Do you know of any independent prep schools that use high street uniforms?

[BaleOfHay]

As part of the response to cost of living / VAT coming etc in my school is looking at the cost of uniforms. Currently uniforms are supplied by a specialist school outfitters and are EXPENSIVE, especially given the not brilliant quality. I'd like to suggest a high street version (e.g. M&S) perhaps augmented by a school crest that could be applied. Do any other independent prep schools do this?

Nope - ours cost me £££ every year but I wish they did! Even their summer dresses were a special print so you couldn’t just buy the supermarket ones.. it was ridiculous.

Have you thought about starting a second hand school uniform swap shop? I was part of the PTA and we held a sale once a month of bits of outgrown (but still good condition) uniform that other parents had donated. It was very popular!

Thanks @CherryValley5 - they have only just bought the uniform in so there isn't all that much to go around on the 2nd hand market. Another issue is that the quality is poor (I expect to get more than a term out of a dress that costs £50 before it falls apart!) so there are deeper issues to contend with. I'd love to have a high street alternative and thought it would be great if I could point to other schools having done it! Putting 3-year-olds in expensive uniform seems bonkers to me.

DSs private school uniform has been adopted by a local secondary school! The once distinctive blazer is seen everywhere.

Is that a good or a bad thing?

Yes, for our London prep we can buy any style checked dress in the school color, and white shirts, any grey trousers / shorts / pinafore. Just need to purchase the school tie, a logo cardigan/jumper which is relatively inexpensive and can usually get a second hand blazer which they don’t have to wear except photos. My DC’s uniform comes from everywhere from ASDA to John Lewis. The £££ we fork out for is the branded sports uniform they have to wear which is impractical and expensive!

Near me one of the preps has grey trousers, white shirt, school tie and school blazer.

Only the school tie and school blazer need to be bought from the supplier.

My son's prep allowed any brand shirt & trousers; you just had to get the correct blazer. The sports kit, however, must have been sewn by pixies from unicorn hair, judging by the price! I'd much prefer high st sports kit.

John Lewis stocked uniform for specific schools - but when I click links for John Lewis preparatory school uniforms the link is now dead. Maybe they stopped

Incidentally the quality of M&S uniforms is superb

DD was at independent school in Hampstead. I bought the bulk of her uniform from M&S in multipacks with a second hand blazer and jumpers. I think the only official stuff I bought was some of the sports kit. No-one ever said anything

Schools near me:
1 has everything branded / only from supplier including socks
2 which have most things only from supplier, except blouses/shirts

in my old area
ordinary grey pinafore / trousers from anywhere, only items with school crest were hats, book bags and cardigans/jumpers

We only had to buy the blazer, jumpers. Blazers worn rarely. Jumper excellent quality. Tie was gifted by the school. Rugby/football kit, top, shorts, socks. The tops were expensive.

M&S stock logo uniform for specific schools on its uniform website (not the main shopping one)

Here https://www.mandsyourschooluniform.com/uniform-by-school

Ours used to have a mix of John Lewis own brand for most, and then a few pricier school branded items - some sports kit, coat and blazer. Worked well.

Now they’ve swapped to a new supplier which is much more expensive and not great quality.

Ooooh - M&S branded looks brilliant! Our school outfitters is £££££ and poor design/quality so I'm keen to encourage a move into the high street, and this looks fab.

For DS' school, everything other than sports kit, blazer & tie could be bought in any high st shop. However, when you signed up, you were asked if you were happy to share your contact details with the parent who ran the second hand shop and she'd then send you a list of what she had in stock and, if she didn't have it, she'd put a shout out on the class WhatsApp group. The second hand items were really cheap - rugby shirts for £5, shorts for £2 - and all was excellent quality.

Ours use high street shirts (white, short sleeve shirts, not polos, with breast pocket), and m&s trousers in navy.

Blazers, ties, sweaters and girls kilts are from a specialist supplier. Sports kit too.

Plus there is a school Facebook page for secondhand uniform that does a roaring trade.

I expect we are all referring to the same unnamed specialist independent school supplier who charges ££££££ and produces poor quality stock that falls apart.
The schools receive a % as I understand so they are unlikely to move away from him.
🙄

The indie primary my DC went to has a specific (very cute) summer dress but the winter uniform is completely generic and can be bought in M&S. Great second hand sales too - you could get the whole lot for about £20.

The secondary school has a branded uniform but it's cheap, and again the second hand sale (and lost property at the end of term!) is great. I've spent about £100 over the last few years, max.

Stops you getting beaten up I would think.

I discovered our local private school started selling uniforms themselves which saved parents the cost of a very expensive school outfitters in a city.

Our school uniform is expensive, but great quality, DD outgrown before signs of wear, no bobbling on the jumpers etc.
Could you look at different suppliers?

Just about keeled over looking at prices for next year, nearly £50 for a dress for a 4 year old! Only shirts and socks can be generic high street.

How many sets do you all buy? Think I'd have expected to get 4 or 5 for ease before I saw prices...

Is SB the uniform supplier we're all talking about?

I do a lot of 'spot cleaning' instead of full washing of dresses. At nearly £50 a go I managed last year with one of each - but I did take that on as a hit of a challenge!

All depends how much washing do you want to do??