On 3 Sep 2009 at 10:46pm SOMEWHAT NARKED wrote:
Any other Priory parents on here - particularly of girls? My daughter was one of, I gather, upwards of 100 sent home today with snotty letters referring to uniform non-compliance. As far as I'm concerned, this is largely down to a pretty poor explanation of what the school wanted, and I'm more than a little irritated at the suggestion that I should now spend more money guessing what the school might fancy the look of.
Of course the whole thing hasn't been helped by the carefully co-ordinated appointment of Wards to supply parts of the new uniform just as they'd decided to shut down.
Be interested to hear from anyone else in the same boat.
On 3 Sep 2009 at 11:11pm mr happy wrote:
I think you should all refuse to buy the new stuff. On radio 2 the other day they were saying that some schools are now causing a class divide where they make the uniform so unaffordable that people have to move the children which then leaves only the middle class children at the school which in turn then ups the reputation on the school. Apparantly it happened years ago and is coming back into fashion. My kids go to Chailey and luckily we have a fairly basic uniform and it always stays the same. They had better not get any ideas or I will start a revolution!
On 4 Sep 2009 at 8:14am Prick Stein wrote:
It's about time the school kids smartened up, they were dressing like scummy chavs, with crappy polo shirts and skirts up to their werewithals in a trashy jordanesque way! There should be pride in wearing a smart uniform, rather than dressing like trash from Heat magazine.
On 4 Sep 2009 at 1:10pm SOMEWHAT NARKED wrote:
Well, Prick, the new uniform appears to have been modelled on St Trinian's, so I'm not sure it's going to fully address your 'issues'.
On 4 Sep 2009 at 1:31pm Prick Stein wrote:
In that case it may well address the 'issues' of the motley collection of men that sit on the bench in the mornings and afternoons at the bottom of Station Street at certain times of the day. Allegedly!
On 4 Sep 2009 at 5:36pm mr happy wrote:
What has school uniform got to do with the men at the bottom of station street?
On 4 Sep 2009 at 7:42pm Cliffe Hanger wrote:
I think you'll have to ask them Mr Happy!
On 4 Sep 2009 at 7:59pm southchill wrote:
I must support the introduction of the new uniform. Firtstly it is a marked improvement on the state of undress some managed to achieve previously. Secondly, I must say, having just re-read the information from Priory, that the uniform requirements were very clear and pretty simple to understand. Also, in this day an age it is pretty simple to get shop around and get decent deals with using 'tied' suppliers.
On 4 Sep 2009 at 8:29pm No Pot Pourri wrote:
In answer to the OP: I have just had a look at the uniform info on the Priory website. What were you confused about? The only thing you need to buy that is not available from M & S, BHS, ASDA etc is a school badge. Wards closing down has nothing to do with it. I am pro uniform. It is cheap to buy, looks smart, helps identify children out of school and stops them competing with fashion clothing.
On 4 Sep 2009 at 11:36pm SOMEWHAT NARKED wrote:
To southchill and No Pot Pourri:
We support the principle of school uniform entirely. Without going into all the detail, what has happened is this:
We, and many other parents, complied with the school uniform policy. However, when our children arrived at school they were told that certain garments did not comply - purely on the basis of the subjective opinion of particular teachers.
To compound this, identical garments (ie the same item from the same shop) were accepted on other children for the simple reason that all kids are different shapes and sizes, and clothes will always look different in the context of different body proportions. In simple terms, they just 'hang' differently.
Our kids (with us) went to considerable lengths to try different shops and to find clothes which not only met policy but in which they felt 'smart'. They wanted to look good in uniform.
The school has handled the whole thing badly; that's why we're irritated.
On 5 Sep 2009 at 9:55am No Pot Pourri wrote:
Somewhat Narked: You have managed to go into considerable details without actually saying what was wrong. It is not against forum rules to mention items of clothing by name, rather than referring to 'garments'. Here is the suspect list:
# Navy blue blazer with school badge on pocket? - (Er, no.)
# White tailored shirt and school tie? - (Unlikely)
# White tailored blouse with no tie. May be short or long sleeved, should be open necked, school style not fashion type? - (Possible. School will be looking for a frumpy look)
# Mid-grey school trousers? - (I can't see scope for controversy)
# Knee length mid-grey school skirt; school style not fashion type? - (Could be considered too tight or short)
# Plain black, grey or white socks or plain black, grey or skin-coloured tights? (Not likely)
So, my bet is on skirt or blouse not looking sufficiently frumpy. Do tell!
On 9 Sep 2009 at 11:38am Brixtonbelle wrote:
My son started Priory this year - the uniform is basically a variation on what kids all over the country wear so easily available. We bought all the basics he needed online at M and S and got the tie and blazer from intersport a couple of days before school started, no problem. Kids can make any item of uniform look individual - ties for start and will do especially when they are searching for identity in their teenage years of rebellion. The worst school uniform look is the St Trinians 'sex object' look that so many girls seem to adopt, for whatever reason. All it does it pander to stereotypes and male fantasies. If the school is turning girls away for wearing their uniform like this, then good on them.
On 10 Sep 2009 at 9:10pm equally narked wrote:
I had a discussion with the uniform stasi about skirts - my daughter's skirt is modest, made from grey jersey with an elasticated waist and it comes to her knees. A couple of teachers have commented on how smart she looks but the uniform police disagrees. I strongly object to having to pay the money twice when the first uniform is entirely appropriate and sensible. I'm also more interested in her academic progress than in the cut of her skirt.
On 11 Sep 2009 at 2:29pm somewhat narked wrote:
Brixtonbelle - I know from the discussion we're having with other parents that it's a completely different situation for girls and boys. This has got nothing to do with individuality. What has happened is that the school set out a requirement for skirts which many parents met fully, but teaching staff are now making individual subjective decisions about the 'look' of a particular school uniform and are rejecting certain smart plain skirts from schoolwear suppliers based on personal whim (including schoolwear skirts from M&S, for your info). They are saying different things to different children. It's not so much that they've moved the goalposts as that the school itself can't agree where they are. I'm not saying anything more on this thread; it wouldn't be appropriate to go any further because of the formal dialogue which is now underway. @equally narked - I'd love to know who you are, to compare notes, but don't really want to put personal details on here. Any ideas?
On 15 Sep 2009 at 6:50am Equally Narked wrote:
I concur with 'Somewhat Narked'. My experience is as follows:
Skirt No. 1
Grey, loose, jersey, elasticated waist, knee length, side pockets - rejected.
Skirt No. 2
Black, cotton/lycra, tight, knee length - rejected.
Skirt No. 3
Black, viscose/nylon/spandex, tight, side slits, knee length - accepted.
All 3 skirts can of course be hitched up above knee length.
On 12 Oct 2009 at 5:25pm Chrissie wrote:
I am delighted to advise that parents will soon be able to purchase the complete Priory uniform online at www.sussexuniforms.co.uk. Sussex Uniforms is an online school uniform supplier where you can conveniently purchase all your schoolwear and have it delivered directly to your door the very next day. There is also a free returns, so if you make a mistake, you can send it back free of charge. Friendly service that delivers in every respect, check out the website and see just how competitive the prices are, shopping from your chair - it's the way to go. COMING SOON