School Uniform

[Sazie1]

Supermarket school uniform is generally cheap in my experience, you can get a 5 pack of polo shirts for around £6 for example. My kids primary aren’t bothered about logos so we can get pretty much everything from asda/Sainsbury’s. A single polo shirt with the school logo on would cost around £10.

It’s the logo stuff that costs more and if your school requires it then that’s where it starts to get expensive as you can’t get those from the supermarket. It’s usually secondary schools that are guilty of this but it’s not unheard of at primary level too.

Thank you for answering this! so it also depends on which school your kids are going.
I feel bad for the children that are going to a school that want them to have the uniform with a logo and where the parents can’t afford it. School shouldn’t be a thing that costs a lot of money.

 

[Thelife&times]

my daughter started high school in Sept 2020 her uniform cost us £250, blazer alone was £48 (she lost it after 2 weeks so has to replace)
tie £6
school jumper £13 then there was the cost of the P.E. Kit,tracksuit, 3 different p.e. tshirts.
When she was in primary school,I used to get her uniform from either Aldi or Lidl for under £20

100% this.
A couple of high schools in my area have an amazing school uniform shop that help parents struggling financially.
I will only ever have to clothe one at a time at high school, but can’t imagine the cost if you have 2/3+ at high school at the same time!

 

[Sazie1]

I’ve not got kids but if my school was anything to go by, the kids were very judgmental when it was an own clothes day/school trip. It exceeded class and financial boundaries too- the word was ‘uncool’. The posh kids dressed sensibly but with dear labels like Berghaus for geography field trips and the working class cool kids didn’t care about brands but had to dress like a 21 year old in heels, short skirts etc. I got laughed at for wearing c&a and one day I took my PE kit in in a Miss Selfridge carrier bag and they said ‘I bet she robbed the bag from the bins at the back of the shop’. God I hated my schooldays.

I hate things like this. its so mean.
I’m from The Netherlands so we don’t have uniforms. Luckily I never experienced it that people where mean about brands and clothes. I was bullied because of other things. The bullying about clothes and brands never was a huge thing at my school.

 

[Hodgies]

I'm a big fan of a uniform for school but not a fan of branded, expensive uniforms.

My children at primary have the choice of shirt and tie or polo shirt and plain jumper. Branded polo shirts are available but not essential, same with blazers. I personally like a shirt and tie but they tend to only wear them for photographs or of representing the school at something where they need to be smart. Sports clothes are whatever they want but if representing the school, they are provided with a school kit. Shoes they would prefer black/no trainers etc but they don't insist on it.

Secondary is more strict I have to say but even then it's fairly affordable. They insist on shirt and tie (but school provides the tie when they join) and everything else is plain white shirt, black trousers/skirt etc. They do want them in blazers but have gone for lightweight ones and had a reduction in cost for the first one and it was under £40 from memory. Unless mine has a massive growth spurt (which could happen!) then he's likely to get 2 or 3 years out of it then it'll pass onto his brother. They also want proper black shoes not trainers but aren't militant about it. They're trying to get a branded PE shirt but it's not been fully rolled out yet, that has to be paid for I think. They get good take up for the full uniform and have a wide spectrum of pupils from all backgrounds so it must work for them.

 

[bubbadabut]

I am in favour of school uniforms as long as the rules on where they are bought from aren't too strict. Our school allows uniform with the official logo as well as plain ones bought from supermarkets. It's only a primary though, I imagine the local secondaries are different and insist on all the official blazers, etc. I have 4 kids so not looking forward to that expense after kitting my kids out at Aldi/Asda all these years.

 

[Flower45]

As a mother of a style conscious daughter I like uniforms. On a non uniform day the pressure is huge to look cool I would hate if that was every day! On the price front yes the crested jumpers are expensive but they last a LOT longer than crap from Tesco. The skirts last years.

 

[Definitelyme]

I think uniform is a good idea. Lots and lots of jobs require a uniform of some sort, even just a basic dress code, so it is something that follows through life, not just in schools.

My kids school sells branded everything, but I only buy the jumpers, and everything else is just from Tesco/Asda which makes it very affordable. If I had to kit them out in enough clothes to do every single day at school it would be much more expensive.

I do worry about their teenage years and school uniform, as I know that’s where it can get very pricey, and we will have 4 to kit out.

 

[mg89]

My secondary school didn't have uniform and I remember it was fine, individuality was encouraged. My Mum couldn't afford labels or anything so I rocked up with very plain/normal stuff and was never teased.

My younger brother goes to a primary school where everything has to have the logo - they can't wear their own winter coats, has to be the school's one that costs £40. This year they sent out a text saying gloves had to be a certain colour, as well as girls hairbands. I think it's madness. I'm a primary school teacher and support uniform but not to the extremes that some schools go to.

 

[Powpow46]

I'm another pro school uniform. But the branded uniform prices are shocking. £10 for a polo top with the school name on versus 5 tops without for the same price. Erm hello.
They're children, either stuck in a heated room sweating together, or playing outside in all weathers, rolling around by choice or being pushed around in dirt, grass and mud.
Fuck paying stupid prices for branded clothing.
Parents need affordable clothing. My girls had at least 3 pairs of trousers each and 5 blouses, working full time I honestly did not have the time to wash and dry 2 uniforms every day. On top of school, there's all the after school clubs and groups, brownies, swimming lessons etc. No time, to be washing and drying all night.

Primary and middle school were ok. High school was ok for me. But I did feel sorry for friends who had boys, that at 12 years old were 6ft 5, wearing size 12 shoes. Needing kitted out in blazers and trousers etc. Nightmare!

I remember our local high school tried to relax the uniform one year. Hoodies replaced blazers and ties. The kids looked like tramps. Blazers and ties were brought back, by request of the kids!

 

[Sazie1]

What are the prices of school uniforms btw? I always hear that it can be really expensive?

 

[Medusah80]

What are the prices of school uniforms btw? I always hear that it can be really expensive?

my daughter started high school in Sept 2020 her uniform cost us £250, blazer alone was £48 (she lost it after 2 weeks so has to replace)
tie £6
school jumper £13 then there was the cost of the P.E. Kit,tracksuit, 3 different p.e. tshirts.
When she was in primary school,I used to get her uniform from either Aldi or Lidl for under £20

 

[Ceelea]

I'm a fan of uniform policy.

It unites students and is cheaper in the long run.

 

[AllSeeingEye123]

Now this is something I can support.....

https://www.archive.is/oldest/https...traditional-uniform-repressive-abolished.html

When I was at school we could wear what we wanted at primary school and then at middle and high schools just buy the school tie to wear with the usual like black trousers and white shirt. This day and age is crazy with schools all selling overpriced branded clothing to fleece parents who have no choice but to buy it. All the kids look like clones of each other all dressed the same like they are in prison or something. I don't think it should be free for all to look a scruff turning up to school in clothes with holes in or marks on them. However letting all kids dress to show their own identity (smartly) and parents not having to worry about branded overpriced clothes they soon grow out of is a very good thing. All through the 11 years of school pupils should be able to dress how they are comfortable.