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Uniform costs a barrier to admission ?
Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2016 1:04 pm
by quasimodo
Are schools deterring poorer children and their parents from applying to some of the best schools ? It seems this is happening notwithstanding any help which may be available.
I have seen the financial struggles of some parents at my youngest dd's selective school in Wolverhampton which is dominated by children from middle class backgrounds and where about 3% of children are on free school meals.It is particularly noticeable when some parents are unable as compared to being unwilling to making voluntary donations to the parents association or are anxious in reducing the costs of the purchase of school uniform.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... chool.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Re: Uniform costs a barrier to admission ?
Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2016 1:53 pm
by PettswoodFiona
DD's uniform isn't top end pricey, it is cheaper than some of the academies. Blazer was £32 for example. The shirts annoyingly are green stripe with a revere collar which is not so common and I would have liked ones with a higher proportion of cotton but just can't find them with any more than 35% which isn't ideal in my mind. What I do object to is that the PE kit has to be embroidered with the name on the outside rendering it an item not available in the second hand uniform sale. At DD's prep we used to buy one new skirt and one second hand for spares and can do that for the main uniform at the grammar but can't get any of the PE kit second hand.
I see the Daily Fail (error on purpose) refers to parents being hit twice when a school converts to an academy but all the ones I know who did this (notably the Harris chain) have given free blazers and ties and for things like trousers and skirts either tied in with the existing scheme or had a year of overlap.
I am a huge supporter of uniform over own clothes. I think the latter would create even more division in schools than the affordability of uniform.
Re: Uniform costs a barrier to admission ?
Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2016 3:26 pm
by ToadMum
DD's school has names embroidered on games kit and a couple of other items, but there items are still sold second hand via the PA. Parents with a steady hand unpick the embroidery and have their own DD's name put on. When I bought a second hand tracksuit, though, I used material cut from a pair of men's shorts of the same colour I found in a charity shop to have 'name tapes' embroidered by the more local of the two uniform suppliers, who have a computerised 'embroidery machine' (no doubt there is a more technical term
) and have her name already in their files. (They don't sell the tracksuits, so were willing to do this for a nominal fee - actually half price, as I donated a spare bit of the shorts material to use for another customer
).
Re: Uniform costs a barrier to admission ?
Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2016 8:55 am
by loobylou
Dd and ds's uniform costs have been much less than others of their friends at "normal" comprehensives. It doesn't seem generally that there is a greater cost attached to selective schools' uniform (round here anyway).
Re: Uniform costs a barrier to admission ?
Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2016 8:59 am
by Tinkers
loobylou wrote:Dd and ds's uniform costs have been much less than others of their friends at "normal" comprehensives. It doesn't seem generally that there is a greater cost attached to selective schools' uniform (round here anyway).
Similarly for us. DDs GS uniform is cheaper and simpler than many local comps. No Blazers for a start, no specific skirt or trousers. No striped shirts that you can only get from one supplier.
Re: Uniform costs a barrier to admission ?
Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2016 9:23 am
by ToadMum
Tinkers wrote:loobylou wrote:Dd and ds's uniform costs have been much less than others of their friends at "normal" comprehensives. It doesn't seem generally that there is a greater cost attached to selective schools' uniform (round here anyway).
Similarly for us. DDs GS uniform is cheaper and simpler than many local comps. No Blazers for a start, no specific skirt or trousers. No striped shirts that you can only get from one supplier.
A blazer is one thing that I am happy to pay for (even happier to have a 'previously loved' one hanging in the wardrobe for DS2 to grow into if necessary,though
). Especially with girls' uniforms otherwise having no sensible pockets for keys, season tickets, money, etc
Re: Uniform costs a barrier to admission ?
Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2016 9:28 am
by Tinkers
Lack of pockets in women's clothes is a bugbear of mine too. Especially since I'm no fan of handbags. DD seems not to mind. She could wear trousers for the pockets but chooses not to.
DD didn't want to go to a school where she would have to wear a tie, having had to wear one at primary.