some questions re uniforms etc

metrovelvet

I have another year before my son starts primary school but I have to start thinking about costs etc when choosing one.

Just so you know, I did not grow up here or wear uniforms where I was educated so I havent got a clue how this all works.

I understand that most primary schools pick blue or grey jumpers and slacks. So is it the case you just go shopping for blue or grey in any shop like a marks and spencers or Dunnes or something and the sew on the crest or badge or whatever yourself or do you have to buy the jumpers from the school with the crest on them? If the latter, can you use a badge from the previous year's jumper and sew it onto a jumper you bought yourself somewhere else?

Also- if the school has a weird colour and there is only one company that sells some polyester crap in that colour for some ridiculous price can you order one from abroad for better quality and cheaper?

Now, if you have to buy your uniforms at the start of the year, how many do you buy, considering wear and tear and growth spurts?

And shoes, can you pick your own?

yurmothrintites

It differs from school to school. In some schools there may be a specific uniform jumper or cardigan that the crest has been embroidered onto, while in others you might be able to buy a crest and sew it on yourself.

For a child starting school, you could get away with one uniform and the P.E. tracksuit but it may be better to buy a spare uniform as well, as if a child is wearing the same clothes 4 or 5 days in a row, they will inevitably get dirty. Having 2 or 3 shirts might be an idea as well.

Again, in relation to the odd coloured uniforms, you will probably have to buy a specific one and you will have to check with the school. Usually, the school will issue a book list and uniform list to parents of incoming pupils and that would be your best bet on finding out what you have to buy. Quality can be a issue especially if a school employs a specific uniform. I have found the Deerpark jumpers to be the best quality if you don't need to buy a crested one. They are a wool-mix and wash really well. But they are more expensive than the ones you could buy in the department stores as they cost around the €18 mark. I've found they can often last for two years, well worth it if a child is wearing it for 9 months of the year.

Good luck with the information search. Give the school a ring if you're still unsure, but they will probably send you out a list with instructions on what to buy.

E.T.

It depends on the school and how strict they are on uniform too. A lot of primary schools now just have a tracksuit that the kids wear most days. Definitely agree with checking with the school to see what's acceptable as different schools have different levels of strictness about uniform for various reasons!

Tayla

In my son's school they wear the normal uniform for 3 days and the tracksuit for 2.

The bottoms that came with the tracksuit are just like the plain navy tracksuit bottoms you can get anywhere...tesco/dunnes etc but some of the uniform shops were selling the tracksuit as a pack only for €42 and said you couldn't buy the jumper seperately.

I then found another uniform shop that was selling the P.E jumpers seperately for €20 so I bought that and a few pairs of the plain bottoms from elsewhere.........So basically if i'd bought the tracksuit as a kit I would have been paying €22 for the plain navy bottoms which are only €4 or €5 elsewhere and I like to have spares of the bottoms aswell because they get ruined so the cheap trousers are always preferable!

It always pays to shop around!!