Ridiculous uniform policy for secondary

[freakinthespreadsheets]

I live in a fairly poor working class area, former mining village. I don't even have secondary age kids but this has got me riled up.
The local secondary has been taken over by a MAT and introduced a new uniform. They say that the blazer, PE kit and jumper must be logo'd from the supplier (which i think is pretty standard everywhere) but also that every item MUST be Trutex branded. Shirts, trousers and the skirt (which you can't even find a dupe for if you wanted to as it's a silly tartan design). No supermarket brands allowed. The boys trousers must be sturdy or slim fit, girls can be slim fit only (so "fuck you" to girls with thick thighs then??)
They also insist the trousers must not be skin tight fitting and the skirt must be knee length, or detentions will be issued (but they're only allowing one design/fit, from one supplier, so if it doesn't fit a taller/chunkier teen then what are parents to do?).
Not to mention the fabrics are scratchy and kids with sensitive skin (I was one, and Mum had to order my uniforms online from a place that did skinkind fabrics) who might not get on with the plasticy Teflon fabrics.
I find myself fuming on behalf of these parents and teens - as a curvy, tall female with sensitive skin this would NOT do for me at all! Not even sure what my question is, I guess am I being unreasonable in my thinking that this is OTT and doesn't follow the new government guidance (which I know isn't fully compulsory but still)

Edit to add : in a poor working class area, to set a kid up to attend the local high school looks to be around £350 for uniform - the prices are awful, £35 for a skirt etc

Absolutely ridiculous. I would put in a formal complaint.

The fabrics from that brand are horrible, but it's probably to stop the girls wearing short skirts. I do think they need some boundaries there at that age. They don't seem to know how inappropriate they tend to look

Can’t see the issue. Why do you even care??

If the fabric is itchy wear a slip??

trousers can be ordered in lots of sizes so I’m struggling to see the issue with that either.

I cannot understand why people have such an issue with uniform policies in this country. It’s bizarre.

my issue with this would be - what does it cost? and are people who thought they had the uniform sorted for the next few years suddenly being saddled with extra bills?

I think it is illegal for a school to insist on a single supplier though

I was chatting with a neighbour who has kids that age and my kids will go to that school in future.
Why should kids have to swelter wearing base layers under their uniform in the summer just to avoid an itchy fabric?
It's also unaffordable, and the trousers DONT come in a range of fits to suit different body shapes, that's the issue. They don't even have belt loops so you can size up for the hips/thighs and wear a belt.

It's looking like £350 per kid including everything from the supplier and my neighbour has 11yo twins!
It was announced in time before the end of term etc and will apply from y7 only. You can buy the Trutex from lots of places but it's expensive everywhere and same issues of fit (only allowing one style), itchiness, cost apply

Wear a slip😂 It's not the 1950s

She’s literally explained the issues, quite clearly. If you’re struggling to understand them that sounds like a you issue.

A slip under an itchy skirt on a humid day sounds horrendous. Aside from the cost of all the branded items, and additional costs such as slips to solve a problem that should never have been introduced in the first place, uniform is meant to be conducive to learning – takes the fashion parade out of it and lets kids focus. How is anyone meant to focus in trousers that don’t fit or sweltering, itchy layers?

Are there any second hand options available OP? Can you look into grants to help with the cost?

There's statutory guidance in cost of uniform:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms

Could you size up on trousers & then adjust them / take them to a tailor? I know not ideal.

OP quite clearly says she doesn't have children at the school, she's annoyed at the principle.

Oh.

Thanks for thinking of me, but no this isn't for me but for my DNeighbour! And other families in the village.
Unfortunately not many second hand options about as it's the first year of the new policy. I think there might be a few petitions flying about, I'll definitely be signing them as it's not just the cost it's all the other issues. X

Have you ever tried to wear slim fit if you aren’t

Its like having a big bum but a tiny waist so the size that fits your bum has a huge gap around your waist

The problem with slim fit trousers is the size you need to get the legs to fit and not be tight fitting could be many sizes over what the you need to stop them falling off you

Sounds like a someone hasn’t taken account of where the school is.

Why can’t schools be sensible and look at designing a uniform that can be picked up in a supermarket and run a 2nd hand uniform shop once per week where the children can buy what they need

If they want to be as good as private schools then why does their uniform cost 3 times the price

The problem with a new uniform change is that it breaks the local second hand supply chain.

Mind you I'm pretty sure that one of my DC's schools changed the uniforms mostly because they were fed up with so many kids wearing threadbare seventh-hand sweatshirts from the very popular uniform sales run by the PTA.

Parents should challenge it using the statutory guidance www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms/cost-of-school-uniforms

It’s bizarre that you can’t see the issue. Where else in life do you wear deeply uncomfortable and incredibly expensive clothing? I work in corporate law and even in that stuffy environment no one wears jackets or ties anymore. I don’t fall out with uniforms but what is wrong with eg tracksuit trousers and a polo shirt?

@FeistyFrankie the issue....
1 - the cost.
Many families will struggle with this. Some may feel they cannot apply to this school - even though it's their local school - because they will struggle to afford the uniform.
This was often how it was pre 1944 when more many the only way to go to secondary school was by winning a scholarship - only to have to turn down the place because their family couldn't afford the uniform. Lets return education to how it was 80 years ago when children were denied it .....yay 🙄.
2 - the style/cut. Teens are growing and are all sorts of shapes and sizes. This is the age when they should be learning what clothes fit and suit them best. If self confidence and physical comfort is low they will struggle to learn.
3 - "wear a slip" - how's that work for trousers 😂 also what do you do if the shirt irritates, or the blazer means movement is restricted or a child has - god forbid - a bit of a tummy.
I also assume you've never met anyone with sensory issues.
I could go on.
I hate uniform policies like this with an absolute passion. They anger me.

Yeah uniform is ridiculous imo. Just get a logged polo shirt and say everyone has to wear black trousers or a black knee length skirt. That's it.
They say uniform is supposed to help kids look the same and not focus on what everyone is wearing..
But when they go overboard like this school it has the opposite effect.
It doesn't allow for the difference in body types between students.. it doesn't allow for some students being poor..
I went to a stupid grammar school with a stupid uniform policy and as I was poor I had to get second hand uniform.. and it was so glaringly obvious as it was a slightly different style to the uniform produced that year.. you couldn't just get dupes you had to get it from a supplier OR from the schools own second hand store. So it was patently obvious who couldn't afford the uniform.
It's also awful for any girls who are curvy.. because the uniform will fit very differently and they will look very different in it...
Just let everyone choose their own style of trousers or skirt that they are comfortable in and suits them.. thats what schools should do. Obviously have rules about length.. but beyond that leave these poor kids alone.
There's hardly any environment in adulthood where you'd be forced to wear uniform as strict and ridiculous as some of these school ones.
I think they are just a recipe for humiliation.

This is the uniform policy for the school my son attended. The kids always looked incredibly smart. The head is very aware of the cost implications to families. It can be done.

"To reduce the cost to families, we have limited our compulsory branded uniform to just 3 items – blazer, tie and PE polo shirt. All other items can be bought from any retailer, but must be of the approved style. If you are unsure about any item that you intend to purchase, please contact the school and we will be happy to advise you."

This would've been great - DNeighbour has twins (boy and girl) so it would have been great for her to only have to purchase a few items and then be able to reuse their same (similar to the school ones, but well fitting) grey trousers and skirts from primary they would only have been at 6 weeks earlier, or pick some up cheaply from the supermarket.
Instead she is stuck paying £25-£35 for skirts and trousers that don't fit well (and her kids aren't unusually shaped either!) and are uncomfortable. That or her kids get put in detention/isolation.

This should be the approach everywhere. They can still impose rules around skirt length for example whilst permitting generic supermarket skirts.

The trouser rule is just not feasible for anyone with larger than average legs. No one brand and style of trouser is going to fit every girl (I went through my teenage years resenting the fact that Levi 501s were just never going to happen).Parents really need to push back on this.

Our school went the opposite direction when it joined a MAT and the uniform/ PE kit was a lot more accessible and affordable. No more schlepping to a town well known for expensive parking for uniform and PE kit from one single (pretty much by appointment only) supplier. We had Trutex trousers, absolutely horrible and never got worn in the end.

If only. Poor DNeighbour having to do this for 2 in the same year - and with the fit as poor as it is already she will probably end up replacing it several times throughout their 5 years there.
I will be sending an email to the school on her behalf quoting the government guidance ( i know its not compulsory but shouldve been considered). she doesn't want to be "that parent" before they even start but I've no skin in the game atm and they won't remember me several years down the line.

Crikey my blazer was £140 and school scarf was £47 and that was 40 years ago at the local state school.