Dunlabellin

All labels now sewn in/ironed on/written on. What do you mean, I have to do this again next year, if not before? Unfortunately my reel of white cotton is missing in action, so the final label (painting apron) is sewn in with black cotton when white would have looked better, but no great disaster. I just hope that no buttons fall off white polo shirts ...

Have managed to politely answer Husband's query as to had I not thought of just writing on the labels already in the clothes without poking him in the eye with a needle.

I've been thinking that we're pretty lucky with the uniform in some respects. There are only two school-specific items available - jumper/cardigan, and tie. A lot of other schools seem to include logoed polo shirts and PE kit, and other things. I believe at primary level schools can't make uniform compulsory at all, let alone specific items, but of course where there is a uniform there is pressure to wear it, and where there are particular items, there is pressure to wear them.

I rather think state schools (primary and secondary) should only be allowed to stipulate certain items (tie, and jumper/cardigan/sweatshirt/blazer) and beyond that only specify colours. It's nice to have a certain degree of identity with a school badge etc, but if you say the uniform is logoed this and logoed that, even if you explicitly state that unlogoed equivalent is okay parents will feel pressure to buy the logoed stuff, and children to wear it.

Personally I'm cheerfully ignoring the bit in the school's 'for parents by parents' guide which says please put children in proper shirts and please put them in a tie - the photo on the front of the very same guide shows at least one child in a polo shirt, and no more than half of them wearing ties!