Secondary School Uniform Costs

[BlueShoes]

Hello there, not been on for a while-all well here, can't believe we are half way through our third year!

We have had the most fantastic news today-our eldest daughter has got into the local grammar school having sailed through her 11+!

However, I have just printed off the uniform list and we are looking at about £450 to kit her out-(that is four and half month's clothing allowance for the 5 of us all together!)

How have other people managed this?

Next September our second daughter will start, so we will be faced with the same issue (and she is a totally different size/shape/height, so hand-me-downs won't work!)

Our third daughter will start once the IVA is finished, so won't be quite such a challenge!

Thanks

Blue

[kallis3]

Hi Blue, nice to see you.

Well done for getting as far as you have and wonderful news on your daughter getting into grammar school - didn't realise they still did that! I failed mine![:D]

You can try and save something towards it from your allowances, but you can also request a payment break.

You can then either add extra to your monthly payments until it's paid off, or tag it on to the end.

Have a word with your IP.

[MelanieGiles]

Time flies - it is incredible to see that you are halfway through your IVA. Does the school insist that you buy things from certain suppliers, or do you just have to stick to certain colours and styles?

I am not a fan of schools who insist on their own suppliers, as this can prejudice low earning families - and £450 is a large amount for uniform regrdless of parents incomes. Asda, Tesco and M&S do very reasonable school ranges in a number of common colours, and you have until September to purchase a few items bit by bit.

Try and look at all possibilities, including perhaps a mortgage holiday, before resorting to missed payments in the IVA.

[Adam Davies]

Hi
I think it is wrong that schools insist that you purchase uniform from one supplier at such a high cost. I think Tesco are launching a range of school uniforms that will have the various school logos at a very reasonable cost
Regards

[BlueShoes]

I know Melanie-nearly half way through, it is certainly flying, and the best thing we did to sort out the mess we were in (both financially and from a "mind set" point of view)
Re uniform:
I think a couple of things have to have be from their own supplier (blazer(£70) jumper(£42), most of the PE kit(£150ish)-but other things can be bought from supermarkets-

I shall obviously buy from Tesco/Asda wherever possible, but know that it will still be pretty expensive. For instance, her current school coat is an eBay pink spotty duffel coat-and they are definitely not allowed! So a new school coat is needed, and they have strict rules, so will be interesting!

Thanks as always for your support

Blue

[relieved33]

Congrats to your daughter! My son attends our local grammer school and has to adhere to their very strict uniform policy. He had already started before we began our IVA and he had everything on the uniform list (purchased through the overdraft / cards) and some things he has NEVER worn so check with parents already their what they actually do need. Our school has a summer fayre in June and has a very good recycled uniform section - it's very eco friendly! We buy shirts, socks etc from the supermarket and his winter coat was from there. At least you know early enough to start to save for September for the items that you must purchase from the school's own stockists.

I find that the uniform is the least of our problems to be honest, it's the expectation that you will pay for EVERYTHING. £25 for the bus to the games field, £25 for the ingredients for this term's cookery project, £20 for this day out and £200 for such and such a trip. I know that we do have an allowance for school expenses but it's never enough!!!

[BlueShoes]

I do worry about all the other costs-as our school costs allowance doesn't cover what we actually pay out (due to our children being tall, and rapidly growing, their shoes usually only last a term, so we are spending a fortune on them) Similarly, our middle daughter is on the football team, and she has had five pairs of football boots since last Christmas-if I buy cheap ones they last a couple of games, so I try and spend about £20-but not always possible.

My children have to wear the school's own jumpers, cardigans, polo shirts etc (and this is the primary school) They do cost much more than getting plain ones from Asda-for instance, the polo shirts are £10.50 each and the jumpers £13. Again, I am lucky if things last a term due to them growing, or the clothes not lasting.

I constantly struggle with clothing and shoes for all of us-hubby and I have to be smart for work, and I take a 10 shoe and am 6' tall, so am limited as to what I can buy-not easy to get cheap supermarket clothes. Hubby needed a new suit a couple of months ago, and I needed new boots for work-we spent two months clothes allowance on getting sorted-and believe me, nothing extravagant (he is 6'6" and can't get things to fit off the peg either)

We have just had a variation to reduce our IVA payment, but that was due to a huge hike in childcare costs-so the clothing/footwear issue remains challenging!

Hey ho, nearly half way through, so we will keep going. We are determined that we will get through this!

Blue

[relieved33]

I know what you mean about the height thing - my son is already 6'3" so we have to buy trousers from specialist uniform shops as they are not just 'black trousers' they are specific charcoal grey ones. He takes a size 12 shoe and has very narrow feet so we cannot just go out and get shoes cheaply either. He used to have 6 pairs of trousers for school pre IVA so I could iron only at weekends and keep a pair for spares. He now has two pairs that get washed more!!

Newitts sports online sometimes have good offers on football boots, we've had them from there before and they've been great.

Good luck with the rest of your IVA and in getting your uniform sorted.

[Shining]

Congratulations Blue Shoes to your daughter, my daughter passed her 11 plus and is now in her final year of school, we have the same problem with the uniform one supplier, we've managed for the past two years I've been in an IVA but it's the first outlay that's the worst!

A very strict uniform policy and behaviour policy is in place at her school to the point of if we're in a shop up town after school you should see her make sure her tie is straight if she sees a teacher!

She finished in May/June after her GCSE's and will go to 6th form but the uniform for that is a business suit, either a skirt suit or a trouser suit, you have more choice but they have to look very smart and the skirt length is dictated etc.,

Hope she enjoys her school and takes advantage of the education on offer, my daughter has taken full advantage, already got 4 GCSE's under her belt, first being achieved at 14!

[kallis3]

She did well there Lesley - hope she gets more good results this year, but I'm sure she will.

When I was in 6th form we could wear anything we liked (other than jeans) but I think it is good that they get used to wearing smart clothes.

At least you can get reasonably priced suits from Tesco and Asda.

[Shining]

Primark is another good clothes for her 6th form clothes and I could leave her in there for a weekend Jan when we go to Manchester! Bless her she does love shopping...wish I shared her passion but sadly I don't x

[kallis3]

I forgot about Primark.

I have to say that I do love shopping!

[Cath]

We are lucky. The secondary school my eldest goes to have a strict uniform policy but provided the clothing is in line with the policy you can buy it wherever you choose, including the blazer.

The only thing you do have to buy from them is the rugby shirt and shorts which comes to about £20, the tie is £2.

[Julie]

Hope you get the uniform sorted blueshoes.... and Lesley I think thats a fab idea to have them wearing business type suits.

I remember the comprehensive I went to was extremely strict, skirts had to be a certain length, shoes a certain heel and us girls even had to wear burgundy knickers, which we were checked on. Couldn't see them getting away with that now [:D]

[Shining]

Well we're back and we got the outfit from Primark in Corby and it was £14.00! she's already got the blouse and shoes, nice bargain, I got a jumper for a fiver in the bargain so less than £20 later we're off home and happy! What I call a good shop!