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

I think what’s interesting here is how little parents are prepared to spend. I said upthread, my dad spent 3 weeks wages on my uniform. Of course this was too much (average wage) but now we think spending anywhere near a weeks wage is outrageous. In fact a family meal at MacDonalds is what we want to pay. How little we value well made clothes that dc wear every day. They probably spend more time in these clothes than any other but we don’t see them as being worth being made from decent fabrics and of a higher quality to maintain the life of the clothes. We would rather have umpteen crocs and polyester rubbish. I feel proud to be old fashioned!

I spend money on good quality clothes (well mostly I buy second hand so don't actually spend a lot) because polyester is nasty but I would resent the hell out of having to spend good money on clothes that my children wouldn't want to wear. That's money that can be spent on other things, or better quality clothes and shoes.

Only buy knock-off crocs, they're just the same but cost a fiver.

When a week’s wages barely covers your food and essential bills spending that amount on school uniform is unreasonable.

@TizerorFizz she currently has about 5 pairs of real Crocs and 1 of a knock off brand. About 3 pairs of lightweight canvas shoes, couple of fake converse. Several pairs of trainers (including a smart black pair she recently wore to a funeral) plus a couple of pairs of black boots.
She hasn't worn "proper" shoes since she was about 12 (16 now).
The Crocs probably are the most expensive of shoes we have bought (school shoes usually came from Shoe Zone/Supermarkets) but they are worth it. She sometimes has achy legs and often struggles to walk long distances - Crocs get the least amount of "I'm tired" complaining.
We've always bought them when deals/sales are on so never paid more than £25 on a pair.
I think they are the ugliest things ever - but she is comfortable in them and that's my priority.

That was the same at my DS's school. Jeans, t-shirt and hoodie worn by pretty much everyone.

I always buy cotton and natural fabrics where possible. I was able to do that for Primary at very little cost. However, my DD's Secondary uniform is more prescriptive so not so much natural fabrics. However the cost is 4 times the price of Primary! I spent about 2 weeks wages on DD's uniform and equipment to start secondary. You can be as old fashioned as you like, but you still have to buy the uniform the school requires.

At my DS's non-uniform school. They all wore jeans, t-shirt and hoodie. But it wasn't a private school so most probably couldn't afford Mulberry anyway!

Home education is nothing to do with hot housing!

No wonder he found it expensive!

I spent about £455 setting up my DD for Secondary.

3x school uniform approx. £130
2x P.E kit approx. £110
Shoes £50
Trainers £50
Equipment £50
Black coat £40
Backpack £25

A week’s wage for who?
The MC family that can afford it (aka your average wage) or the family on the bread line that struggles to heat the room or put food on the table?

There is a reason why people feel paying so much for school uniform is an issue. That’s because for a lot of people, it will mean paying it with CC because there is no spare money.

It was a comparison with 55 years ago when parents just got on with it. We went without - in our case heating and no inside loo - no bathroom for us. Of course people struggled to buy uniform. However it’s worn for many hours every day. We didn’t have loads of other clothes either.

I am not expecting this now but not wanting to have decent fabrics (eg cotton shirts) seems an odd decision to me. A school won’t look that closely at shirts. We never ever had three sets of uniform, nor have my DC. One skirt. Two pullovers and three blouses.One blazer and a coat they wore all the time. - how many shoes do dc need? Lists of shoes seem to be far more than mine had. One pair of shoes for school. A bit washing in the week keeps uniform fresh. At primary, one sweatshirt. A new uniform shouldn’t be brands but it’s easy to be more frugal.

@TizerorFizz 55 years ago most places were still grammar/secondary modern schools as the comprehensive system was only just starting to emerge.
Grammar schools tended to have those expensive fancy uniforms you seem to like. The Secondary Moderns were more likely to be non uniform or casual "wear grey" type uniforms.
This meant there were children who would pass the 11+ but still wouldn't get to go because their parents simply couldn't afford the uniform and the extras that came with it.
For many families "getting on with it" meant "sorry but you can't go and that's that".

@Needmorelego Where have I said I liked them? I’ve just explained how to save money on the cost - as I have. I practiced what I preach. I bought less but better. Everything was washed and it wore well. Skirts got a bit shorter but so what? No one cared. Easy iron/no iron cotton shirts and a wool pullover are fine.

Everyone mostly went to a grammar 50 plus years ago because there were uniform grants. In the 40s and 50s less and before the tripartite system, fewer still. Grannies knitted cardigans and you made the summer dress - pattern was a challenge though. My aunt didn’t go because her dad wanted her to go to the same school as her sister. He thought he would be ridiculed at the factory. As DHs dad was. DH’s family put up with it. Aunt’s family “knew their station” in life.

Plenty of us are going without heating and food now and getting on with it! But there will be some that can't for various reasons. And it would have been the same back then. Those were the families already mentioned that couldn't afford uniform so their DC left school. Our DC can't leave school now of course!

And yes school does look closely at the blue and white checked revere collar blouse my DD has to wear. It has to come from the school supplier. I had to get 4 blouses as they come in a 2 pack. 2 jumpers. 2 skirts for summer and 2 trousers for winter. Couldn't get away with only one as would then need to put the washing machine on more!

They have to have school shoes plus trainers for school.

One sweatshirt at Primary? Did yours never spill anything down themselves?

Everyone mostly went to a grammar 50 plus years ago What? Hardly anyone went to a grammar school 50 years ago, which was the mid 70s when about 5% of pupils went to grammar schools. Even at the peak of grammar school attendance it was less than 40% of pupils

But you can't buy less but better when you have to buy what the school dictates!!

And they care about skirt length at my DD's school. It has to be on the knee.

The school your DC went to was obviously not very strict with uniform. It is very different now.

@TizerorFizz apologies - as you were defending them I thought you must like them 😂
The thing with the costs though. If I could really only afford one set of "decent" clothes I would rather it be something my child could wear 7 days a week - which technically you can do with school clothes - but what child wants to wear a formal pair of grey trousers and a white formal shirt on the weekends?
A good quality pair of trackies, hoody and t-shirt can be worn both to school and out of school and is comfortable and practical for both
If we are going for "better quality" uniforms - why can't it just be something like that?

DD's blazer is 100% recycled polyester at £45 a pop. It has about 6 do nots when it comes to cleaning/ironing. Threads are already coming out. Her skirt is 65 polyester, 35 viscose at £35 a pop. PE kit 100% polyester. Sooo great to run around in, in the heat.Still better and sturdier than her primary cardigans for example that shrunk even at 30 degrees and air dried so you just had to keep buying more and more.

Do I resent spending £250 on mostly plastic? Yes I do.

I had the opportunity to compare uniform at our local secondary and our private school.
Price of uniform at our private school was similar to buying with the state school. But quality was better, hugely better.
And our state school isn’t crazy re logo etc… lots could still be bought in normal high street shop/supermarkets.

I found the same with school trips. A week in France was cheaper at our private school than state school.

Why?? I suspect because no one is doing some proper investigation re suppliers in state school. No time etc… and it’s parents who pay the price.
Which is a real shame because schools who have 1000+ students have the power to negotiate prices - if you know how to do it.

I would resent paying lots of money for rubbish quality too. However you don’t need 4 shirts. You can manage with two at primary, Also DD didn’t mess up the sweatshirt. I’m maybe lucky but if need be, we sponged it off.

Yes - they say they want knee length but do they check? Around here skirts barely cover the bum. Cheeks showing isn’t unusual. Mine wore skirts in winter and summer at secondary. No trousers. The same at primary state schools. Less to buy and cheaper.

You can't see the issue in demanding clothing is only purchased from one place, at a price far far higher than other stores? Give your head a wobble.

@TizerorFizz I see you have asked me to post the policy, I won't post the whole thing as could identify the school even with the name scrubbed out. Here is the excerpt about skirts and trousers tho:

This obviously doesn't show the rest of the policy which dictates the branded PE kit, blazer, no colour coat except dark navy/grey/black (thats safe for walking home in the winter!!!) etc.

Yes - they say they want knee length but do they check?

😂😂😂😂
yes they do check.
Actually a good friend of m8 e had some issues with trousers too. The school wanted straight or slim fit trousers and her dd was deemed ‘wide’, too wide according to the school.
The trousers were straight (as our label) but her dd is skinny….
The school was xpecting my friend to replace all trousers fir skinny or super skinny fit.
Thats a school that isn’t even that much of a pain about uniform.
They still had a teacher checking all skirts, uniform etc… first thing in the am