PARENTS have been warned their children will be sent home if they don’t follow guidelines about new school uniforms.

The cost of the new uniform at Monmouthshire Comprehensive School is causing concern with parents after the school decided to introduce the new uniforms for Year 7 and Sixth Form children from this year.

Instead of polo shirts and jumpers, the new uniforms include a school-branded jacket together with a tie and trousers which can only be purchased from one supplier. Shirts for the new uniforms are not restricted and can be purchased from other suppliers.

The move has led some parents to threaten to send their children to school in supermarket-sourced clothing, despite warnings from the school that these children would be sent home.

One parent who contacted the Beacon said: “The argument with the school is a lot of parents are finding the cost of the trousers and skirts appalling. My child would need a size that they do not even stock as they only go up to a 32-inch leg and these are £27 a pair.”

Other parents have costed out the new uniform at over £100 more than the 2016 versions of jumpers and polo tops, although a price comparison made by the school states the new uniform will only cost only £1 more over the course of the year.

This comparison does not consider the cost savings of purchasing uniform from supermarkets however.

A new school branded jacket costs £43, and a tie £8. Trousers start at £20 each. Parents are allowed to buy shirts from another retailer.

Another parent, who declined to be identified, compared the cost of the trousers and Trutex, at £20, was the most expensive, compared to £6 in Tesco and £5 in Asda.

The school’s stance is despite Welsh Government guidance which states uniforms should be accessible “from retail chains at reasonable prices and not just from one supplier.”

“School uniform and other items that are required to be purchased in accordance with a school uniform policy can be a financial burden, particularly for low income and large families,” the advice to governing bodies reads.

“[Schools should] only stipulate basic items and colours but not styles so that items can be bought from retail chains at reasonable prices and not just from one supplier.”

A review by the Office of Fair Trading in 2006 found that arrangements requiring parents to purchase uniforms from specific retailers or from the schools themselves were on average 23 per cent more expensive than school uniform retails and 150 per cent more expensive than supermarkets.

A letter seen by the Beacon, sent to a parent by deputy head teacher Andy Williams, says that the school received an “overwhelming response from parents” regarding the desire for a “smart, consistent uniform”.

“In line with Welsh Government Guidance we have staggered the introduction of the new uniform; alongside this we reviewed the need for logo-ed items and limited it to one item,” his letter reads.

“We have also ensured that the school jumper is optional and that parents are able to purchase the shirts from different stockists. We came to agreement with ‘Theschooluniformshop’ that all parents who are eligible for free school meals receive the items free of charge in the first year of Year 7.

“We are also working with the Friends Association to buy uniform back from parents when they no longer need it.

“Sending students home is of course our last resort. We will always look for suitable ways to resolve a situation however to be fair to all our parents who have supported the school and its expectations and who have made it clear to us through consultation that they expect consistency we will insist on parents adhering to our expectations regarding uniform at MCS.”