My school had the whole blazer, tie kit and caboodle but the blazer was the only thing with the logo on and it could be bought separately and sewn on. Then they decided PE kit had to have (different) logos on, which my mum just refused to buy me so I permanently borrowed some out of lost property. Now I believe they have a school skirt with a logo on to stop girls from rolling their skirts up and it doesn't come cheap!
My sons new school has also become an academy this year. They are giving years 8 to 10 12 months before the new uniform becomes compulsory for them. Supplies of the old uniform are not being ordered so there is only what is in circulation and the second hand shop they have in school.
Aparently the pupils chose the uniform ! Its a blue blazer with school badge embriodered on it, a clip on tie, grey trousers which only M&S, sainsbury, local school shop and online shop sell the correct colour grey, however the white shirts, and black socks can be bought from anywhere.
All in all I bet the whole uniform has cost so far of £100, thats not including trainers, football boots, bag, pens, pencils, usm stick and all the other bits and bobs I have bought for him.
Local school shop is having an issue with their suppliers not giving them a delivery date for the school sportswear which I think is really bad service from a supplier of school wear (not the shop). If I was the shop I'd be on the phone everyday until I got a date.
Anyway now just waiting. Got to get son some other trousers as the ones from the local school shop are too big - so off to sainsbury's ans M&S at weekend to get some to last a few months!
My niece starts high school next week, and my sister has paid £73 just for the PE kit. They even have a special t-shirt for drama. I don't think these schools live in the real world. People are really struggling at the moment so it is a real worry being able to pay for uniforms for a lot of parents.
Julie
------------- Wish I could go camping more and not have to work for a living!!!
We had an embroidered badge on my blazer pocket when I was at school 50+ years ago, the blazer could only be bought from one expensive specialist shop. My mother bought the first one and then just took the pocket off and sewed it onto the next one. The blazer alone cost a weeks wages.
I was thinking just same, Xantippe.
We not only had to buy a hideously expensive blazer, but the school specified the width of the stripes round neck and cuffs of the pullover so you couldn't knit your own. I remember my mum complaining that the jumper and enamelled metal badge to go on the school hat cost a week's wages. And we had a summer uniform that couldn't even be bought - you had to buy the fabric and get a dressmaker to make the dresses!
We also had to have indoor and outdoor shoes (!) and the games kit included different skirts for tennis, netball and hockey, plus hockey stick and boots and tennis racquet. Needless to say, this was completely wasted on me as I was rubbish at games and by the 3rd form (year 9, I think), I had opted out in favour of skulking behind the pavilion smoking fags with the other bad girls.
Yes I am all for a strict uniform code, but there is a difference between this and a ruddy logo on everything.
It can be done by things like tie worn in the correct way, length of skirt, hair neat and tidy.
The primary school my kids went to had logos on the sweatshirt and the polo shirt. Lots of mums just went for a plain polo shirt due to the huge price difference - around £8 each for the logo ones or £5 for 3 plain ones.
We had an embroidered badge on my blazer pocket when I was at school 50+ years ago, the blazer could only be bought from one expensive specialist shop. My mother bought the first one and then just took the pocket off and sewed it onto the next one. The blazer alone cost a weeks wages.
I was thinking just same, Xantippe.
We not only had to buy a hideously expensive blazer, but the school specified the width of the stripes round neck and cuffs of the pullover so you couldn't knit your own. I remember my mum complaining that the jumper and enamelled metal badge to go on the school hat cost a week's wages. And we had a summer uniform that couldn't even be bought - you had to buy the fabric and get a dressmaker to make the dresses!
We also had to have indoor and outdoor shoes (!) and the games kit included different skirts for tennis, netball and hockey, plus hockey stick and boots and tennis racquet. Needless to say, this was completely wasted on me as I was rubbish at games and by the 3rd form (year 9, I think), I had opted out in favour of skulking behind the pavilion smoking fags with the other bad girls.
Our summer dresses could be bought and they were in your house colours, as was the hat band. My Mum could have sewn a dress for me if she could have got the material. We also had an enamelled hat badge. We had a straw summer hat but it wasn't compulsory so I never had one. We had aertex gym shirts and shorts, hockey boots, plimsolls and I had spikes as a runner. That was just an excuse not to do tennis as the running track was the other side of the building to the tennis courts. All the stuff was very expensive probably more so than today really as wages were so low. I remember being told I couldn't wear my duffle coat because it wasn't the school coat and had a hood with a tartan lining. I didn't have a choice as it was wear the coat or be cold. My parents couldn't afford another coat. I made sure the hood lining was hidden when I went past the Heads office on the way to school.
DS is just about to start in yr7 so all new uniform this year. Jumpers/pe t-shirt have to have the logo and they also have to have rugby top, shorts, socks in a specified colour. Then they have to have football boots and trainers and an additional pair of white socks! They can have summer t-shirts but these also have a logo on them and cost the earth. Luckily winter shirts and trousers can be bought in the supermarkets but I've still easily spent well over £200 on uniform, most of which will only last a year (if we are lucky).
All the logo/sports kit has to be bought from the school shop or on-line but you can only get the rugby kit in store so have to go into town anyway!
I fully understand why uniforms are required and agree with kids wearing them but the cost of them due to all these logos is becoming more than most families can bear the cost of.
Any one else have knicker inspections to ensure that they had their regulation navy blue knickers on over their regulation white ones? At prep school we did, along with the uniform that could only be bought ay one shop. Indoor and outdoor shoes, white gloves in summer and navy in winter. But saying that it was a private school.
When I wore the unifirm St Trinians would have been proud of me.
We didn't have knicker inspections but were meant to wear a navy pair on top of a white pair.
We had skirt measuring at the start of each autumn term. Each year group had to kneel in rows in the school hall and a games mistress called Miss Dale used to walk along each row with a yardstick. Anyone whose skirt was more than 2 inches off the ground when kneeling got sent home with a letter saying they had to have a longer skirt!
Lol, knicker inspections! My school didn't have a knicker colour, in fact as uniform wasn't compulsory hardly anyone wore it. But my Mum did insist, right down to the green knickers. And yes, daily she would inspect and make sure I hadn't been sneaky and put a white pair on.
------------- If you see a family struggling to put up the tent then it must be us!
Quote: Originally posted by Surfspud on 31/8/2012
Items with logos make the school money!
It depends what the agreement is with the supplier. My daughters school has a specific tie (from the school)
PE Tshirt, sweatshirt and blazer is from a specialist school shop BUT they have no connection with the school. When the school tried to become a prime source of these items the cost they could acquire them for was prohibitive.
They now do sew on badges, allowing parents to get a blazer from anywhere and have relaxed the rules on jogging bottoms to say you can get them anywhere as long as they do not have a logo (ie sprots brand) on them (trouble with that is, you try and find a pair of navy blue jogging pant without a logo!!)
------------- It'll work out in the end!!!!
I didn't do it !! Nobody saw me do it !! You can't prove anything !!
I used to be the school co ordinator for the uniform. I couldn't chose the dress code but was able to set prices etc. We had a supplier who had a base price and then the school made whatever was put on top of that. The school didn't make much money whilst I was in charge But in general they expected to add at least 25% on and talking to the suppliers some school will double the price.
------------- If you see a family struggling to put up the tent then it must be us!
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Topic: school uniforms
But in general they expected to add at least 25% on and talking to the suppliers some school will double the price.
