Uniforms

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SteveDH
Posts: 464
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:30 pm
Location: Harrow

Uniforms

Post by SteveDH »

When I went to school , and it was a grammar school as apposed to the school next door which didn't have a uniform, the only bits we needed to go to a special shop for was the school badge (which was sewn onto an apropriatly coloured blazer of our choice), a tie and a football/rugby top.

Now maybe that was because it was a boys school, but looking at some of these threads it seems that at some schools almost the entire uniform has to be bought from a specific shop giving them a monopoly and the chance to charge almost what they want.

Why do schools do this, surly they could come up with uniforms which are a bit more friendly to our bank ballance, especially at the rate our kids are growing..
juliette
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2007 11:40 pm

uniform

Post by juliette »

This is new to me. At my sons school,he will be going to Bablake,in Coventry. They have fitting days during the summer holidays. I was unaware that there wasn't a choice. So we will have to buy their uniform,instead of the bog standard grey trousers? I haven't thought of asking the school. I assumed the fitting was for the blazer!
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Post by Sally-Anne »

I would be surprised if things like plain shirts and trousers are included in that edict Juliette. Trousers and kids differ, and it isn't a case of "one brand fits all", and who is going to know where you bought a standard school shirt.

It is most likely to cover blazer, tie & PE kit.

Sally-Anne
SteveDH
Posts: 464
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:30 pm
Location: Harrow

Post by SteveDH »

Yep depends on the school... but Skirts are included in the school my daughter will be going to... I always thought one skirt was much like another, however trousers arn't so at least we have a choice there. You do need to get the 'school knitware' (jumper) though.
I do know of at least one school though where every item of school uniform including blouse and coat are included and of people getting nasty notes of they should dare to try and get the cloths from somewhere else, however its probably noticable as trying to get their particular shade of green elsewhere is almost impossible. And to make things more interesting, the school uniform changes as you go through the school.
I was just wondering why school have to have specific blazers though..
hermanmunster
Posts: 12817
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Post by hermanmunster »

I think what you have to watch for at a "fitting day" is the pressure to buy everything there. You have to be fairly firm and say you already have grey trousers / white shirts etc / black rugby shorts etc otherwise they will just get "measured" and added to the ever increasing pile....

Judging from the costs eg white PE shorts (2 pairs for about 3 quid in ASDA and about £8 a pair at the uniform shop) this is where the fitters are making money..
Guest

Post by Guest »

My daughter is down to go to Beaconsfield High School. This is the equipment list (and checking with my niece who is already there, yes, she needs virtually all of it):
Blazer £35 - £42
Blouse (3 recommended, at £18 to £20 each)
Jumper (£22 - £34)
Apron (Food) £5.50
Apron (art) £4.50
Skirt £16.50 - £19 (and the quality is rubbish)
Science overall £18
Drama T-shirt £7.50
Games Skirt £11 - £12
Shorts £12
PE bag £7
Sweatshirt £15- £17.50
Jazz pants £15-£16.50
Polo shirt £13-£15.50
Hockey socks £5.00
Shin pads £8
Joggers £25
Dance t-shirt £7
2 pairs of trainers
Oh, and they have to have opaque grey tights, which are really difficult to get - £6

That's a minimum of £280 excluding the trainers.

In addition they need:
rough book, 6 coloured pencils, plastic (?) eraser, pens, pencils and sharpener, highlighter pens, pocket dictionary, dry wipe markers and cloth, glue stick, round-ended (!) scissors, rucksack, Longman atlas, A3 transfile, B 2B, 4B, 6B & 8B pencils, watercolour brushes, set of watercolours, ruler, protractor, compasses, scientific calculator, headphones , diskette or smartmedia card, bilingual dictionaries, A4 plastic wallet, headset with microphone, hardback A4 book, black jogging bottoms, and a partridge in a pear tree.

Ok, I made up the last one.

Oh, and then they want £300 a year from you....
Guest

Expensive uniforms

Post by Guest »

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is down to go to Beaconsfield High School. This is the equipment list (and checking with my niece who is already there, yes, she needs virtually all of it):
If this is a state school (and I guess it is from your mention of £300 rather than £10,000!) then they are going to be in a lot of trouble once someone challenges them with the new School Admissions Code. I understand this will have the force of legislation behind it in areas like this where poor children might be deterred from going to a school because of the cost of the uniform.

One small tip - I have bought opaque grey tights very cheaply from Primark, and if you manage to find them you could buy them in bulk. And maybe sell them at a huge mark-up to other parents - I'm sure the school would approve of such entrepreneurial initiative.
Guest

Post by Guest »

I shall be heading, post haste, to Primark... (PS, where's the nearest one to Beaconsfield?)
Guest

Post by Guest »

There's a big one in The Observatory Shopping Centre in Slough if this helps
patricia
Posts: 2803
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2006 5:07 pm

Post by patricia »

Dear All

You may be interested in the following....

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations/co ... ionId=1468

Patricia
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