head's argument against grey is that it's dull and these are bright children! Also that you get lots of different greys, so it stops being uniform.

I know all that scurry, but isn't it more to do with supporting the school and it's efforts to improve it's image and discipline (was very poor) than knowing what your "rights" are?

Yes, I agree Lisbey but you can still promote a particular image without forcing parents to choose one retailer or being unable to shop around for the best prices.Plenty of time for all that expense at secondary school.

oh and btw, just because something is available cheap somewhere else does not make it expensive

£7 is not bad for a nice school jumper, and presumably they'll have been logo'd etc which adds to the cost?

the fact that tesco can sell things really cheap because they bulk buy them from sweatshops in the third world is not really a good enough argument against buying a school jumper!

LOL at the idea that adjusting the uniform from grey to awkward coloured jumper has improved behaviour!

If this is the rationale behind this awkward one-outlet jumper, I expect some parents are feeling patronised and led un unnecessarily complicated dance by the school. I would be v irritated if a stringent policy, nessitating a trip to one specialist stockist, was introduced at DS's school. And I might accidentally become obstrictive and awkward in response

ah, TRADITION!
I'd say the parents are irritated by a demand which they see as snobby and unreasonable.

I'm very intrigued as to the colour now. We have a more unusual colour. It's a bright purple so not one you'd find in the supermarkets but still available through school. Though our jumpers are £10.50 so even more expensive.

Is is that unusual that they cannot source it anywhere? What about the company that do the jumpers? It's strange that they don't do the cardigans as well.

Is it bright orange?

Blu - it's hardly a special trip - you get the jumpers from the school reception

I can't tell you the colour because it is that odd!

I don't think the colour has improved the behaviour, but a general tightening of "standards" has and if they changed the colour now all those who have complied and purchased the jumpers.....

If it was a particular plaid on a gym slip or a specially piped blazer then maybe snobby, but a jumper with the school logo for less than £8?

So why can't the company that make the jumpers do cardigans as well? That's the bit I don't understand. I've been teaching for 18yrs and have seen all sorts of uniform in varying shades but never one where the school couldn't source cardigans as well as jumpers.

I think if school are going to insist on uniform they need to offer a cardi. Have they really tried to source it nationally? I just ask because I would have thought that companies such as FOTL who probably make the majority of state logo schoolwear in this country are like Dulux and will mix to your desire.

I don't know arch, but apparently the company that makes the jumpers can't do a cardi.

I have boys so obviously don't understand the importance of such things, but if the boys can manage with a jumper, why do girls need a cardigan?

I dont think £7.75 is bad for a jumper at all, a decent one from a store would cost similar - supermarket clothing is cheap due to labour and quality.

Ok, fair enough but I just wondered if they had checked all the school jumper making companies or just accepted that their current one doesn't do cardigans.

Girls can wear jumpers with skirts but IMVHO, little girls look so much smarter with a pinafore. Though just remembered yours is a junior sch so maybe not such an issue. In fact, jumpers look much nicer with skirts (realises I'm contradicting myself! )

So, are you the only school in the country to use this colour?

I agree, £7.75 doesn't sound too much. Our infant ones (which are also purchased from the school) are much more. But they're fab quality.

Get the PTA to start a 2nd hand uniform stall (good fundraising).

BTW, we've just gone purple! Three new sets of uniform to buy in September - ds is rebelling already about the new colour.

Althought that isn;t a bad price for a good quality it will be out of the price range of some parents and state schools can not by law insist on uniform at all anyway, espeically one that is of such an unusual colour it is only availble from 1 supplier.

Am so curious about the colour!

Y6 girls with breasts will often avoid jumpers/sweatshirts!

The admission code has a whole thing about uniform being available in mainstream stockists and how it is the responsibility of the Governing Body to ensure that any items are widely available... it sounds as though your GB hasn't thought this through terribly well. Perhaps one of them is particularly handy with a sewing machine and will offer to chop the jumpers down the middle, sew on some buttons, create some button holes and voila! A cardigan!

Schools are not allowed to insist upon the wearing of logo items therefore it needs to be brought up with the GB that this new policy does not meet the requirements of the admission code and so must be adapted.

if you're going to send your child to the school

we don't really have a lot of chocie home ed or send our children to school.

Unifrom for below secondary can not be enforced and there has been a lot of schools marking up unifrom to get parents to pick another school rather than have a battle over the expensive uniform

as for different shades of grey don't make a uniform - different shades of grey will not stop a child from learning.

if the school want to have a difficult colour through tradition and don't want to move with the times - fine but don't expect people to be happy about it.

my dd2 school had a headmaster who was obsessed with the uniform - thankfully he left after one year and the new head master isn't to bothered as long as it is about rights - the sschool is fab and sports mad and encouraging of every one what ever and how ever they dress or preform.

if the op's headmaster of this school is making life difficult the parents can complain to the education authority about the stance on uniform and they can get things sorted.

northern european countries don't have unifrom as standard in school - it doesn't seems to effect the teaching or pride of work in hunreds of schools across france, spain, germany - in fact results are better - thoguh I doubt the unifrom makes children unable to learn

8 quid is a lot for a school jumper - my friend has 3 children at Primary school and you can't get away with one jumper each so that would be an outlay of nearly £50!

I think this is very unreasonable. I choose not to buy clothes from cheap ships because of the sweatshop thing, I either go for second hand (but in this case there won't be any second hand stuff because it's new) or at a pinch I can afford more expensive stuff. Many people can't.

And the uniform?behaviour correlation is a false assumption. Or if it isn't, it must be something specific to British kids!