Cost of school uniform

[Pinkpoodle44]

So my child is starting high school in September:

Note this list does not include fitted shirts, trousers, socks, underwear, coats, school bags, school shoes, trainers, football boots, stationary, lunch box

The below total cost is for 1 mandatory school logo item that cannot be bought elsewhere.

1x jumper £24.99 (I'll probably buy 2-3 of these),
1x tanktop £22.99
1x school tie £8.99
1x Blazer £34.99
1x PE polo shirt £18.50
1x PE shorts £17.99
1x PE socks £11.99
1 x Rugby shirt £25.99
1x PE Hoodie £31.99

Total £198.38

£37.50
It's called an eco-blazer

The PE kits some schools demand are ridiculous if never worn outside school PE lessons

My DS starts Y7 in September and he has compulsory grey trousers with a teeny tiny school logo at the top that no one can see with the blazer on top. What's wrong with plain M&S which are less than half the price!!

This is a standard state school in a low income London Borough.

Our high school polled the children and now black trainers / black denims ( no rips) are on the list, white shirt and a school tie. DS costs a fortune regardless as he shoots up every month and needs new shoes every other month ( growing rather than ruining them ) My younger cousins are 6 4” with size 14 feet

It's the branded PE kit that really grates. Fair enough, a blazer (although they could sell pocket badge patches to see on a generic one), but they want branded shorts, polo,.jumper,.leggings and socks!!! And they're all polyester crap. The socks are £13 alone.

That's fantastic if the school know the entire manufacturing process and supply chain is also sustainable. A couple of schools I know tried to apply for a green award based on having one or two items of recycled uniform. They couldn't tell you anything about where the recycled waste come from, how it travelled and what happened to the manufacturing waste.

The other one our school does that I really like is that all the schools in the Trust (there's only two secondaries) have the same blazer and PE kit and it's just differentiated by the different school ties.

Means there's much more uniform around available second hand for people to buy. They've also kept the logo stable for a very very long time so second hand uniform remains viable for much longer (unlike another local school who seem to have corporate logo ADHD and change it every flipping second).

But whatever they wear you have to buy and it costs. Especially that if there is no uniform children seem to care a lot about brands 🙄.
Uniforms should be simply more subsidised by government and non branded, Tesco, Asda trousers, skirts and shirts should be allowed everywhere.

@JustWingItLifeEyelinerEverything you don't have to buy "brands" though. As a parent you say "no" - you can't do that if there is an ugly uniform you have to buy. You have to buy it.

This is all ok in theory @Needmorelego
In practice there is a problem of social exclusion by the kids if you don't meet expected standards of brands. A kid is described as cringe if he she doesn't wear what others do. Kids can be shortsighted and cruel. And I am talking here what is experienced by the kids of my friends from Poland. It is terrible but that is how it works among teens in any country.
The uniform regulates social inequalities but honestly it should be something more comfortable and subsided+ mostly off the Tesco/Asda etc uniform range.

And no, my son is raised in Uk, still in primary so the brand awareness wasn't an issue even. I just know how it works in the countries where there are no school uniforms.

@JustWingItLifeEyelinerEverything perhaps what we need to do (as a society) is install the values that it doesn't matter what brand/make of clothes somewhere wears and that people like different styles and it's ok to experiment with clothes right from Reception age upwards.

@Needmorelego

Your idea is noble but you are against job position of millions of people working in the fashion industry who position carefully their brands to make it appealing to people.

@JustWingItLifeEyelinerEverything you could say that about anything that costs money though.
If you haven't got the money you can't have it.
If you have the ability to say "no" you can't have it either.
That's life.

you could say that about anything that costs money though.
absolutely* *

If you haven't got the money you can't have it.
If you have the ability to say "no" you can't have it either
So many parents do and their kids are ostricised, suffer and resent " that stupid clothes you were buying to me that everybody laughed about" even when they are adults. That's life.

And that is precisely I am in favour of uniforms.

@JustWingItLifeEyelinerEverything unfortunately you still get that shit with uniforms.
Some kids only get ONE blazer for 5 years of secondary because that's all their parents can afford.
It will look ridiculous in Year 7 because it's far to big, and ridiculous in Year 11 because it barely fits. Hardly a way to make a person feel confident and comfortable.
We (society) need to teach children to not bully each other and to respect others.

unfortunately you still get that shit with uniforms.
I beg your pardon?

There is always an option of buying secons had uniforms that don't cost more than the non uniform clothes that kids wouls need to wear. If a parent can afford only one uniform for 6 years then surely he will afford only one non uniform jacket that cost around the same if it is brand new.

I am very sorry but I have a right to my opinion as anybody. I am in favour of the uniforms as I don't have remote idealised perspective on schools without uniforms. That could work in primary school but in secondary not at all.

@JustWingItLifeEyelinerEverything "that shit" as in bullying.

@JustWingItLifeEyelinerEverything my daughter's blazer was £50.
The hoodies she wears are around £8 on average from Primark.
At least a hoodie keeps her warm and (unless it's a total downpour) dry.
A blazer doesn't do that.

Ok, I understand now. Bullying has many reasons. At least there is less related to clothes.

That's crazy OP. My ds is at independent school and our branded items are:

1 sweater - £20
1 tie - £10
1 Blazer £100
1 pe polo shirt £15
pe shorts £15
pe socks £10
1 x rugby shirt £20
1 x PE hoody £20
pe running leggings £20
=£230

But ds is 5'10", year 11 and the blazer is heavy wool flannel that would probably withstand a nuclear strike.

In September I will sell most of it via the school 2nd hand page, and recoup £75

Will your dc wear multiple sweaters? Mine refuses to wear one at all unless there is snow on the ground.

Ha my kids' old school the blazers were £65 when they started and £85 at the end!
And everything, including games socks, were school branded.

Is that the cost for a non-elitist school @Pinkpoodle44 eg not grammar or fee paying?
I wouldn't bother buying lots of items on that list unless actually needed eg I bought my DC a jumper and they have never worn it because it is mandatory to wear the blazer but they say it is too hot in school for a jumper as well, so if cold in winter they wear a vest underneath their shirt and as for pe stuff just get one of the tops and shorts I get my DC to wear thermals underneath it in winter. I don't want to waste money on needless uniform when likelihood is they will grow out of it before the years end with very little wear.

The first new uniform shop is a hit on the purse!

My son will be going into year 8 soon and over the last year ive been buying in drips and drabs, everytime i have some spare cash ill pass the uniform shop and buy a polo or a jumper in the next size up.. same amount £ wise but feels less hurtful 😭 i also found the perfect black chinos (school is really relaxed) from Next and got 3 pairs in the next size up and the size after that. Slow and steady when buying if possible.. works better for me.

To put it into perspective, my brothers blazer was £35 in 1987. Clothes have got very cheap. Buy on jumper and no tank top. See if there's second hand kit for sale and check local charity shops/facebook. Finally buy larger than needed, and check to see if rugby shirt really is needed