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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Expensive School Uniform

92 replies

Verbena37 · 17/07/2016 19:55

I know uniform threads have been done but I've just ordered DS new yr 7 uniform and dd another skirt in a bigger size.

I'm shocked as to why we need to buy so many logo items!
Last year, the school became an academy and decided that it would replace its manky looking uniform. It did look manky.

However, rather than replace with simple to wear, smart but cheap to purchase stuff, they've opted to make it really expensive. We can afford it but for families on low incomes, buying uniform (especially with more than one child there) it must be a nightmare.

So without the skort, the price for DS alone, not including trousers and shirts, which I will buy separately from Next, it costs:

Blazer- £24.99
PE Mesh Tshirt- £10.75
PE rugby top- £17.74
Sport Shorts- £9.25
PE socks- £4.00

So that's £66.73 plus £3.95 pp.

The sizing is also rubbish so it means I have to buy a blazer that fits him now rather than a size bigger and will have to buy another one in probably about six months. The bigger size looks ridiculous and drowned him.

I really like kids to wear a smart uniform but logo everything is getting stupid!

OP posts:
schbittery · 25/07/2016 14:54

well i just ordered ds y7 kit and it cost £315 with a 10% discount in the shop and only buying essentials, not including shirts so I'd think yourself lucky! :)

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 25/07/2016 17:08

The DfE recommends that uniform should be subject to competition, therefore there should be more than one supplier so that parents have a choice of logo items. It can be worked so that some branded uniform can be sourced from a supermarket or online shop and more expensive an d probably better quality, can be sourced from a local shop or supplier.

Putneyparent · 26/07/2016 17:54

Haha OP, you uniform is very cheap compared to most. My state school uniform for DC going into year 7 has cost around £350 and this is WITHOUT shirts, socks and shoes. You should count yourself lucky...!

Original poster
Verbena37 · 30/07/2016 09:56

Counting myself lucky doesn't mean it's right though putneyparent.

OP posts:
Original poster
Verbena37 · 30/07/2016 09:57

You can actually go with a family of four people to Center Parcs for a week for less than £350 !!!

OP posts:
mogloveseggs · 30/07/2016 10:09

Dd's uniform is 300. Not including stationary. Have had to buy big as i can't afford to replace it halfway through the year. It's bonkers!

ggirl · 30/07/2016 10:22

Wa standing behind a mum at ds' school who was getting it free..which I assume was cos she was on benefits ..so there is that , still expensive for others though.

MiaowTheCat · 30/07/2016 19:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Putneyparent · 31/07/2016 22:13

Thanks, but no need to be angry on my behalf OP. My point is that you are unhappy about paying around 60 odd quid when a lot of us pay 4/5 times that amount and we're not moaning about it.

Original poster
Verbena37 · 08/08/2016 17:33

But why aren't people moaning about it Putneyparent?
I'm not saying we can't afford it but I'm saying we shouldn't be made to buy logo uniform except perhaps either a blazer or jumper. Logo socks is just ridiculous and our whole uniform is made of polyester crap material that looks cheap as chips.
It's the point of it that's annoying.
State school's should not be allowed to have logo everything except one main item. It goes against the state system.

OP posts:
a8mint · 09/08/2016 17:50

State school uniform
Logo blazer + school buttons with school crest on £5
logo skirt £16
Logo'd PE polo shirt
Logo's PE hoodie also to be embroidered with child's name (so can't pass on to anyone else
Pe navy skort
PE navy shorts
PE tracksuit bottoms (navy)
cost £200

hockey socks

amidawish · 10/08/2016 09:12

tbh i'd rather have to buy a logo item than have the "mum, i don't want this plain red sweatshirt i want the one from superdry that EVERYONE has"

etc...

nancy75 · 10/08/2016 09:19

I just ordered part of dds pe kit, it was £87 and that's without trainers and some other stuff!
The blazer is £80, skirt £38 jumper £32, this is for a normal local state school. I think it is disgusting, there will be loads of parents that are really going to struggle to buy the uniform

Haggisfish · 10/08/2016 09:23

Good grief. This is awful. I'm a teacher and do think uniform is important but these prices are awful. My school is an academy but we sell iron on badges and just stipulate types of skirt and trouser etc that can be bought from anywhere. Even blazed just has iron on logo.

purplevase4 · 10/08/2016 10:58

I also think it's wrong for state schools to insist on such expensive school uniforms. The only compulsory item should be a tie. Everything else can be ordinary shirts/blouses/trousers/skirts from supermarkets.

My son's school doesn't have a blazer, but the school jumper has a logo and the girls have to wear a specific skirt which of course costs twice as much as any of the generic ones from Sainsburys etc.

The school is also introducing a PE uniform (up to now it was a white t-shirt and black shorts in the summer, with the only specific item being a red reversible rugby shirt which cost £16) which I have just spent £46 on. It has caused some rumpus among the parents, although current pupils can keep the old one until they grow out of it.

Kids can look smart in supermarket clothes, there's no need for all this compulsory expensive clothing. Teachers don't earn high salaries themselves in most cases so why do they assume all parents do?

Haggisfish · 10/08/2016 11:18

I suspect these cases are from large academy trusts and the school uniform shop is probably owned by an academy board member or pal.

228agreenend · 10/08/2016 11:25

Apart, from the socks, the prices are reasonable. You can easily spend £10 on a t-shirt, even in cheaper stores such as Primark and Asda. The blazer isn't that expensive either, considering the use it will get.

Its cheaper than buying branded and fashionable products.

Has your school got a second hand uniform shop? At my eldest son's school, you can pick,up blazers for £5 and other kit for a lot less.

Muskey · 10/08/2016 11:35

I just forked out £99 for a blazer for dd who is in year 8 ( private school with prep so she has had the same blazer since year 5 so I think it has lasted well. also the school pta shop will take back her old blazer and if they sell it as second hand we get half the cash)

Cosmo111 · 10/08/2016 11:42

When I was at school the only things with a logo was our jumpers, we could get skirts and shirts from new look, asda, tesco etc now the secondary school have completely altered their uniform after becoming an academy their uniform consists of a blazer, blue tartan skirt amongst other high priced items. I would imagine it is considerably higher than it used to be. They were in the phrase of getting students to stop wearing designer coats to prevent bullying but they utilmately put the poorer families under pressure to get the correct uniform makes no sense. Now the primary schools have introduced Blazers. I can get a my DS a designer coat much cheaper in the sales than a blazer and he can wear it all year round. With parents with multiple children, single parent households the costs can be worrying for them. I spent over 200 pounds on my two dcs and one of thems only starting nursery.

I get the impression might be rightly or wrongly that there's a lot of middle class MNs. What is cheap to you might not necessarily be cheap for someone else, especially if they are trying to make sure they get the funds together. You don't know people's finacial situation so I do think it's a little unfair to say OP could of put money aside.

Original poster
Verbena37 · 13/08/2016 11:37

I agree Cosmo.....however, my point is more than simply money.
I can quite easily afford the uniform. I don't need to save and put some aside etc.

However, some people do and the system is a state one and should therefore be based on easy affordable school uniform that looks smart. That can be easily achieved without the need to logo everything and put a mark up on it.....even when it's cheap, crappy material that doesn't wash well.

OP posts:
Cosmo111 · 13/08/2016 11:54

I agree it was brilliant when the likes of tesco, asda even Aldi made affordable uniforms for those on reduced incomes. Schools are making in considerably harder for parents.

Shahrazad00 · 11/10/2016 20:56

I totally agree.. a tie should be enough.. or maybe a blazer or jumper..
the school asks for everysingle thing with Logo!!! Gladly not the underware.. seriously why logo blazer £34
Logo jumper £18
Sikrts and shirts and ties and school bag and pe bag etc
I didnt buy every sigle thing from the uniform shop and yet i spent £190 plus non logo items and shoes from clarks £60 from here and there.. end up with £400!!
Thats one child.. i have 3!!! We paid a family earning for one monthes on uniforms!! Thats a lot and was all on credit card!!! Our High school changes the colors of the strips on ties every year and they said clearly you cant use you old ones!!! Why???

Toomanycats99 · 11/10/2016 21:04

When my daughter started primary I spent £50 on 4 blouses (not plain colour and therefore not available from supermarket) however they lasted 3 years and now my youngest is in her second year of wearing them. Maybe 2 lost buttons between all of them. I was a bit 'oooh' at initial cost but looking back it's been far cheaper overall then cheap ones each year.

clary · 11/10/2016 21:34

I think those prices are reasonable. £25 for a blazer is about right. The PE stuff will not get worn out and surely with that you can buy a reasonably big size. IIRC DS1 had the same red rugby shirt all through school. Must have been a bit small by yr 11 but it was only once a week for an hour by then...

I don't understand why he will need a new blazer in six months... DS2 is in year 9 and has had the same blazer since start of yr 7!

DD meanwhile has had everything since year 7 I think...maybe one new blazer in yr 9 - she is in yr 11 now.

BTW logo skirts are a good idea IMHO as they make sure the skirt is the right style... and avoid teachers male and female being embarrassed by a student in a stretchy belt that barely covers their knickers - it's not what I want to see in my classroom!

BertrandRussell · 11/10/2016 21:45

Secondary schools use uniform as a way of covert selection. It's outrageous.

By way of contrast, ds has a logoed blazer £25, a tie £4.50 and a PE top £9.99. That's it. Trousers and shirts can come from anywhere. Team kit is provided by the school- dished out on match days and taken back and washed by the PE staff.

People donate blazers as they are outgrown and they are given to parents who need them.

But it's a school where nearly half the kids are on FSM and most mumsnetters would rather die than send their children there. The grammar school uniform costs a minimum of £400 and can cost much more if you buy everything.