Back To School: Aldi School Uniform (Review)

It is with a slightly heavy heart that I am beginning to accept that The Boy will start school in September. He's tremendously excited, and I must confess that I can't wait to see him enjoying school in the way that all three of us hope he will. He's going to a really lovely school very close to home with a huge rolling field and small class sizes; I couldn't ask for more.

And so with the acceptance of school comes the realisation that a whole new realm of requirements is needed:

  • school uniform
  • school shoes
  • PE kits
  • coats
  • name tags

and the list goes on and on…

We've now reached the point where life could become a little expensive with everything that The Boy will need for school. Luckily help is on hand from Aldi; tomorrow (Thursday 25th July 2013), they are launching the UK’s cheapest supermarket school uniform.

And when I say cheap I mean financially frugal, not poor quality!

Aldi sent me a school uniform to try out with The Boy, and included a thick Winter coat (£9.99) with reflective panels for him as well:

Aldi school uniform

We were sent:

  • 2 polo shirts
  • 1 round neck sweater
  • skirt or trousers
    • = £4

I've had instruction from my sister that life (as a working mum) is easier if they have a fresh uniform each day, therefore that means I could buy The Boy five complete outfits for the grand total of £17.50.

£17.50!

In a very well known high-street clothing store (where my sister gets her children's uniform) one outfit costs £14 and a week's worth would be £73.00.

I know which store I will be going to!

Regular shoppers of Aldi will know that they have weekly special buys which are incredible bargains, but once they have gone then that's it, no more! So pop down to your local store tomorrow and stock up before you have to start buying the expensive uniforms instead!

I was sent these products for the purpose of this review, my opinion is honest and unbiased.

A Change Is Coming

When did my little boy become old enough to start school?

Because it appears that in September, he will be doing just that.

And I'm not ready.

I'd like to pretend that he's not ready but that would be a lie. He is ready. He's ready to have the further stimulation which a trained Reception teacher can offer (I'm juniors trained). He's ready to mix with other children more regularly and make friends. He's ready to learn more formally (not that much more though, thank you Foundation Phase). He's ready to learn the discipline which can only be gained in a classroom.

He's ready.

Don't get me wrong though, he's still very emotionally young and I do think he will struggle with the full days and being away from us for so many hours. However, as the school only has one opportunity in the year for entry, we have little choice but for him to start in September or wait a year.

This is why we accompanied him into his new school a week ago for his induction into Reception. It's the only time that he's been there, and will be the only opportunity before he starts full-time education for the next fourteen years (just writing that is making me cry, he's so little still!). I do have a problem with the lack of link-building, but again can do nothing about it.

We walked down the road, around the corner and into the school. We were greeted, given name stickers (mine said 'Mum', I felt like scribbling 'my' on the end of it), and shown to the Reception class. This is where I discovered that it is a lot larger than the one block that I knew of from when I had a nursery-nursing placement there; in fact they had another building at the back of this with a covered courtyard in between. They had a gardening area, bikes and trikes to ride along the painted road layout on the ground, a small timber trail, climbing frames and a fenced off area. There was so much to explore.

Reception induction

The Boy was completely enthralled with it all, "Mummy! They have glitter and glue! Shall we do some craft? Oh look mummy there's Shopping List! Mummy shall we play some music?" I have no doubt that he will enjoy playing with the other thirty six children, cared for by the two teachers and two LSAs; all seemed caring and 'on the ball'.

We walked home afterwards holding hands with The Boy, him chatting about the activities and his uniform, declaring that he no longer wishes to go to nursery. I exchanged a look with my husband over our son's head, a look that said 'where has our baby gone?'. A look that shared nostalgia for the precious last four years of discovery where we have governed his routine, his learning, his play. A look that realised the days of freedom and nonconformity to a timetable were coming to an end.

A look that demanded one course of action…

Barry Island - Country Kids

coombe mill

 

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