How 'usual' is this?

[exLtEveDallas]

Local Secondary School has sent parents a letter today informing them that from Sep all school skirts and trousers need to be logo'd and bought from X supplier.

School has the usual Logo ridden jumpers, blazers, ties, sports kit etc but I've never heard of trousers and skirts being obligatory.

Local FB page is full of ranting parents. Trousers are around £15/pair, skirts are £12. Apparently no consultation with parents.

Sounds bonkers to me.

That's been standard for several years at most state schools in my area (working class north/west city)

In fact our nearest school that's so awful that they are half empty has a very push compulsory tartan skirt/specific trousers uniform.

Yep normal here.

Actually it's been fine, teen girl. 2 skirts in 5yrs. Can't complain. Blazer lasted 2yrs but it it was only made compulsory at that point! 2 sets of 3 shirts over 5yrs, 2 jumpers ( and her sisters hand me downs when desperate but only the jumpers were useable apart from all the pr kit !).

I honestly never realised. I thought it would be jumpers/coats etc like for most primary schools. Ooh, I'm going to do a price check.

My DC go to two state secondaries. One has a particular skirt, with a line of patterned piping at hip-level - presumably so they can tell it is the regulation skirt at a glance. Boys can wear any standard black uniform trousers. Jumpers are regulation. Blazers can be bought with badge or you can buy the badge to iron onto a plain blazer.

The other school has pretty much everything from the outfitters including skirt, shirts, jumper and blazer.

In theory ours have obligatory trousers but in reality any 'suit-style' trousers are ok and my DSs have Tesco trousers at 1/3 of the price of the official ones.

Regulation skirts and trousers here too. North East

They've just started doing it here, too. I'm glad my kids have left school.

I thought they were meant to make school uniform accessible to all budgets?!?!

It'll be because if the school isn't incredibly prescriptive about skirts and trousers you get boys in skinny jeans and girls in tight miniskirts and this takes loads of teacher time to police.

Yes regulation skirts and trousers for girls here at state school. About £25 each.

I'm sure that's right. If you buy something cheaper that is indistinguishable from the uniform supplier's item then you'll be fine. If you get tight/ short/ whatever teenager wants they'll get pulled in. Our school now has pleated skirts, presumably as they are harder to roll over at the waistband never did that, me, nope never

Just did a quick price up:

One Blazer, one Jumper, one skirt, one pair trousers, one tie, one PE shirt, one PE skort, one pair sports socks, one tracksuit = £145.

But sensibly, DD will need a minimum of two jumpers, two trousers, two PE shirts, two socks, so total = £195.

Plus blouses, shoes, trainers, AstroTurf trainers and (optional) warm sports jacket.

Well, September is going to be more expensive than I thought then. Her current trousers (that I've already replaced twice because she is growing so damn quick) were £5 a pair from Matalan and the only other bit of kit that 'needs' to be logo'd is the jumper/cardi for £12. Coats and everything else are optional.

I am way behind the times it seems.

New trousers/skirts have school logo embroidered on apparently so they can be "easily identified as compulsory uniform"

It will be because people just ignored the specification for 'tailored trousers' or 'knee length skirts in the past and parents have let their dc go in in skinny jeans or belts instead of skirts. Sadly because of those parents, now everybody is getting the extra expense.
That said, the prices you quote don't sound too horrendous - I would expect to pay at least £12 for a pair of trousers for a secondary pupil.

I remember blinking when DD1 started secondary.
Luckily she didn't grow so she only needed 1 blazer and 1 PE kit throughout secondary
The art is to buy big . Many y7s have blazers reaching to the end of their thumbs.

I hoped I would be able to pass stuff down to DD2 but they've gone and changed the ties and the PE kit so I can't.

Not normal round here. The nearest 3 schools specify non-"fashion" black school trousers/skirt. (I buy M&S ones)

Yup- normal here. £60 blazer, £35 skirt, £25 for two blouses with logo and all PE kit has to have their names sewn on-by machine.

Costs a fortune!!

Ours has it. It does simplify things.

Oh dear. Just gone back onto FB and there is a petition against it now. 141 signatures so far and a lot of damning comments. Lots of people thinking that no other schools do it, and that £12-15 per pair is too expensive.

Think this one will run and run (although it's an Academy, so I have a feeling the school will just say "so leave then")

If enough parents are up in arms about it, the decision might be reversed. It was in the local papers when a school near me tried this, and the school changed their minds due to the strength of feeling.
If everything else is logoed, I think they should allow parents to buy plain shirts and skirts/trousers from other retailers, especially at the moment when so many people have money worries.

Omg!

One of the top comps in our county and Blazers £25, non logo trousers and shirt. PE kit £30 head to toe. (Excluding shoes)

They get a payback. Ask for the notes of the meeting and what the payback to the school is on the contract. Its eligible for foi. Or ask the local newspaper to do it

They could have a logo belt or iron on logos if they are that concerned..

I know it sounds a bit funny but can you get a pair of trousers for less than £12?

It's not normal here.

Our two nearest secondary schools just ask for trousers and skirts to be a particular colour.

One has a logo on its jumpers but no blazers. The other has plain jumpers but has blazers with a school badge on (the badge can be bought separately and sewn on to a plain blazer if preferred).