School changing to an Academy - Uniform costs!!

[CardyMow]

My DD's Secondary is changing to an Academy in September. During the consultation process, I asked the HT at the meeting if there were any plans to change the uniform like they did at the other Secondary that has already changed to an Academy, and only gave out one free set.

The HT reassured me, in a public meeting in January (the minutes of which are available) that they would most definately NOT be changing the uniform.

Fast forward to this week - we get sent home a price list complete with pictures of the new uniform, that can ONLY be bought from the school, at eye-watering prices. Only one free set will be given out. And none of the new, school-logo'd PE kit will be given free.

Horiffic white knee length pleated school skirt with black plaid pattern - £25. School trousers with Logo on the waistband (visible when blouse tucked in) - £22 a pair. The school will only give girls a free SKIRT. My DD hasn't worn a skirt since she was approximately 18mo. She wears trousers that cost me £12 for two pairs from Sainsbury's. She gets through a minimum of 3 pairs a week. I don't have a tumble dryer, so everything has to be dried on the airer and can take 2-3 days to dry (crap spin on my washing machine), so overnight washing and drying is not an option. Logo'd embroidered shirts, £17 each. New blazer (though this would be included in the free set, as would the new tie). New PE jumper, new PE trousers with logo, new PE shirt with logo instead of the plain white tesco one she has currently , new PE socks (logo'd, natch). Nothing coming in at less than £9.50 - and that's for the PE socks. OH - Logo'd kit bag too.

I am VERY pissed off annoyed, as 1) DD is already IN adult sized clothes, goes into Y10 in September, and her uniform would have lasted her till she leaves, and 2) I am NOT paying that amount of money for a pair of trousers EVER, and 3) I don't even HAVE that sort of money to pay for uniform, as I am on benefits.

There's no grants for uniform in my LEA, hasn't been for years. There's no Social Fund to get a loan from any more. I can't get a loan from anywhere else - not even Provident or Greensward because my LL (Housing Association) has barred them from conducting business on their properties.

And to make things worse - there is a high chance that as my younger dc's primary school is in the process of conversion, for September, that I may ALSO be facing this issue with those 2 dc, and then be unable to hand down any of the uniform I had saved from DS1 to DS2.

There is not a hope in hell of me affording ONE child's full set of uniform come September at these prices - three will just be impossible.

Are they REALLY allowed to do this? Change the uniform, just giving one free set, and no free PE kit, despite reassuring the parents that the uniform wouldn't change, even for dc in Y10? They will let the current Y10 (next years Y11) wear the 'old' (current) uniform, but not my DD's year and below. IMO, that STINKS.

Do I have any way to challenge this?

Yes it is scary that some parents can't find £200.

It is also scary that some people are prepared to deny a child of those parents access to a state funded school for the lack of that £200.

Whether those parents are "feckless" or the "deserving poor" matters not a jot here.

I wouldn't mind, but on the basis of the HT's response to my questions at the Academy Status meeting for parents in January (I asked if they were going to change the Uniform and was told no), I bought her a full set from M&S in adult sizes, that will last her until she leaves - so I have NO need to buy any new uniform for her at all, as what she has will last until she LEAVES SCHOOL.

As I bought this set of uniform on the basis of being told by the HT, no less, I feel aggrieved that I am going to be expected to buy ANOTHER set of uniform that I don't have the need or the money for.

At least with my DS's primary uniform changing, DS1 will need a new set in September. It is frustrating though, as I will need to buy a set for DS2 also, rather than just handing down what DS1 has grown out of. Which will cost me money I don't have. DS1's uniform is in perfectly good condition to hand down - the blue polo shirts are from Next, though they cost £12.50 for 3, the current school logo ones cost £9 EACH, so would cost me £27 for 3. Currently, the school has no issues with dc wearing the non-logo'd ones, but when they change to an Academy in Sept, ONLY the logo'd ones, with the NEW school name on, will be accepted.

Three new Uniforms when I should only be buying one? Of course I'm going to find that a struggle, I am currently unemployed.

I agree with you cardymow that they shouldn't be changing the uniform for existing students.

DCs school changed their skirt when DD started but it was only for year 7s and anyone who bought new skirts were supposed to buy new ones. They changed to an academy last year and there was no change to the uniform at all. Other schools i know that changed to an Academy have only changed their ties and badges.

My DCs school when uniform changes have been made they have been phased in for existing pupils. Admittedly pester power has meant I couldn't hand down as much as I would have liked. Have you complained to the school?

Ds's posh private school uniform is cheaper than our local state school despite it being stocked at Harrods. The only thing that is more expensive is the blazer (which the state school doesn't have) but which most people buy for £20 from the secondhand sales. The logo polo shirts, school sweatshirts, ties etc for the state school are only available from the school so they appear to charge what they like.

Same for us, bisjo, except DS's indie doesn't even have the whole blazer/tie/kilt faff it's just a dreaded sweatshirt, navy polo and black trousers. God forbid there's even a school hoody! I wonder what theroseofwait would say to that!

Does your DH not prefer to buy his own suits? He's not 6.

Sorry, that should have read:

DH wears a shirt and tie 4 days a week and anything he likes on Fridays. I've stopped buying him suits,

Does your DH not buy his own suits?

I could manage an expensive school uniform but am very happy to be able to spend those hundred pounds on books and theatre tickets instead: somehow I think that does more for dcs' education. Dcs attend an excellent state school with good behaviour and discipline- and an informal uniform.

I see no evidence round here that formal uniform does anything for either educational or behavioural standards.

fwiw not every parent works in a suit and tie job: dh goes to work in steel capped boots and a high viz jacket, not because he leds a shambolic life, but because he'd look a bit odd in a white shirt and tie down a Roman cesspit.

I always find it entertaining to come across posters in highly paid jobs who totally fail to realise that the whole infra-structure they depend on to do their work is supported by other people working in low paid jobs, and that if those people walked out of their low paid jobs the whole country, including the jobs at the top, would come to a standstill.

(not talking about dh, evidently)

cory they find out when the proles go on strike who actually does the work

i am quite suprised by these posters saying they can buy the uniform once or twice and thats it, do your children not grow? or perhaps mine grow like weeds! ds1 has just had to have new school trousers, i got him new in sept as he grew out of the ones he had in yr 7, so they were new for yr 8 and have had to buy more again as he has grown, they havent worn out so i shall keep them in the hope that ds2 can wear them in a few years, tho ds2 is a different build so not sure if the waist will adjust enough for his scrawny frame! btu ds1 also needs new jumpers and shirts etc again they havent worn out he has just grown! thankfully the jumpers and shirts will be fine for ds2 when he goes to the high school (assuming they dont change the uniform in the meantime!)

anyway op we have had this issue recently as our primary school changed uniform for the SECOND time in 4 yrs!! madness, esp as i have 4 boys going through the school, anyway we challenged some of the changes on the basis of the gov guildlines and they did then make some consessions, so it is worth making a challenge, basically you write to the governors as THEY decide the uniform but the HT implements it. so you need as many parents to write to the governors as possible stating the gov guidlines and show where they are contravening these.

tho i am not sure if the guidlines have to be followed with academies? but worth trying, esp the fact they are only giving the girls skirts!

CardyMow - is your question re. the uniform & the HT's response in the minutes of the meeting? Because if it is, I would be banging on the HTs door with those minutes in tow the next possible opportunity I had.

(Cory, as an aside, I now want to know what your DH does!)

theroseofwait would say that an Indie School with such lax uniform can't be much of an Indie School. . . .

Nowhere have I called anyone a 'prole' (such a lovely turn of phrase) and I'm glad I'm found hilarious - I would find you good people that can't afford to feed and clothe your families properly hilarious if it wasn't so serious. . . .

Please remember that's it's not me that can't afford a £22 pair of trousers but I am fed up about how I've got to send my sons to school looking like one of JLS until they're old enough to travel the hour and a half each way to our nearest Independent, if I decide to send them.

We have both worked hard to get ourselves into a position where we are doing quite nicely thank you - but see no reason why others can't have done the same.

Feel free to insult me as much as you like now, I've got better things to do . . .

Last week I realised that one of the 16 year olds I teach had no concept of what a coat hanger was or what you might use it for. His clothes are kept on the floor. His mum can't afford wardrobes to put them in.

Scary, huh? And in reality, there is BOG ALL she can do about it.

(Getdown, that's a bit odd - we don't have wardrobes either but ds has hooks on the back of his door, he does at least know what a coathanger is.)

The amount of time and money spent in this country on school uniform is just scary. I would happily see the whole lot gone. And I used to be pro-uniform, until ds started at a school that didn't have one.

It's not often posters get to me but two people on here tonight have got me fuming over their narrow-mindedness and ignorance! Shame on you!

And uniforms have fuck all to do with how good a school is. I really hope this academy status/new uniform combo isn't turning into another back-door selection process and putting traditional catchment areas off applying because of cost.

Check with your education authority - uniform is NOT compulsory at any school!! My parents were told this a long time ago by our LEA when they needed a grant for me... it didn't happen. Hold your ground and politely tell them that you cannot afford and will not pay for such expensive items. The deputy head of a school near to me said that if a parent took such a matter to court then the parents would win as there is no legal stature to wear a school uniform anywhere.

It is illegal to deny a child a place of education because of school uniform.

DD is about 5'5 now so has grown probably two or three inches since she started.
The skirts are supposed to be worn between two inches below and above the knee so if you buy them on the longer side gives room for at least 4 inches growing. Skirts are much more forgiven for growing children than trousers. I bought her blazer slightly big but still fits her fine. Blouse I bought for a 14 year old and still fit her. Bought one school jumper and she had her brothers, (boys never wear school jumpers at dcs school) and they still fit well. I don't think she will grow much more. Skirts are uniform shop only as none of the supermarkets sell that style, buts as tough as old boots and washes and washes.

DS yr 11 and has grown 10 inches has had two sets of school shirts and three blazers and a few sets of trousers. He has had uniform shop blazer and M&S blazers and bought the badge and sewn it on. One of the m&S blazers fell to bits which is why we had to replace it, but not for growing room.Even now he is in mans sizes he has m&S trousers that cost £10. I have also kept to short sleeve shirts as they grow

I tend to buy uniform when its cheap ie 3 for 2 in M&S etc and never buy new sets in one go after yr7.

At ds's school they wear shorts so even though ds has grown like a weed he is only in his second set of shorts since reception (they start out almost trouser length and gradually get shorter and shorter!). He is still in his tracksuit purchased in reception - now slightly too short but not enough to really need replacing yet.

I prefer a school to have a uniform as it stops all the label-competitions that otherwise seem to result. I also think it is odd that state schools don't seem to have secondhand uniform sales (at least not the ones that I know, which is several).

this article made me laugh The clothes in the photos must have cost the price of the whole set of DCs' uniform, and all they have done is swap one uniform for another.

with the difference, bruffin, that they can wear those clothes all day every day.

That's exactly my point. On mufty days at ds's school pretty much all of them are in designer surfing labels. Ds is usually dressed head to toe in Next and is pretty much unique in what he wears. I don't see the point in spending lots of money on stuff he'll grow out of in a few months. The only thing I do spend money on is good shoes.

theroseofwait Sun 06-May-12 20:06:44

"Nowhere have I called anyone a 'prole' (such a lovely turn of phrase) and I'm glad I'm found hilarious - I would find you good people that can't afford to feed and clothe your families properly hilarious if it wasn't so serious. . . ."

Why is it hilarious that some of the people who do the work that the rest of us depend on are paid so badly that they struggle to afford essentials? I don't find it funny at all.

Less depressing but still not hugely hilarious that some of us who are a bit better off would prefer to spend our surplus money on educational activities rather than on a posher uniform.