Would you pay £100+ for a school uniform?

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The question sounds ridiculous, but DSD is apparently meant to buy everything from one very expensive shop. Logos on most, but even stuff like trousers or skirts, the skirt she needs (if wanting a skirt) is 27 quid alone. Even poloshirts have to be from that one shop, and are 13 quid each (same ones you get from tesco for 2 quid by the looks of it too..)This sounds totally insane to me?

In contrast, DD and DS..we got their uniforms yesterday, and its come to round about a fiver per set.

DSD 'normal' uniform is about a hundred, and 'PE uniform' is 50 also, hell they even are trying to say she needs a certain pair of socks for PE?!

Not sure what to do here as this would leave us hugely short. Technically we can 'afford it' but..it would cause issues for a while. School is in an area where a fair few kids from very poor backgrounds live too..so I hate to think what those parents are thinking right now.

I am considering just the logo blazer, the tie from the overpriced shop, then just normal black trousers and stuff. Even doing it that way would be 50 quid, but I can stretch to that. Playing for a PE uniform though...seems ridiculous.

Not sure what my options are so basically just wondering if I am being unreasonable or not tbh. Am I just being stingy?! The gulf between DS/DDs fiver uniform, and 150 quid is just so much..

Ours was a lot more than that but none of it is optional even the ridiculously expensive PE base layer and socks

And even when things are able to be sourced from cheaper outlets or whatever the criteria is so difficult to fulfil you end up paying uniform shop prices anyway.

It will be colour thats not really possible to source. Not quite black but not quite grey so nothing matches the exact shade and the sweater in asda or sports direct football socks won't pass. Base layers despite being worn under the t shirt/ sweater, will be unsuitable if they have the coloured piping on which they very often do. Bye bye £5 sainsbury base layer your orange piping will cause anarchy to break out. Who knows what damage a splash of colour can do to a pupil. Its irrelevant it can't be seen . And of course if it can be seen it just proves what thin shitty quality the official uniform is and we cant have that can we.

And you cheap skates can forget about your face book groups cos all the houses have different colours so now you need to not only match the size and the sex you need to match house colours now too and good luck unpicking isabella-mae jemima fitzgerald-mitchell off the one pe shirt that fits the description. Theres always deedpoll I guess...

Its not only expensive and wasteful its excludes half their catchment families even applying

Not sure if anyone has posted this from Gov:

'The importance of cost consideration
The School Admissions Code 2012, which is statutory guidance, states “Admission
authorities must ensure that […] policies around school uniform or school trips do not
discourage parents from applying for a place for their child.” No school uniform should be so expensive as to leave pupils or their families feeling unable to apply to, or attend, a school of their choice, due to the cost of the uniform. School governing bodies should therefore give high priority to cost considerations. The governing body should be able to demonstrate how best value has been achieved and keep the cost of supplying the
uniform under review.'

Note it is statutory - Statutory guidance sets out what schools and local authorities must do to comply with the law. Schools should follow the guidance unless they have a very good reason not to.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform

Just one pair of shoes costs a out 70 quid for us!

OP, you have 2 shirts for the week? Isn't this false economy. You'll either pay in extra electricity for all the extra washing you'll do, or because it's the cheaper supermarket stuff, it'll look terrible and be shapeless/discoloured by Christmas. And I second the point about the sweatshops producing such cheap clothing. By not supporting this by buying these cheap clothes is our way of letting Tesco and the others know this is not acceptable. If we keep buying, we are just supporting their choices.Given how much time my kids spend in uniform, I'm happier spending money on that than a fancy pair of jeans or a top that gets worn about 2 times a month because they are at school the rest of the time

Equally paying more fir something doesn't mean its not out of a sweatshop though.

None of dds uniform is actually produced in the uk

Omg £100! If only! My DS secondary (State school) uniform cost £350 and then there was a compulsory £350 laptop to buy also! Would be amazing if it was only £100

I've twins so no hand me downs. It can cost near on 1k total once shoes, coats, sports kit (one blazer is £50 alone - been hanging brand new in cuboard as 2 were bought in Feb for Spring term).

I'm not justifying it, but the reason they have logged skirts, trousers etc, is if they don't, many schools find the students take the piss and wear inappropriate skirts or trousers. The trouble is that flexibility leads to teenagers bending the rules and going down a very prescribed uniform route (which then usually means a single supplier who can hike the price and for whom the limited production runs naturally result in higher prices anyway) is seen as the way to prevent it.

So the prescribed shirt is likely to be some kind of kilt type thing which is very hard to roll over at the waist and can't be worn ridiculously short as it doesn't come in ridiculously short length.

I agree that the long lists of PE stuff are pretty daft when most do it twice a week if that.

Many schools have good second hand uniform sales and you'll get stuff for a quarter if the price. You'll notice that in independent schools, people attend the thrift shop or second hand sale as a matter of pride and often laugh at those who buy everything new (can easily be £500+) but then those parents have money and nothing to prove by sending their kids in all shiny uniform, that will look the same as the decent quality second hand stud within a week and 1 wash.

Push the school about second hand uniform sales and use them....requires some organisation and not trying to buy uniform in the last week of August. Write to the governors too to explain how much a full set of uniform and kit costs and point out the statutory guidance mentioned upthread. Ask for prescribed items from 1 supplier to be kept to an absolute minimum, very regular second hand sales and also lots of notice about uniform changes and run-in periods when both old and new can be worn.

It is a lot. Friends who are well off have been really shocked after decently priced primary stuff, to pay £300 for a standard state school uniform and that's before shoes, trainers etc.

I'm not justifying it, but the reason they have logged skirts, trousers etc, is if they don't, many schools find the students take the piss and wear inappropriate skirts or trousers. The trouble is that flexibility leads to teenagers bending the rules and going down a very prescribed uniform route (which then usually means a single supplier who can hike the price and for whom the limited production runs naturally result in higher prices anyway) is seen as the way to prevent it.

One of my DC attends a school with a very strict uniform policy. They have to have a bag with the logo on. The leather shoe style he has had every year since primary is no longer allowed as its a 'trainer'. (Its from clarkes school shoe section ).
The other attends a school with a much more relaxed attitude to uniform. The girls look much like my friends and I did in the 90s.
The behaviour is a million times better at the relaxed school. Of course the uniform might not have anything to do with it. They are on opposite sides of our town so have a different, although similar intake.

That's cheap. 2 x ds's at local state catholic school. I do £100 at school uniform shop for a blazer, tie, pe polo top. Then M&S trousers and shirts, £60, Clark's shoes and stationery from WHSmith. £300 as at guess?

£140 just on the compulsory sports kit that can only be bought from the uniform shop with school colours, house colours, logos AND embroidered with pupil's name for additional fee (also mandatory). That's without the two pairs of sports shoes required.

Blazer £72. Tie, which is only for the first two years as the colours then change, £8 x2.
State grammar school.

I have at least done quite well finding value in the three pairs of shoes and sports bag (decent brands that should last well), 5 shirts and two pairs of trousers (M&S on sale). Around £120 for all those.

Having just spent in excess of £600 on uniform, cross country kit, games kit, lab coat, shoes, trainers and bag I'd say you're getting off lightly, just the new ipad to buy now and I'm done....

Why always the outrage. It’s an expected expense to be budgeted for. DD’s state school uniform in 2009 was £400 not including shoes and coat. The blazer was £110 and two blouses were £30. Then we did it all again in 2011 when we moved her to the independent sector. The tragedy was that she had reached her full height by 12 and had we not moved her may never quite have grown into the original blazer .

My son is going into year 8 and his uniform cost just under £300 with a 10% discount.

It’s not right that it costs so much - it should definitely be more affordable, but I know quite a few schools near me have gone down the everything with a logo route to make sure the kids are wearing appropriate uniform. Lots were not complying with the uniform rules - skinny trousers, very short skirts, hoodies etc so the schools have told everyone they must buy the skirts etc with logos on so that they’re wearing an appropriate looking uniform. It’s very expensive, but the skirts are a better length and no more super skinny trousers etc. It’s fulfilled the aim it set out to do.

For those with expensive uniforms have you challenged the school as to why they are doing this. I’m a school governor and we moved to a non logo, available in supermarkets uniform as it is more likely to be affordable to all. Many parents aren’t going to be able to afford 000’s for a school uniform for each child .

As everyone else has said, it's par for the course. And awful for families on lower incomes. DS has an expensive uniform that is only available from one tiny shop in town or second hand through the school shop (open on the third Thursday after the fourth harvest moon when the wind is blowing southwest). Just a pair of compulsory rugby socks is £27. There's compulsory logo'd rugby kit, general pe kit right down to socks, swim shorts and cap, then there's athletics kit with different socks again... The basic uniform isn't too bad £45-55 for a blazer, general white shirt, cheap tie and dark trousers. It's the PE stuff on to that's ridiculous when they could just say black shorts/joggers and white t shirt.

There are funds available through the school to help pay for it all and it does look as though a fair few people get help, looking through the annual report on financial aid given.

DS's school isn't as bad as some though, going by this thread. Thank christ he's not into team sports as they all have their own separate kit.

The secondary school that my DD goes to was a shocking amount for all new, over €600. However they have a very well organised and well attended second hand sale during the summer which helps a lot (well, it'll help next year, I missed this year's). But I was a bit pissed off at logos on shirts and polo shirts. I went to that same school (a very, very long time ago, it'll be my 40 year reunion soon) and really it was only the school jumper, tie and PE kit that had to be bought from the uniform shop then, everything else came from regular shops and tbh everyone looked the same then as they do now. Fortunately the blazer is optional so I didn't buy one for DD, but everything bar the socks has a logo and has to come from the uniform shop, including two different sports kits for different sports (with different socks ffs) plus full tracksuit.

Don't even get me started on this year's books and required stationery (€330).

Unfortunately the people least able to pay the extortionate prices are least likely to write to the governors to complain about the costs.

Some people who have no sympathy for those struggling to afford £300 who say 'well it's a cost you know is coming and you need to budget' or '£100 is cheap...you're lucky, in was £400' fail to appreciate the financial position of many families.

Primary schools generally have adjusted and made uniforms affordable by being generic meaning people can buy them in supermarkets cheaply. However, secondary schools seem to add more logoed items which are only available in one place to their uniform lists. Some parents like this, feeling it adds some kind of exclusivity to the school. But for many, even well-off parents, £300 for a blazer, logoed skirt, jumper, couple of shirts, quite lengthy games kit, plus school shoes and trainers, is a big shock especially for a first child when the primary stiff could be got for £10 (not including shoes) and £300 is a vast amount when your family budget is very tight.

Most people do t want to write to governors. They feel they make themselves look 'poor' and so the people who do object are the affluent middle class who have no fears of this....and becaus they are more likely to be able to afford it, their complaint is really in support of those who can't afford it themselves, rather for themselves, and so most do t bother. And as people move to becoming 2nd time parents, the middle classes just accept as the norm that school uniform is very expensive and when asked by first-timers about it say 'yes, that's the way it is. You're lucky yours is £150 as ours I'd £250 and there's a school down the road where it's £350 and it's all cheap compared to private schools' - and so it feels like parents further up the school are complicit in it too.

It's not acceptable. Schools need to be bombarded with people saying this and government too.

I understand schools want to maintain standards. I can see that giving flexibility to students leads to teenagers taking the piss. But why can't schools look at M and S or Tesco and identify the one acceptable skirt or trousers and make that the compulsory item - it will cost £8-15 instead of £27.

There's certainly money to be made by an online company who can come up with acceptable plain PE items and school blazers and skirts which aren't logoed and produced on a large scale to reduce costs, and which won't allow skirts to be worn ridiculously short because of their style. We have Trutex etc and they often have plain non-ranked stuff which is cheaper than the logoed items but more expensive than chain stores. Many schools don't use them, or are I directly using them via a school supplier who uses them and then adds their profit margin on too.

I think secondaries basically outsource it to uniform outfitters. Most don't want the aggro of supplying it so outsource that means outsourcing the pricing too. They lose control of the pricing and are subject to what the outfitters suggest as items and their prices. It does seem crazy.

Were the rugby socks really £27? That's a new level of ridiculous for any type of school!

When my DC were in primary school they had a really good system for dealing with uniform. The last week of the school year was own clothes and people brought in any outgrown uniform (except polo shirts) and left them on tables in the school hall. The tables were arranged according to age groups. Then you could just take what you needed. From the leftovers they kept a few spares for emergencies and I think the rest went to either charity shops or clothes recycling.

In Y7 I paid around £400 in the uniform shop, for three sets of uniform one PE kit and one school bag. All were specifically asked for from the secondary school. Any tiny infractions (the headteacher can spot one at 100 paces) and the student is given a detention. On top of that I had to buy a certain coloured sock/tights/hair accessories and stationary. I think we paid about £550 in all.

The skirts still, just about, fit going into Y9, as does the blazer and PE kit but I did buy two sizes too big! In Y9 the blouses and jumpers change so I paid about £70 for three of each. In Y10 the skirts will change so I expect to part with another £100.

If new items are needed I just replace as required. My DD is growing very tall but her dress size is staying constant (at the moment) so I have that in my favour.

I am very annoyed I have to pay this money. Another school in my area has an excellent reputation and good discipline but all they have to pay extra for is the jumpers...everything else is bought at M&S. (We couldn't get in this school)

I think the problem is that if the items are generic the boundaries push further and further away. Navy blue jersey switches to navy blue baggy fleece (and a hundred shades of navy) - long sleeved white blouse morphs into something very fitted and with a frill. It becomes impossible to police so the schòols become ever more draconian.

There was a primary close to us with no uniform and by year 4/5 it was a thing for the girls to have a gap hoody (When they were expensive) and certain trainers with lights were de rigueur. It's difficult to see how schools can win.

Also DC have to have clothes whether they have school uniform or not and even at £400 a pop (and most items last at least two or even three years) it isn't £400 every year.

Mine had uniform at primary with just a logo jersey (introduced because parents weren't complying) and the rest could be bought from M&S etc. It cost very little. At secondary (independent) dd's was prescribed for every item but ds's was only a blazer and sweater plus black trousers and white shirts. Yes the sports kit did get ridiculous but he was in all the teams so had to have: cricket, rugby, football kit. I dare anyone to manage with one pair of cricket whites when there are three training sessions a week plus a match.

But it all lasted well and there were plenty of hand me downs from other families and no shame attached to that. If they hadn't had uniform they would still have needed clothes and I am quite certain it wpuld have cost more and they wouldn't have been satisfied with supermarket jeans and t shirts due to peer pressure.

I did.
blazer £34
tie £6
rugby shirt £24
games shorts £9
games socks £8
PE vest £13
PE shorts £9
Total £103, then generic trousers and shirts.

It all fit for three years and DS is still wearing the rugby shirt, PE vest, games socks, and tie going into year 10. There is a school uniform pool too, which is very cheap. This year I've bought him games and PE shorts, and shirts from the uniform pool, then a new blazer and trousers.

When my DC were in primary school they had a really good system for dealing with uniform. The last week of the school year was own clothes and people brought in any outgrown uniform (except polo shirts) and left them on tables in the school hall. The tables were arranged according to age groups. Then you could just take what you needed. From the leftovers they kept a few spares for emergencies and I think the rest went to either charity shops or clothes recycling.

Yeah the younger ones school does this too. Useful for lower income families. We give them every year assuming theres not cuts or stains on them.

Another new rule appears to be, since the rebrand..anyone with long hair must have it tied up at all times? Seems an odd one to me that!

I am gobsmacked tbh to realise how much some other people are paying. Never really thought about it before as had a good income so didn't need to worry.