UNIFORM - Are your governors complying with guidelines?

[roisin]

School governors are supposed to be ensuring uniform is not too expensive, not limited to sole suppliers, and not all items 'single brand/embroidered' unless essential.

I've just bought ds1's new uniform for (state) secondary. Everything is branded/embroidered, including shirts and trousers, and they are all far more expensive than M&S, let alone Tescos!
2 sweatshirts
3 shirts
1 tie
2 pr trousers
1 uniform lightweight coat
1 pr perf arts shorts
1 perf arts T-shirt
1 games polo
1 pr PE shorts
1 reversible rugby shirt
1 pr football socks
1 pr indoor socks

Total cost £162.20

Still have to buy shoes, football boots, trainers, shin pads, gum shield, and black socks.

We were expecting it and have budgetted for it, but it's a lot of money if people are short of cash isn't it?!

Hopefully he won't grow too fast and most of it will last well and pass on to ds2 too, especially the PE/sports stuff.

Next year I'm sure we'll be buying M&S trousers and shirts!

Our primary is great.

Basic grey or black trousers/skirts
White shirts/polo shirts
PE kit - any plain coloured shorts and T-shirt.

The only embroidered item which is limited to a sole supplier is the sweatshirt (burgundy or black, depending on age) but even then you can opt to buy a plain one.

Just kitted out both DSs for the new term for less than £20 (courtesy of Tesco cashier accepting more than 1 money off voucher ).

Senior school DS1 will be going to next year is more specific on PE kit but other than that, no problem.

What on earth are "performing arts socks" talk about money for old rope!

Performing arts uniform is T-shirt/shorts & bare legs/feet

They do dance once a week and drama once a week, so I guess it makes sense to have sensible kit to do it in, that's separate from PE kit.

DS2 moving up this time.

Blazer with badge
shirt
tie
black/charcoal trousers
black jumper (optional)
black shoes
plain coat/anorak

reversible rugby shirt (need to clarify need for badge or not)
white t/polo shirt
black shorts
black trackies for winter use
white socks
black socks
trainers

School logo'd PE jacket available, not essential.

trunks
cap

Cookery apron
Workshop apron

Not too bad, all things considered. My only gripe was that they'd changed the PE kit after when DS1 was in year 8 (from red to black).

This year they've changed the rugby top from black to reversible, but only for new pupils (and when older kit needs replacing).

Don't talk to me about Logo's -everything DD has appears to have a naffing logo on! Polo shirts at £9.99 a go -she'd better not lose one! PE socks - £6.99 Sweatshirt £10.99 PE sweatshirt £10.99 PE polo shirt £9.99 PE shorts £7.99. Apparently to buy everything it will only cost £50 not including shoes! I think not!

The boys' grammar is excellent for this. Everything, except rugby shirt and socks (for obvious reasons), can be purchased anywhere. Black trousers, black blazer (any make - buy badge from school and sew on), white shirt. Tie and badge cost about £9 all in. Rugby shirt is £15, socks £4. Rugby shorts are black, PE shorts white, with pale blue t-shirt. Could buy any of that anywhere really.

It amazes me that the local state high school's uniform is so much more expensive. Their blazer, a very distinctive royal blue with embroidered logo, starts at £69. I manage to get the boys' blazers for £17 each in BHS.

I wonder if buying the more expensive logo kit will encourage people to name it? When I look at the mountain of un-named lost property in our school, it staggers me that some people clearly must have money to burn.

My SIL has just spent £300 on her son's new secondary school uniform!!!!!!

I know! At one point ds1 was going to go to Independent school, and apart from the jacket and jumper, everything could be bought from M&S!

One justification - I believe, is having 'uniform' skirt styles. If they have to have logos on, then they can specify one or two styles only. But it's hard for them to do this if they don't specify trousers with logos on too.

I've just spent nearly £250 in the school uniform shop - and that was for just one of things like skirts and jumpers... and didn't include shoes, shirts, socks, schoolbag, kitbag and a few other things.

The blazer cost £80! That's more than I would spend on myself!

It is a VA school (if that's still the right term) so maybe they don't have to follow the same rules. I do sometimes wonder if it is a form of selection....

For DD's new school you need the jumpers with logo on (the school gets 10% apparently), ruby shirt and tie. The rest are things that can be got anywhere, but it is still adding up. Three jumpers, a rugby top and a tie was £73 oh and I've just remembered I meant to get aprons when I was in there and haven't.

Lost track I have spent in total so far. I've got DS starting first school as well so I seem to be constantly spending money on uniform at the moment. His sweatshirts are about half the price of hers though so I didn't mind that but I thought £18 for an acrylic/polyester black jumper with a logo was pushing it a bit.

I have heard rumours that the upper school blazers are about £60 or £70 which sounded pretty horrendous to me.

£162 is not bad

My DD's uniform was around the £450 mark, but I got a teacher discount to bring it to just under £400. It does not include shoes.

Our uniform is:

blazer
jumper
blouse (I bought 3)
skirt
socks (I bought 5 short and 5 long)
outdoor coat

polo shirt
games skirt
track suit
sweatshirt
white socks
football socks
cycling shorts
shorts

science overall
art overall
apron

backpack
kitbag

Ouch!

What's a VA school?

DDs (state secondary) will be around £200 min. ALL of it has a logo, blazers are £40 and polo tops are £10. Dread to think hoe much it will be when my twins start!! Better get saving !

When my sister started secondary school 20 years ago it cost a week of my dads wages £100.00
When my daughter started the same secondary school twenty years later it cost us £400.00

My dds secondary specify a particular shop for girl's skirts and trousers but not the boy's trouser which I think is wrong. Went to look at the trousers with dd. They were not very good quality and expensive. They were also a very poor fit on dd too. I don't mind paying a bit more for a good pair of trousers that fit well but not for something that looks like it would fall apart after a few washes. I got her a pair that look similar but better quality and cheaper from another shop and will argue with them about discrimination and quality if they notice they haven't got the little logo label on the waist.

At ds1 and dd1's grammar they have a set (ie badged or piped or obscure colour) everything it seems...

Skirt (box pleats for 7-9, A line 10-11 in tartan)
Blouse (in theory can be bought anywhere but how often can you find pea green rever collar blouses?)
Cardigan/jumper
socks/tights (in a funny colour)
wool blazer
cotton blazer (for summer)
coat
scarf

Tracksuit
T shirt
Polo
sweatshirt
netball skirt and knickers to wear underneath
swimming costume
leotard (though DD has never work hers as apparently all the girls refuse point blank to wear one)
tennis whites
socks X3
trainers
cycling shorts
football shorts
swimming hat
swimming goggles

Apron
Lab coat
goggles

Ds HAS SET
Tie
shirt
jumper
blazer
wool blazer
coat
scarf

rugby kit
football kit
cricket kit
athletics kit
swimming kit

apron
lab coat
goggles

then (and this I think is ridiculous) a 'dress uniform' for prize giving, concerts, photos of what is basically a plain green suit with a white shirt/blouse and badged tie.

We are lucky, we can afford it but both children have friends for whom it is a real struggle, and this is a state grammar!