‘HELD TO RANSOM’ OVER SCHOOL UNIFORMS
GRANDAD SAYS ‘DISGRACEFUL’ HOW MUCH PEOPLE HAVE TO PAY OUT
A GRANDAD has hit out at expensive school uniforms after seeing a price list for his grandchildren’s schools.
David Bown, 71, has offered to support his daughter with the cost of her children’s school uniforms ahead of the next academic year at Countesthorpe Academy after seeing the cost of individual items.
David’s granddaughter already attends the school and has some items of uniform, but with his grandson starting in September, he will need to be fully kitted out.
While there are the standard blazers, jumpers and school tie, there are also other compulsory items which have to be branded with the school’s logo and can only be sourced from one provider.
This includes the PE kit, with the top, shorts, and socks all needing the school badge on it to be appropriate for use.
Other items, such as skirts, also need to have the brand on it instead of store-bought alternatives.
A “starter pack” for new-starters at the school, which provides them with a full PE kit, two shirts, a blazer, a tie, and a pair of trousers comes to £105 on the school’s uniform order page.
David, from Whetstone, said: “I think it is outrageously expensive. I think parents are being held to ransom.
“You have to pay the money otherwise your kids get sent home for not having the right uniform. There’s no negotiating room or alternative options to help families with a tighter budget.
“My granddaughter has been there for three years and, this year, they have decided to bring out a blazer instead of the jumper as the main thing to wear.
She won’t want to be left out and wants one of the new blazers. But the website says you still need to have a jumper in your bag at all times, so you can’t just buy one, you need to have both.
“The worst thing is that even the PE kit is branded and can only wear it if it has the school’s logo on it. Why? Why is that necessary?
“You can get cheaper clothing on the high street, especially sportswear. What’s so wrong with a cheap pair of shorts, a top and socks? Why do they need to have the badge?
“I think it’s disgraceful that parents have to pay out so much. I’m going to have to help my daughter with the cost because her income is just slightly more than the cutoff point for support.
“She is a single mum and works incredibly hard for her kids, and this is an unnecessary expense.
“They have to order it directly from the school’s one supplier and it costs a lot of money.
“My grandson starts there in September and a starter pack costs about £100, and that only gives you one of each item other than the shirts.
“Anyone with children knows you’ll need more than one blazer and one pair of trousers to get through one week.
“It just really needs addressed, and I’m sure a lot of parents feel this way about school uniforms. It’s not easy for many people.”