School uniforms

My daughter went to a school in Europe that only wore uniform for special occasions or trips outside of school.
So you had to buy a uniform just for high days and trips?

I bet their second-hand sale was a good one!

I remember when my colleague took her little daughter (3.5 years old) along to sign up for Nursery School. All went well until the Head Teacher showed them the bottle green sweatshirts with a gold logo whereupon the little one told her ' No thank you, I can't wear that, I always wear pink, that is my colour'. Teacher said, " But all the other boys and girls wear these, you will want to wear the same uniform". To which Little Miss replied "Precisely, I don't want to look like everybody else".

She did, in fact wear a pink sweatshirt, every day throughout her time at nursery. and started a fashion among the others to wear a colour of their choice. It transpired that the LA run Nursery School had no authority to insist on a particular uniform.

The country ranks way above the UK in its education system.

Perhaps.
I would like to see a chart of the correlation between those countries where pupils wear or do not wear school uniform and their world ranking in the education system.

I'm sure I could sit and work it all out if I could be bothered.

I talked this over with my DH and he said the Germans have had enough of wearing uniforms!
They wear them in the police and in hospitals, but at schools you are free to wear what shoes and jeans you like and occasionally girls have been told to cover up more in summer.
It has absolutely nothing to to with school achievements or how good the school is- In some primary schools they do have same colour tee shirts but not after 11 years old.

I hated school uniform at grammar school and think that at least after the age of 16 the school should have nothing to say about what you wear.

uniform for nursery is just

I wouldn't wear green either - sensible child!

My school wasn't unduly prescriptive about uniform. Most of us wore blazers on which we pinned house and prefects' badges. And if we were in the first XI or XV, we sewed silver cord round them. Prefects had gold cord. Apart from that, we could wear any skirt or top we liked, though many of us stuck with school ties and white shirts. In those days we had 'best' clothes for weekends and very best for Sundays.

My 3yr old grandson attends the school nursery and has to wear the school uniform complete with logo on polo shirts and sweat shirts.

He loves his uniform he says 'it makes him feel like a big boy.

Unfortunately as others have said it is expensive and is purchased via the school (nursery) '

Our local schools have a uniform but it is just a black pullover or sweatshirt with badge and black trousers or skirts and white shirts. The 6th form and prefects wear a blazer and tie. I noticed on an online forum parents discussing which supermarkets had the right and cheapest (or 2nd hand) clothes. Asda came out top!

This is a former mining town so has never been well off.

Schools like to be able to identify their pupils while out and about or competing against or mingling with other schools.
I'm thinking of debating societies and so on.
I don't think uniform is important but clothes are expensive anyway especially shoes.
Our own DGS primary school has no uniform so we will know if he's disadvantaged in any way.

When I was a child I didn't have school uniform at primary school but did when I went to Grammar School.
Velour hats cost 34/- or felt ones were 17/- for example .
I never questioned how my parents were able to pay for it but I was glad we had a uniform because I did not have enough ordinary clothes to ring any changes .
Of course in those days there was no peer pressure but nowadays I can imagine girls in particular getting bullied if they always wear the same item or it is not deemed to be fashionable.
To me the sad thing is that often the school pullovers are made of acrylic and should be cheaper than wool but often are not and are nowhere near as warm.

I do think the uniform process of buying from the school is more expensive due to many of them becoming an academy they run it like a business therefore want to make a profit .It reminds me of my mother telling me one of her brothers was not able to attend the grammar school he was apparently clever but her parents were not able to afford the uniform so he didn't go glad times have changed

I think this idea that if children are free to choose, life will be a constant competition.

This so true in France, clothes and shoes/trainers. Boys in their favourite football kit and girls trying to outdo each other. Both sets in unsuitable clothing for school more like ready for the beach.

Nothing new though. When I went to Secondary school in 60s it was same situation. It cost a fortune to kit me out. Only Clarks shoes allowed & everything had to be bought from one very expensive shop. If I'd failed 11plus I could have gone to local school with all my friends & worn uniform from BHS. I would have been a lot happier if I had too!

At the primary school where I teach we have uniform with an embroidered badge which many parents buy but we are just as happy with parents buying from any other shop, in fact our embroidered stuff also comes from Tesco. All the children look great. I think lots of academies want to appear to be more high end. I have colleagues who have worked for academies before and profit seems to be a big priority for them. I also believe that Ofsted go into Free Schools and academies with a political bias. I wouldn’t work for an academy. The education of children should be provided by the state.

I don’t really understand why all schools can’t use Tesco or similar where the school uniforms are affordable. However, this is not a new problem, as has already been stated. When I started grammar school 60 years ago (heavens) my mother spent £100 in the uniform shop on gabersine raincoat, gym slip, leotard, science overall, brown knickers, games skirt etc. We made our cookery aprons in needlework. I have no idea how they managed to find that amount of money.

I doubt that children's shoes are more expensive than those for adults, and yes I know that they have to be a suitable style.
Male adult sizes in the UK start at size 6 or, more ususally, size 7.
You can get reasonably priced school shoes for £25.
I'm perfectly sure that parents (and often GPs) don't bat an eyelid at shelling out double or triple that price for the latest trainers and iphone plans.
Most supermarkets and indeed, many other stores such as M&S, offer primary school uniforms at very reasonable prices but naturally, prices rise for logo'd uniforms.
Some schools have funds to help those parents in straitened cirumstances. It may be worth asking.
I just think that if parents buy Jack Wills or Superdry duds for their children, then they shouldn't moan about the cost of uniforms which they must have been aware of before having children.

When I started at the local New technical school in 1955 my whole uniform had to be from Harrods, we all had to attend a fitting session at the school prior to starting, where a formidable lady took all our measurements and in due course a box with the famous Harrods colours and logo arrived with the uniform inside. My mother just could not afford the winter Macintosh, so bought that item from the local school shop. It was the wrong colour grey and my frightening headmistress never let me forget it, to the point where Iwould rather freeze than wear it. Those were the days!

I can't imagine any child of 3.5 saying, 'Precisely, I don't want to look like everybody else.'
I think it's out of order for a child to back-chat.

Mono I don’t see the point in buying a uniform to only wear when they go on soracial trips That’s sounds nonsense
I agree with uniform I think it is a leveller and also a preserver of the incredibly expensive clothes that kids wear now (which would get lost or stolen if worn at school ) however it should be basic uniform ie colour or style difference only and none of the ridiculous logo on every item We had strict uniform policy at my school but you could buy the logo as a cloth badge to sew on, the price now is blooming ridiculous and then if the academy changes hands as they do the uniform can’t even be passed down
Education has become a big business opportunity
My grandchild pe kit has their printed name on the back so you can t even pass to next child
Parents should get together and cause a stink it’s criminal

Just to say it’s worth looking in charity shops we sell all school uniform at 50p but blazers with logos £2.50

Like Beau I went to a London grammar school and how my parents manged to buy the uniform I cannot imagnie. The only supplier was Gamages of Holborn, and the uniform from year 3 was different again - a gym slip, summer panama and winter velour hat with an eye wateringly expensive blazer and raincoat changed to a gored skirt , different blouses and a red beret. My friend, whose mother had five children, two at the school, found a raincoat under half the price but identical to the Gamages product, but with a dark red silk lining instead of blue. This was spotted in the cloakroom and mum had to find the money for the 'correct' coat. It's depressing to read that nothing has changed much. My GD started junior school yesterday and needed, among many other things, a £50 track suit. I do wonder why.

I think uniform is a good thing, but not when it becomes ridiculously expensive. One of my grandaughter’s schools had a uniform that was really well priced. Only the blazer and tie had to be “the school one”, and we were surprised how cheap they were. There were requirements for white shirts and pe kit, but they could be from anywhere, which made it easier to get something that fitted, and much cheaper.

The older girl’s school uniform was ridiculous- emblems on everything, only available from one shop etc. It just isn’t necessary to be so prescriptive. As for shoes, I think the army is less fussy....

I think schools insisting that every item must have the school badge is quite disgraceful. Blazer and tie (if worn) is all that's required, surely. Other items should be affordable and able to be purchased from a supermarket. They do seem to do school clothing in a range of colours.

Socks with the school emblem? Barmy!

Although school uniform was always expensive , It didn't extend to younger children who could wear just the school colours , or to smaller items . A school badge could be purchased to sew on , and they didn't change them all the time . One school changed the shade of the embroidery on the shirts . When I was at school some parents would pay money weekly to the school uniform shop to purchase the uniform .

Craftycat you and me both! If I had failed my 11+ (and in the following years both my brothers did likewise - we all fluked it and went to grammar schools!) our family would have been better off definitely!

Gabriella I'm perfectly sure that parents (and often GPs) don't bat an eyelid at shelling out double or triple that price for the latest trainers and iphone plans. You may be correct and this happens in some areas but parents and grandparents in our area bat more than an eyelid I assure you!
I agree with you about the backchat though! I was horrified when I read that post and sincerely hope that child changes her attitude to authority PDQ!