School uniform shops in Stafford

[Miss Red]

Anybody know where i could get a couple of school short sleeve blouses in plain white from in a age 15-16? 36-38 inch chest?

Ive been to...The school shop st marys pl, they dont sell them!! .New look town they only have age 8!. Sainsburys only have up to 11yrs.....Asda (usually a good bet but no only have upto age 12!).....tesco age 7yrs.....M&S only got 14yrs and below.....in desperation bon marche, dotty p`s....3 shops in the guildhall including store 21!! and the market - none of these sell anything that would remotely pass as a school blouse!

So i went to retail park (queens), matalan age 10 or under....peacocks age 11 or under.......new look 8 yrs only!! (and gotta say how useful the new carphone warehouse and costa coffee will be not!!)

You may say why leave it so long.... well thats because when i got the rest of the uniform (trousers etc) 3 weeks ago they didnt have any then either!! i thought maybe they would filter throught as there is a new academic year about the start!

So looks like a journey out of town to tamworth (upcoming shopping area so i hear)!

No wonder stafford is becoming a ghost town!

One last thing....had to use the toilets in the market......i will never use them again!! I had to report them to the manager, my daughter nearly threw up!! I pity the poor cleaner who had to go in and clean up the mess on the floor of 2 cubicles....not to mention all over the walls (i doubt it was a case of missed the toilet - it looked deliberate) disgusting!

Rant over tamworth here i come

 

[grumpystaffordguy]

Wouldn't your daughter be in an adults blouse size now? Surely any white blouse that fits would do? I dont see why it needs to be a special school blouse other than they tend to be discounted in the back to school price war?

I know the manager of the market so will pass on your comments. However as in most places there is only so much you can do - you cant monitor people whilst they are using it!

 

[Glam]

I was thinking about an adult sized blouse too. If you're lucky (and your daughter will wear them,mine wouldn't!),you can get those ones that cost about £2.50? Int the best but they wash n wear well.

 

[Miss Red]

Wouldn't your daughter be in an adults blouse size now? Surely any white blouse that fits would do? I dont see why it needs to be a special school blouse other than they tend to be discounted in the back to school price war?

Yes she can get in an adult blouse, but the only ones around stafford (well matalan and dotty p's) have no top button - they have a collar, but dont fasten....school rules says have to have a top button otherwise its classed as inappropriate dress and can be excluded from lessons!!!
Think they would have other problems to tackle other than a button or two, but no they seem fixated on the button issue!

As for the market toilets.....i did tell them and the cleaner shut them, but im not on about the monitoring of the loo's - im just shocked at how low some people will stoop (excuse the pun lol)......makes you wonder what they live like!

 

[Gramaisc]

Sew a button on?

Teachers have to invent pointless rules for people to break. I went to one school where you had to have black shoes for outside and brown shoes for inside - I had the darkest brown pair that I could find....

 

[joshua]

Sew a button on?

Teachers have to invent pointless rules for people to break. I went to one school where you had to have black shoes for outside and brown shoes for inside - I had the darkest brown pair that I could find....

Black shoes don't show the dirt
Brown shoes don't show the mud

Well what don't white shoes show then eh ?

Your feet

(Spike Milligan: Puckoon)

 

[United57]

Sew a button on?

Teachers have to invent pointless rules for people to break. I went to one school where you had to have black shoes for outside and brown shoes for inside - I had the darkest brown pair that I could find....

You rebel.

When skinheads arrived circa 1969 they caused mayhem with my schools uniform policy, which banned long hair, drain pipe trousers and winkle pickers.

Black steel to cap boots half mast trousers and shaved heads. Nothing stopping that.

 

[LiverpoolLass]

I had exactly the same problem... Got them online from BHS in the end.. £19 for 2.. Ridiculous!

 

[staffordjas]

I went into the St Mary's school shop, expecting to be able to purchase a pair of Walton School football socks as son has had a growth spurt and can't get his old ones on.

Was informed that they no longer stock Walton High School stuff (school decision!) as a survey by parents had shown they would rather buy on line

I don't like buying on line anyway, but went to the website advertised by the school for their uniform to see if I could get these bloody socks.........can't see them on there, tried phoning the school yesterday when the staff were in only to hear a recorded message about school term times.
He is just going to have to take a letter to PE lessons each time to explain why he is wearing black football socks for his final few months at school and risk getting detention each week!!!

 

[Gramaisc]

Obviously, wearing the 'wrong' colour socks could completely undermine all those years of high-quality education. Why risk throwing all that away and having him instantly turn into a rioting chav?

At every school I went to I used to ask 'Why don't the teachers have to wear a uniform?' - I never got a single honest answer.

 

[staffordjas]

Just rang the school to see if they had any in stock.They said no but that the plain black socks,instead of ones with the logo on, should be OK if not actually playing in the school team .

Eventually managed to find the the school logo ones on line and was about to order them for £4.50 , but when I came to 'check-out' they suddenly became £8.50 with the P&P added on! What a rip-off!

Good job I bought his expensive school rugby shirt down to his knees when he first started

 

[United57]

Please find a number of articles relating to school uniform

The first is the present regulations. I bet governors do not know their resposibility.

http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/schoolethos/a0014144/guidance-for-schools-on-school-uniform-and-related-policies

These 2 are from 2006 and 2009. The former government were against sweetheart deals anti competitive but also costly for parents. Still applies.

http://www.oft.gov.uk/OFTwork/markets-work/completed/school-uniforms

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-1679641/School-uniform-deals-ripping-off-parents.html

If the school is the only supplier they could face issues with the OFT and Human rights legislation.

In addition if you you are forced to buy online it puts parents who do not have the Internet or credit card at a disadvantage.

 

[Gramaisc]

There's a school uniform quiz on the BBC at the moment.

 

[Florence]

I got 4 out of 7.

 

[Gramaisc]

I got 4 out of 7.

So did I - all three guesses were wrong.

 

[staffordjas]

I got 4 out of 7.

So did I - all three guesses were wrong.

I wasn't so good at guessing - I only got 3 out of 7 and a very appropiate comment 'Pull your socks up' .

Got a phone call from the school today to say they had found the very last remaining pair of football socks for sale, luckily sons size, in the school office cupboard that I could purchase for £4. Was up there like a shot! Good job I didn't fork out the £8.50 on line yesterday

 

[Miss Red]

Please find a number of articles relating to school uniform

The first is the present regulations. I bet governors do not know their resposibility.

http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/schoolethos/a0014144/guidance-for-schools-on-school-uniform-and-related-policies

These 2 are from 2006 and 2009. The former government were against sweetheart deals anti competitive but also costly for parents. Still applies.

http://www.oft.gov.uk/OFTwork/markets-work/completed/school-uniforms

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-1679641/School-uniform-deals-ripping-off-parents.html

If the school is the only supplier they could face issues with the OFT and Human rights legislation.

In addition if you you are forced to buy online it puts parents who do not have the Internet or credit card at a disadvantage.

I complained about a school keeping exclusive rights to just one online supplier to the school and education dept, long and short of it, they wasnt bothered.

The reason i complained was because i had to order jumpers with a logo on. These retailed online at £14.50 each with a £6.00 delivery charge.
So altogether 2 x jumpers delivered was £35.
As my daughter was just starting the school, i wasnt sure how the sizing was so i rang them before i ordered and asked if they come out a bit larger or a bit smaller ect, they couldnt say!
This should have rang alarm bells then, so on the recommendation of the sales man i ordered one of each size and he said just send the other one back and we will swop it.
They came one fitted the other didnt so i rang to ask how i send it back to exchange it.
The way they do it is....you send back the jumper at a cost for postage - they then issue a refund on your card and then you buy the other size!!!!
Ok rip off!!
I had to order the new jumper and pay another £14.50 + £6.00 postage whilst i posted the other one back for a refund on my card!

I got the other jumper within the week! The refund, different matter - if i called them a 100 times i wouldnt be exaggerating, they got the rep to visit me because i involved the school and the rep was definately not customer related lol.

I got my refund after i complained to the education dept about it....from start to finish it took nearl 7 months!!
I had to outstand a total of nearly £60 for two jumpers!

Thats why i will NEVER EVER buy from a uniform shop online again!

 

[United57]

Oddly this is something a local newspaper should be campaigning about.

 

[Gramaisc]

One of my many schools had quite a relaxed attitude. I don't really recall being constricted by the requirements at all (this was before the days when lads had the slightest regard for 'fashion'), but the girls were asked to wear a dress made from a specific turquoise printed fabric, which was available very cheaply off the roll. This being the late 60s, there seemed to be some competition to use as little material as possible. I recall one girl being told to "Pull your dress down a bit, will you". Her friend replied "If she does that, Miss, the boys'll be able to see her tits!"

 

[United57]

In the 70's when taking my exams at Hailsham Hall Regent St. I noticed a goup of children walking along the street. Very strange


Since then I discovered they were from Hill House school. Their uniform is supplied is supplied by Harrods. I think you also have to have your hair cut at Harrods as part of joining the school.( maybe an urbban myth)

http://www.harrods.com/brand/hill-house/boys-uniforms

£34 for well made breeches bargain. At least they don't wear out at the knee and growth spurts are not an issue.