Can someone point me in the direction of laws regarding school uniform suppliers?

[EdwiniasRevenge]

DTDs current school uniform currently consists of a school blazer, school tie, school pe top and school pe hoodie. This are only available from a single supplier.

Additional items such as shirts/skirts/trousers/tracksuit bottoms all have to be specific colours but can be bought from any highstreet store with some resteictions on style etc.

We have just had a letter informing us of changes to the uniform next year. In addition to the school specific items we have had to buy this year we will be required to buy school tracksuit bottoms and shorts from a specified supplier. The letter also implies that skirts may also have to be from specified supplier but we are looking for clarifiaction.

In addition to concerns ovet cost I have concerns regarding fit as my dcs are an unusual size and we have to try several brands to find a suitable compromise (think age 9-10 waist and an adult long leg). I also suspect they will be 2-3 times the price of what I would pay at sports direct.

Can someone point me in the direction to regulations regarding the availability of school uniform.

private schools can do what they like

state schools can pretty much do what they like

Tesco are doing a school embroidery service, where they will donate 5% to the school. If you mention this then they might agree to it. The school has to sign up and send them the logo.

I think the 'rules' regarding uniform is what you sign in the home / school agreement. I don't think that there is a 'law' about it - I'm really not sure though.

Not just logos - cut of trousers and skirts, exact shades of blazers, colours of PE shorts - schools set the uniform, you obey or leave.

At least DD did not have to pay for her prefect tie!

For states schools is is considered bad practice to restrict uniform to one supplier, but as far as I know there are no regulations.

My LEA used to push schools to allow variety in suppliers, but now all the secondaries are academies so that doesn't work.

So other than appealing the to the people who made the decision there are few other options.

My DD1's school (state) have their own uniform shop, where all of he uniform has to come from. I haven't bough I yet but believe it to cost in excess of £350 I will be paying a visit to the summer fayre and hope to pick up a few bargains. The uniform is very smart but TBH I am secretly quite happy about this.

The OFT looked into this some years ago, and their advice is reflected in the Government guidelines. Any egregious cases would definitely be worth referring to the OFT.

Hmm.

This is the catchment state school.
The uniform was new last year with a couple of additions this year. There is no option for us to buy second hand- and no option to pass down the pe items as they are all personalised with the childs name.

I completely and utterly support a school uniform.
I believe, however, though that the dept of education 'guidance' is that as long as schools can show that they have sourced a competitive price for their uniform then it can be deemed to be competitive even if there is a sole provider. I also believe that the guidance has been to specify colour so that generic items can be purchased on the high street. I would have thought that the PE kit is one area where there could be a little less rigidity..

The problems that I will have:
The school rules specify that girls have to have a specific skirt AND that it must be knee length. This will not be possible for one of my dds. She is currently wearing the specified skirt, in the longest length available. It is currently sitting just above her knee and she is going through a growth spurt. I have no issue with this as long as the school recognise that she can only meet 1 rule or the other.

There is no indication whether girls can wear trousers (which would get around skirt length problems). Anyone know if/what rules there are on this. Thinking there might be rules against discrimination/religious requirements.

The PE kit is the biggest gripe.
A pair of tracksuit bottoms cost £16.50. It is obligatory that they have the logo'd tracksuit bottoms or shorts. I do not feel this price is competative. I cannot find another state school in the area which has compulsory tracksuit bottoms that cost more that £12 (and they are the same supplier). Even one of the private schools tracksuit bottoms are 'only' £18, although I appreciate the uniform as a whole is mich more expensive.

I need to contact the school to clarify the skirt length issue so I will put in a complaint about the cost of tracksuit bottoms but don't expect there is anything that can be done about it.

It is also frustrating that we live in an area where there is no school uniform grant for those in reciept of free school meals. I also have twins to buy for, my younger dd will be in the catchment for a different school with a different compulsory uniform making hand me downs difficult.

I fully acknowledge that whilst this is a frustration there isn't a lot I can do about it....other than vent on MN!

The Admissions Code states that uniform policy must not discourage parents from applying for a place for their child. I think that a uniform costing in excess of £350 very definitely falls into that category.

The Office of Fair Trading wrote to all state schools last October asking them to review uniform policies after a study found that 74% of state schools specify a single supplier for at least one item of uniform and that the suppliers concerned are charging up to treble the normal price for the affected items. This is actually an improvement on the previous survey in 1996 at which time 84% used a single supplier.

The DfE guidance says they expect schools to give high priority to cost considerations in deciding the design of school uniform.

Thanks prh74.

Where do you think the line is drawn on prohibitively expensive.

Our uniform costs
£46 for 1 blazer, tie and skirt which I think is reasonable. Shoes and shirts are extras. Jumpers are an optional (but in reality necessary £17 extra). So I guess I am realistically looking at £90ish, to give 1 complete uniform. Obviously would need more than 1 shirt and skirt..

Pe kit is
£45 for tracksuit bottoms, polo shirt and hoodie. Trainers are extra. Shorts are optional.

What is frustrating is that the another close school, which dd3 will be in catchment for has a similar compulsory items, but despite being from the same supplier each item is at least £2 cheaper suggesting that there are more competitive prices available.
The other schools in the area have a much cheaper uniform - either because it is less smart or there are less comoulory items. Problem is we are held over a barrel as this is the catchment school. If I was to apply to another school the uniform might be cheaper but I wouldn't get free transport.

I guess it is just frustrating that the uniform that was bought in last year isn't in fact 'cheaper' as they promised after consultation. They just left out the expensive items for the first year of introduction (but didn't tell us that was what they were doing)

At my DCs school the PE kit is also expensive, but the PE teachers turn a blind eye to right colour, no logo bits of kit. As long as it doesn't look out of place, they don't say anything.

So whilst everyone in year 7 starts with the full list, by year 11 most DC are not wearing it.

At this school the pe teachers have hit the national press over stupid rules regarding uniform.

So I doubt it will go unnoticed. Plus for the first year of introduction they will be hot on checks.

Don't get me started on PE kit! Though you can cut back and get away with plain generic items except for the PE shirt. There is second hand, but not a lot of PE kit is in good condition (but bearable for growth spurts).

But the rest of ours is OK - blazers expensive, but a thriving second hand trade brings the price crashing down. The only other specified sole supplier item is the tie.

Can you ask the Governors to review the situation? Sounds absolutely crazy. My DS goes to a state school where only the sweatshirt and polo shirt have to be 'regulation' but they are very reasonably priced from a local supplier - and all the local charity shops are full of second hand ones anyway . have to say they all look very scruffy though, would love to see a shirt and tie.

What is the rationale for logo tracksuit bottoms?

I can see the point of a coherent polo top and hoodie.
I can see the point of a coherent colour bottoms.
I can just about see the point of a coherent bottoms if they have an unusual colour design for school team representatives.

But for 2 and a half hours a week...wtf do they all need an otherwise plain pair of black tracksuit bottoms with a huge logo on the thigh???

I have asked for some clarification from the person nominated to help parents that have difficulty 'affording' the uniform.

I also intend to write a more formal complaint to the board of governors amd OFT regarding how restrictive and costly the uniform is in comparison to other local schools.

Doubt it will go anywhere but I guess it is worth raising the issues so that the school has a chance to defend themselves...

If there is a big difference between local schools, maybe the local paper would like to run a story.....

Do you know what...that did cross my mind.

As I have already stated the school concerned have hit national press in the last 3 years for other issues relating to pe kit issues.

They soon backed down on this issue.

For purposes of everyone looking the same, our school has a few single supplier items but they were competitively sourced originally.

Blazer £25-£30
Tie £7
PE top £8
PE short £6
Rugby Shirt £15-£20
Pleated Skirt £15

Trousers, socks, black jumper or tank top, shirts all can be bought from the High Street.

Tracksuit isn't compulsory but costs about £45 if you want to wear one.

I think this is OK as the single supplier means everyone looks the same and even Blazers do differ quite considerably. I wouldn't want it to be any more expensive though.

Just a thought on logo'd items. Do they have to be the full name as if you could just do the surname it would pass onto younger siblings. I didn't think of this when dd1 (16) joined the school but it wouldn't have helped me as they changed the pe kit before dd2 (12) started. (But I did find her pe top of a fb sales page for £5 ) I thought we were quite lucky when we started as we only had to get blazer, tie and pe kit from the school shop and everything else could be M & S or Tesco but from this year we need logo'd jumpers and cardigans at £18 min each....

The blazer for DD1 has lasted her 5 years as, luckily, she did most of her growing in Y6 but DD2 gets bigger every time I look at her

I did only get one skirt and one pair of trousers and to be honest when they get to secondary don't seem to get as dirty but did make sure they could be tumbled if necessary.

Where do you think the line is drawn on prohibitively expensive

I'm afraid that isn't defined. I suspect that what would be regarded as prohibitively expensive in a deprived area with high unemployment might be perfectly acceptable in an affluent area with low unemployment.

I had similar issues with a DC's school. From the research I did at the time, I understand that schools or retailers that have exclusive contracts with suppliers might be subject to enforcement action under Chapter I of the Competition Act 1998 and that Governing Bodies should ensure that any uniform chosen is widely available in high street shops and other retail outlets, rather than from a sole supplier.

The Local Government Association?s advice is that uniform items should all be available from a minimum of two different suppliers, not counting the school itself, school symbols and logos should be available as sew-on patches and parents should be given opportunities to buy and sell second hand uniform from other parents.

Contact the Head before you go to the Chair of Governors. And good luck!

I agree with named items, DD2 is a fairly small Y7 her expensive named hoody will not last her to Y11.
Seems a waste it can't be handed down to some one.

Her sisters kit will as she shot up the last year of primary and her stuff is adult size.

And this is why school uniform shouldn't be compulsory. I bet there is no evidence whatsoever that it had a positive effect on schooling. I'm on holiday in France this week and as we drove through small town, we negotiated a pack a teenagers walking to the sport centre or museum or whatnot. No bother, well behaved and with minimal disruption. No child wore uniform and I was struck by the difference with UK students who would have possibly been all over the road, yelling and shouting. Might have nothing to do with uniform of course, but I do wonder how all those countries without uniform manage to produce highly educated graduates if it's so important.

Here are the costs for DTs school:

Polo Shirt 13.99
Sweat Shirt 14.99
School Kilt 32.99
Rugby shirt 19.5
tracksuit top 20.99
sport T 8.99
Sport's Shorts 7.99
tracksuuit bottoms 17.99
socks 2.99

Total for one set 140.42

I put in a skirt because DD will be going there next year. I currently buy the DTs trouser from M&S. The larger the size for items, the higher the price. This isn't the most expensive either. One of the other popular schools in the area costs even more. Only one supplier which isn't even local to the school, just happens to supply the majority of the schools in the area.

I am not anti- uniform.

I support the schools uniform policy for 2012-13.

I am a little frustrated that despite using the same supplier the same items for the neighbouring school are 5-15% cheaper. This is presumably because of the differences in style and intricacy of the branding. This suggests that consideration of cost has not been a priority for the board of Governors writing the policy. Or at least it had been a lesser issue.

I am also frustrated that yhe neighbouring school, acheives 'uniformity' without placing restrictions on generic items such as skirts and tracksuits. This makes the overall cost of the uniform much more than 5-15% more expensive.

I am frustrated that when the new uniform was introduced sept 2012 a big fuss was made of the fact that it was cheaper than the previous uniform. And now they are adding in expensive items.

My younger dd is unlikely to go to this school due to catchment area changes so not able to pass items down within the family. My other 2 children are twins so both need their own full kit. I suppose they could share tracksuit bottoms and hope they don't have PE on the se day :o

£16.50 for a pair of compulsory tracksuit bottoms. At a state school.

Oh and I am assuming that if boys are allowed to buy their trousers on the high street girls can't be forced to buy their skirt from a sole supplier? Am I right in thinking this would contravene the admissions code as it is discriminating against girls on the basis of cost?