School uniform and benefits

A question about : School uniform and benefits

Im not sure if this is the right place for this thread, but i cant find anywhere else suitable to put it.
We moved area to the west midlands at the beginning of Oct 2012. I approached the local authority so my daughter who has just turned 14, could attend a local school. I received the forms and sent them back.

I had to ring them just before Christmas 2012 as i had not heard anything and by this time my daughter had been out of school a long time. They said she was on a waiting list on a few different schools and all i could do is wait, but they would send an appeal form so i could appeal on her place on the waiting lists, which they did not send.

Then finally on 14th January 2013 i received a phone call from a school that had a place, we visited and formally accepted the place and i received my letter of acceptance yesterday 29th Jan with a start date of 4th February (next Monday).

We are a family who unfortunate because of the move, in receipt of JSA until we can find jobs.

I telephoned the local council for help with uniform costs as all i had was a jsa payment on 29th and a tax credit payment on 26th which has to also see to bills, living expenses, travel and food costs. The council said they did not help with cost of uniform anymore and that the school itself will help.
I emailed the school and received an email back saying unfortunately they do not help with cost of uniform, but they maybe able to find her a skirt. They said most parents go to Asda for the uniform because of cost but some items required like the blazer & badge, House tie, House pe kit could be brought from the official supplier of the uniform for that school.
If i required assistance then there is a charity in the area that may help with costs.

So i emailed the charity and received an email back saying they cannot assist me as i have not lived in the area for 5 years!

The problem lies not only with the cost , but the little amount of time i am expected to get the uniform (a week and a half) on JSA and child tax credit! Also my daughter is a little on the larger side and 5.3 tall and size 8 wide fit shoe...So the visit to asda only frustrated because they do not go up to her size and not a lot of uniform was left, Ive checked online store too and they do not cater for a size 18 school shirt amongst other things. I have been around the usual high street stores and i cannot purchase a shirt appropriate for school as they all have open or low necks not button to the top. These shirts from the uniform shop are Ј15 for 2 add that to the logo`d pe kit and school socks and the blazer with badge and house tie...and its standing at Ј98 just for those items, which cannot be got from anywhere else

There is nowhere else to get a blazer from as supermarkets ive checked around the areas and online do not have the size in stock and school shoes in a wider fit are not easily available from the high street.
Ive so far managed to get her black cardigans x 2 @supermarket cost of Ј24 for both and 2 x trousers from matalan Ј12 for the two. She still needs shoes, trainers, and swimming costume yet!!

I have had to cancel my direct debits, sell some of my items and miss payments to be able to get some of the money this uniform will cost , which is totaling Ј180, because my daughter is not a standard 14 year old size, and cannot get into the supermarket sizes that shes expected to get into which has upset her a lot and put a lot of pressure on me!

Most parents have the time to get the uniform over the summer holidays (as i have previously before moving), but unfortunately it seems in this day and age everyone is looked upon the same, and no one seems to take circumstance into account!

The whole episode has been a nightmare start to finish.

I am now in debt because of this. Does anyone know if i can recoup the costs i have had to outlay? Any advice anyone can offer please?

Best answers:

• Sorry for your problems,
  Why didn't tou check out the school before you moved/applied there? May the office has some second hand stuff?
  If you can't afford it then just send her in what you can afford,I don't think the can discriminate because you can't afford the uniform.
• I usually use Ebay for the bigger sizes, cheaper and less stressful. They may not be exact school uniform items but they are close enough.
• Since supermarkets started selling really cheap school uniforms and child tax credits were introduced grants for help with school uniforms have all but disappeared now. In fact, thats quite an old-fashioned notion.
  John Lewis sell a good selection of different sized uniforms.
• You cant get everything in supermarkets. Maybe blouses,skirts,but when you are looking at Blazers,jumpers ,Ties etc they can be very expensive...John lewis being one of the most expensive of them all.
  You would think today schools would have some kind of exchange programme,where people can either swap or donate uniforms that have gone too small,to help out parents..Uniforms are expensive for most people today.
  Good Luck,hope you get sorted soon.xx
• Could she not adapt some of the school uniform she has from her old school for the time being?
  CB and CTC are allocated to provide for a child's needs and whilst, obviously, her food and share of bills has to come out of this, school uniform is one of the things you're supposed to use it for.
• Its the sizing with the supermarkets shes larger than average 14 yr old with a size 8 wide fit shoe, plus the fact shes starting mid term they dont have the stock. The only blazers in stock are huge sizes 46" chest plus. The shirts go up to 15 yrs in asda, but other high streets and supermarkets its 13yrs...shes a 38D bust!! not the average size of a 14yr old
• Im glad im not alone. Its so frustrating! I havent done this on benefits before its a circumstance i find myself in at this time, so i had no idea that help towards cost of uniform as a one off was old fashioned. Plus ive only had a week and a half notice of what school she is attending.
• Another thing you could try is to join the local freecycle and put a want on it. There must be loads of local people with old uniform knocking around. Have you also tried trawling the local charity shops.
• Ask on free cycle - there will be some that have older children who can help. Also shoes, trainers and swim costume are not school specific Normally. Are you saying they ask for a set shoe? If not then their old shoes and trainers should be ok.
  Same with blouses - did she not go to any school before? Can she not wear her old ones
  Other than that I agree it's silly how much schools charge for named uniform and there is normally time to budget.