thread: School Uniforms

  1. #1
    Moderator

    Oct 2004
    In my Zombie proof fortress.
    6,449

    School Uniforms

    Just wondering what uniform standards/rules are out there for others schools and if you are happy with them.

    DD1 goes to a country public, great little school, but not so great uniform. Honestly they all look a bit scruffy, even my own DD. The only advantage I can see is price, being able to pick up the summer school dress for $10-15 at Target is a huge bonus. The downside is having to go to different stores to find all the uniform parts, one year it as like every store had forgotten about our school So the bargain pricing is offset by travel and phone calls trying to find who has what, along with any additional logo addition costs.

    I dream of a proper uniform shop, or at least our school having an arrangement with a local store and an online one (many you cannot browse, you have to select a school first).

    There is no proper girls winter uniform other than trackies, so I have approached the principal to have a tunic added (he thinks it is a great idea) and I have had to approach a local store that does school uniforms to get them to contact the school about setting up a service.

    Other public schools in the area have a proper uniform list, but those who I know send their kids there, complain about the lists, as they are forced to pay a higher price for items, rather than hunt for bargains. So it seems like no matter what method, parents aren't happy

  2. #2
    BellyBelly Life Subscriber

    Feb 2006
    melbourne
    11,462

    I love DD's uniform, it's important to us that our kids have pride in apparence and therefore their uniform, so was extatic that they have a great uniform.
    It's exxy though....summer dresses are $45 each nd winter tunic $66 but I feel it's worth it and they all look nice and neat
    ETA its also semi strict too...only school colored hir ties/ribbons etc..

  3. #3

    Mar 2004
    Sparta
    12,662

    Our school has a shop and it sells most of the uniform at reasonable prices. The pants cost about the same as Lowes pants. They cost more than BigW pants but they are a lot tougher. They also sell second hand for a gold coin donation.

    They can't enforce the uniform and day to day lots of children show up in non-uniform clothes (including mine) but for school photos and excursions they all seem to get it together.

    They have just added red to the uniform. It used to be green and white but now it is red, green and white to match the Italian flag. Apparently I'm the only person who has reservations about out children looking like Christmas decorations.

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Feb 2006
    Mornington Peninsula, Vic
    1,624

    I like DD's uniform, especially the winter, navy check tunic, blue skivvy, navy tights - we have a uniform shop we can purchase all the items at. They seem pretty strict as all the kids are always in their uniform and look smart. As far as pricing goes, not too bad and I guess with DD wearing a uniform she will need less day-to-day clothes throughout the year as she will only need them for hols and weekends.

    Astrid - maybe this is something that needs taken up at the next school parent committee meeting to gauge other parents views.
    Last edited by Boo Boo; March 28th, 2012 at 08:17 PM. : forgot to add....

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Jul 2006
    Cloud nine :D
    6,309

    Our school has a mixture. It has a proper uniform sports and formal. Which is what my DD wears. They are not tooo expensive - but you could also go to Big w get the school coloured pants and the school coloured polo - they are not too strict on it. But I like the fact that DD has pride in her school and wears the uniform

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Jan 2006
    8,369

    Our school sells the uniform themselves, and I believe the local town uniform stockists do too. Not sure though - DH just bought the uniform on DS's first day of school.

    DS needs a school logo jumper, pe t-shirt and book bag. He can have a plain polo shirt or a school logo one. Grey trousers/shorts and pe shorts are plain (for girls, summer dresses are without logo and in supermarkets). Black socks (that's the hardest!) and shoes. His previous school was the same, just different colour shirts and shorts, so can't re-use the non-branded things.

    TBH, it isn't that hard. I wouldn't have a problem with a school blazer either, so long as it wasn't fifty quid a blazer while he was in primary. Jumpers can be expensive, especially as DS likes to eat his clothes. I don't really like him in polo shirts for school, I'd much rather him wear a shirt. I know, practicalities with buttons and all that, but looks so much nicer than the polo shirt. I send him in wearing a shirt on school photo days!

    eta - Onyx, while DS wouldn't be sent home for a school-coloured shirt, he would be sent home for uniform breaches. If he wears jewellery (even in school colours) it is taken from him and put in his bag. Uniform breach sanctions vary from school to school, but not every school will allow children turning up without a uniform.
    Last edited by Ca Plane Pour Moi; March 28th, 2012 at 08:23 PM.

  7. #7
    Registered User
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    Oct 2007
    Eastern Wheatbelt WA
    3,282

    We have two school uniforms here (the smaller school (a campus of the bigger school) only has a teacher for 3 days a week, the bigger school is 50kms away) the smaller school has polo shirts and jumpers in the school colour and with the emblem/logo on them. They can also get the pants, shorts, skirts etc, however as it's navy blue it's just as easy to buy Target (Big W, K-mart etc). DS had his other school uniform (two sets) provided because the school went from being 3 separate schools to one large school this year which meant a total uniform change. All the students who were enrolled last year to continue in to this year received a uniform pack free of charge. The uniform is a polo shirt and navy bottoms. They have jumpers and hats also available with the school emblem/logo on it and you can also get all the other pants, skirts, etc through them as well. Again as with the smaller school... being navy I just got ours from the local Target Country.

  8. #8
    Registered User

    Jan 2010
    1,975

    My kids school introduced a new uniform this year. The old one can no longer be worn. I have bought each of my big kids their summer uniform, PE uniform and their blazer. It cost me $1400. The blazer was around $200 and the summer dress about $80. I will need to buy the winter uniform next term (supply problems from the manufacturer so not available yet). The uniform is sold from a uniform shop at school which is open two mornings and one afternoon a week. The uniform is strictly enforced.

    I don't have an issue paying for uniform - I knew the cost when I enrolled my children. I do get annoyed when the quality is not great. The boys' summer shirt is good fabric but the buttons keep falling off!

  9. #9
    Registered User
    Add ~clover~ on Facebook

    Sep 2007
    travelling
    9,557

    Our school sells the uniform themselves. There's no proper winter uniform/tunic here for the girls either that I know of, but I don't mind, because I had no option going to a Catholic school & I froze my toes off in winter! At least here they can wear joggers with their trackies & be warm. We were never allowed a long sleeved shirt under our sports shirt, so again, we all froze!

    I just wish some of the public schools were more strict on uniform... I'm sick of fighting with the girls coz 'so & so wears denim shorts!' (Uniform is maroon shorts).

  10. #10
    Registered User

    Jan 2004
    Melbourne, Australia
    1,002

    School has a uniform shop where everything has logos. Colours are green and gold so can pick up things with no logo at normal shops. School is not particularly strict with uniform but everyone does tend to where it. Summer dresses are about $50 but dd is still wearing her first one 5 years later! It is literally falling apart now but would have been washed over 150 times. Our uniforms are good quality and I think they are great value.

  11. #11

    Mar 2004
    Sparta
    12,662

    School is not particularly strict with uniform but everyone does tend to where it.
    Our school is the same. Most of the time most of the children wear the uniform but after it's rained for a week there will be more children with bits and pieces of non-uniform substituted. I like that they're not too strict because sometimes life gets in the way of laundry.

  12. #12
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    Oct 2007
    Eastern Wheatbelt WA
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    Ditto to what Onyx just said!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - Sorry for any mistakes!

  13. #13
    Moderator

    Oct 2004
    In my Zombie proof fortress.
    6,449

    Thanks for the feedback ladies.

    Our school is bottle green and gold. Surpisingly a lot of the stores fail to stock bottle green or they stock a lighter shade (which is odd, as no school around here has that shade). Most kids do where a uniform of some sort. It mainly falls down when it comes to shoes, socks and tights or leggings.

  14. #14
    Registered User

    Apr 2008
    Melbourne
    6,745

    Ours is pretty good for a public state school (it is navy, gold and white) - there are generic navy/white check summer dress, navy pants, shorts, skort etc but we do have a logo on the winter jacket, jumper, summer tops. We also have a specific winter tunic that is worn with a generic navy skivvy or long sleeved top. The girls are required to wear sport uniform on PE and sport days which is shorts, skort or trackies with sport top. Other days they wear summer dress in terms 1 & 4 and the tunic/pants in terms 2 & 3. There is a uniform shop on site open on Mondays or they take orders and they also sell second hand.

    They are also only allowed to wear white socks in summer and navy tights in winter. There are some exceptions as often the summer days will be cold and the girls wear tights or pants or white leggings under their summer dress.

    Many of the muslim girls also wear scarves and these don't tend to be school colours but they don't make the uniform look messy, just adds a splash of colour.

    ETA - Target online often stocks the full range of school uniform colour requirements

  15. #15
    Registered User

    Apr 2006
    Perth
    4,203

    my kids go to a private school and so there is an extremely strict uniform policy that is enforced. The kindy and pp kids wear the sport uniform with sneakers. Then there is a uniform for grades 1-6 and a different one for 7-12. The older kids have blazers, ties and "proper" hats (the younger kids have wide brimmed floppy hats). Each age group has a winter and a summer uniform. No jewellery is allowed except for plain studs or sleepers for girls (no earrings for boys at all), a watch and I think that's it. Boys' hair must be above their collar and girls if its below their collar must be tied up with school coloured bands etc. Girls' skirts and dresses must reach the floor when they are on their knees with their bags on their back. Must use the school bag and shoes must be black lace ups with white ankle socks/tights for girls in winter. Everything has the school logo on it and there is a uniform shop.

    I love the uniform and the fact that they enforce it. I have to drive past the public high school to get to the girls' school each day and the kids coming out of their look awful - everything's different, some girls have skirts that barely cover their knickers and/or are skin tight, lots of shirt buttons undone. I think it helps promote pride in both themselves and their school to wear a good uniform. It is more expensive having to buy from the uniform shop, but the clothes seem to last well and with three kids who will be going to the same school I'll get lots of use from hand me downs.