School uniforms

Ironic.
Our threee all went to an independent girls’ day school.
There was a secondhand uniform shop in the basement below the chapel where everybody kitted their daughters our for a fraction of the “new” price.
The black lace up shoes specified on the uniform list were indistinguishable from DMs which we bought at a Doc Martens factory shop in Bedford for about £15 a pair.
There’s a logic in this somewhere.

My GD takes a size 7 in shoes at 12 years old, the choice of regulation shoes are limited. All uniform has to be purchased from school, including science and art overalls. Even PE socks have the school badge on and must be in the pupil's house colours.

Because in my DGD’s school the school make a fortune out of uniform sales Iam64

I know school uniform is something seen as sacred by many people in this country. It's become a given, that children who wear an expensive uniform behave better and achieve more academically than if they were allowed to arrive in a pair of jeans and a sweat shirt.
Travel through most other European countries and you see exactly that, children going to school in ordinary clothes. Yes yes, I can hear the outcry from some, who will suggest that a uniform ensures all children look alike. No they don't. The poor children will have one item of each uniform piece (if they're lucky), their parents are less likely to have the wherewithal to wash and dry uniform overnight so by the end of the week they look bedraggled whereas the better of children continue to look ok.
What's wrong with a pair of jeans/jogging bottoms, plain trainers and a T shirt, plus sweat shirt. Nothing is wrong with it and it's inexpensive and easy to replace when the little ** lose it.

I sympathise warermeadow my eldest DGD is in an academy secondary school and she can only buy the uniform from school . They gave a very strict uniform policy and everything has to have the school emblem down to the PE socks ! Ridiculous prices . We have all had to chip in and help again .

My GDs school had just changed its uniform, so there aren’t even any second hand ones available.
The prices of kids shoes are unbelievable for a 14 year old with size 6 and 1/2 feet.

I do agree watermeadow.My twin grandchildren started secondary school today and it cost £350 plus to kit them out. The PE kit was incredibly expensive and then there was all the stationery they needed. £25 for a locker key as well !