Keep your child's school uniform in great condition

Myfamilyclub.co.uk in support of our campaign

Our tax-free school uniform campaign has recently been given a big boost thanks to the backing of Gemma Johnson, CEO of the popular money saving website MyFamilyClub.co.uk

Gemma Johnson, CEO of myfamilyclub.co.uk

We are strong believers in the importance of quality school uniform and want the government to make it easier for parents to budget for high quality and ethically sourced uniform, reducing the need for cheap, low quality garments.

MyFamilyClub was the UK’s first website that aimed to help families save, make and manage their money.  As such they have a common ground with us here at the Schoolwear Association.

Gemma, a mother of three, has been urging likeminded mothers to sign our e-petition and help bring the issue to the attention of the Prime Minister.  When discussing her experience in the matter, Gemma said: 

“At MyFamilyClub we hear from families on a regular basis who have gone through numerous sets of school uniform from the major supermarkets within the same term, and they are naturally disappointed and very frustrated that these haven’t lasted.”

This support from MyFamilyClub is in addition to previous endorsements from sites such as dadzclub.com, where their founder, Craig Hodgson, has stated: 

“School uniform is something to be proud of but it can also be a costly affair for parents. This scheme will certainly help parents budget and plan for those torn trousers and lost jumpers.”

Our e-petition has already made it into the tiny 5% of online government petitions that reach 1000 signatures, but we need more to really see some change and get the required attention.  Please help us make an impact and sign: http://tinyurl.com/schoolwear

If you agree with our campaign, you can tweet a photograph using the hashtag #mychildisworthit - just like Gemma has!

#mychildisworthit says Gemma

 

How to get the best value from your child's school uniform

Some parents can find buying school uniforms quite a worry, especially if you have more than one child, so to prevent having to buy a new uniform every term follow these simple tips on how make the most out of your child’s uniform: 
 

• Make sure you look for good quality uniform as it needs to stand up to the wear and tear of being worn and washed almost every day! Look for things like extra value in heavier fabrics, long life features and robust stitching to ensure the quality of the item.
• Naturally, most parents avoid buying their child’s uniform until it’s time to go back to school but, this isn’t always the best option. If the majority of parents are rushing to buy uniforms at the end of August then most of the sizes and items will be gone, so consider buying your uniform as soon as school finishes that way you are guaranteed a better choice.
• Another way you can make the most out of your child’s uniform is by buying it slightly bigger, meaning you can get at least another years worth out of your jumpers and shirts! Once your child has outgrown their uniform you can offer the items to other parents to use.
• One thing to remember is that the way you wash and iron the uniform can give it a longer a life, so make sure to use low temperatures and read the items labels! (You can read about how to keep your uniform smart and clean on our previous blog post).
• Lastly, don’t forget to label your child’s name on their uniform, often enough they will leave it in the PE changing rooms! 

Mum of seven urges parents to sign petition to make school uniform tax-free

Jenny Leonard, mum of seven from Manchester has signed our petition to make school uniform tax-free and encourages other mums to help get behind the campaign.

Jenny, who is a blogger over at The Brick Castle,  believes the petition is a step forward in making good quality uniforms affordable to everyone. She says that if we have to buy cheap uniforms, parents will become stuck in a cycle of buying cheap replacements all year round, wasting more money. 

Jenny with her youngest and eldest sons

  

Jenny said: “I've been a parent of school aged children for the last 15 years, and I have 14 years left before my youngest leaves school. Over this time I've learnt the hard way that buying cheaper uniform rarely saves money in the long run. Good quality uniform can last for two to three years, but the outlay can be incredibly expensive, especially when you have several children to buy for.”

School uniform is important, and has a proven impact on your child’s well-being at school. Therefore, we have launched an e-petition because we want to make school uniform less of a worry to hardworking families like Jenny’s

The petition is in support of The Government making uniforms tax-free by introducing a salary sacrifice scheme where parents can exchange a small part of their monthly salary for school uniform vouchers.  This means that parents will be able to budget effectively when it’s ‘back to school’ time. 

We already have over 1,000 signatures, but we need more to send this all the way to the Prime Minister!

Please support the campaign by signing the petition here: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/65790

How to keep your children's uniform smart and clean

Washing your child’s uniform a few times a week, or for the unlucky -everyday, isn’t any parent’s favourite responsibility, particularly if they’ve been rolling around in the grass all lunch time. But, unfortunately it is something that has to be done, so here are a few tips on how to keep your child’s uniform looking and feeling like new!

First things first, as with any of item of clothing, check the labels! This is because, easily enough, washing at the wrong temperature and setting or using the wrong detergent can damage the uniform.

So, whether you are trying to clean the yoghurt off of their jumper or the paint off their trousers, there are a few ways to ensure your child’s uniform will be clean every day: 

·         Empty all the pockets; make sure there are no tissues or wrappers that could damage the uniform.

·         Close buttons and zips so you do not lose any, this is also to prevent snagging.

·         Turn clothes inside out to reduce wear and tear.

·         Separate light and dark colours to avoid colour runs such as turning your white shirts blue.

·         Do not over-fill the machine to ensure clothes are cleaned properly

·         Use the correct amount of detergent (there is usually a recommendation on the bottle).

·         Do not exceed the temperatures marked on your care label otherwise you will end up with a very tiny uniform.

·         If the school jumper is acrylic knitwear, do not use fabric softeners, because this will damage the condition of the clothing.

Finally, when drying and ironing the uniform, make sure you follow the labels again properly, as sometimes tumble drying can shrink the uniform, whilst some items cannot be ironed, so make sure you turn the uniform inside out and use a suitable heat setting.

Overall, the key to a pristine uniform is not to forget to check the labels! If you are unsure you can find out what commonly used symbols mean at www.care-labelling.co.uk.

Don’t forget to sign our petition to make school uniforms more affordable! We are campaigning for a salary sacrifice voucher scheme to be put in position for school uniforms. This is very similar to the childcare voucher scheme presently in place, meaning it is tax exempt and therefore, making uniforms more affordable. Please help us to make this possible, by signing our petition here- http://tinyurl.com/schoolwear

Attention parents! We need your help to make school uniform tax-free

Looking after your children and making sure they’re happy and comfortable is something at the top of every parent’s list. Therefore we have launched a government e-petition with this in mind and need parents like you to get involved to help us reach our goal.

The petition aims to make good quality school uniform more affordable and easier to budget for.  Here at the Schoolwear Association we believe that it’s really important for children to have school specific or ‘badged’ uniform, as this can lead to an improvement in behaviour and gives children a sense of belonging to their school. Your children can spend up to 10 hours a day wearing their school uniform, so it should be well fitted, comfortable and good quality.

The ultimate goal of this e-petition is to get the government to introduce a vouchers scheme, similar to the already successful childcare vouchers scheme. This would mean that parents would receive a small part of their salary in vouchers, which would be tax exempt. They could then spend these vouchers at all participating retailers. 

If you are interested in finding out more about the e-petition and would like to sign it to show your support for a better future for your children, please click on the following link:  http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/65790

Thank you for your support!

Opinions on school uniform - which uniform do you prefer?

We visited a busy city centre to find out what parents and children think about school uniform. We also asked them to choose which uniform they preferred to buy/wear between a school-specific badged uniform or a plain uniform with no school badge. Which do you prefer...?

We, The Schoolwear Association, represent all those involved in the supply of school specific uniform including retailers, direct to school suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, suppliers, decorators, agents and schools.

The second part to this video will be coming soon...

Parents urged to buy school uniform locally

The Schoolwear Association is urging parents to support their local economy by buying school uniforms from local suppliers. A new campaign to highlight the benefits is being launched by The Schoolwear Association, whose members provide uniforms and equipment to more than three quarters of Britain’s children.
The Association lists three reasons for buying your child’s uniform from local school shops and independent suppliers.

• Buying locally supports the small, independent businesses that make up 99 per cent of all firms, keeping town centres alive and buzzing.
• School specific uniform, typically sourced and supplied by independents, creates a sense of pride in your child’s school and community.
• Independents and school shops provide excellent quality garments from ethically sourced factories. They offer custom-designed uniforms for schools, proper fitting, good stocks and service all year round, not just at “back to school” time.

Matthew Easter, Chairman of the Schoolwear Association, said: “Many people want to support the smaller, more local businesses and retailers. They can see that it’s good for their community, and we want school uniform to be a part of that.”
“We understand that price is important, but there are real benefits if you are willing to pay a little extra for a premium product and service. It’s good for the local economy, the community and your child.”