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New uniform uproar

10:20am Tuesday 1st July 2008

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Parents of pupils at a Halesowen school are up in arms at plans for it to scrap its traditional uniform in favour of a new design which they say will prove costly.

Newfield Park Primary pupils have sported a navy blue sweatshirt featuring a red logo showing a furnace for the last 20 years.

But now parents face splashing out on new uniforms at a time when many are trying to tighten the purse strings and are questioning why it needed to change.

The new emblem, chosen as part of a competition at the school, shows an open book with a boy and girl on the pages with Newfield Park Primary School written underneath. It will be on a royal blue sweatshirt.

The new design will stop uniforms being passed down families from brothers to sisters and the sale of second hand uniforms.

Jenny Jones, who has two children at the school, said: "Parents are up in arms.

"It's wasting a lot of money.

"The logo is part of the school's tradition. It was the same when I went there 20 years ago.

"Uniforms can be passed down from siblings - why change it from one blue to another blue?"

Sandra Harbourne, who also has two children at the school, said parents of girls would have to buy them new skirts, trousers and sweatshirt and boys would need new tops and sweatshirts and both would need new PE kits.

Sharon said: "It's the wrong time to do it the way things are at the moment with some people struggling to pay gas and electricity bills."

Headteacher Angela Turner said: "The new uniform is being phased in from September over the next academic year - we have stressed in newsletters and letters to parents it's being phased in - they don't need to buy in now.

"I'm happy to talk to parents who have concerns."

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Your Say YourHalesowen News

laura123, halesowen says...
1:38pm Tue 1 Jul 08

as an ex pupil of newfield park i was gutted to read about the change of school logo. newfield park has a history and the school uniform is part of that history. surely a school logo should be there for the life of the school. only the most shallow minded of people would even consider altering something like this, i think it is outragous. i am very dissapointed and angry at this decision and feel that many other ex pupils would feel the same. young people are often accused of being selfish and not caring about anything but as a young person i obviously care more about tradition than the decision makers at newfield park and i feel sorry for current pupils who will no longer be part of that tradition.

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vb004f6909, Halesowen says...
4:35pm Tue 1 Jul 08

as an ex pupil of newfield park and a current parent, i too am disgusted with the change in the uniform. I too agree that the cost is silly and unnecessary , but that is not my main concern, because like Angela Turner says it is being 'phased' in and there is no pressure to buy the uniform immediately. My main concern is the tradition of the logo. The school was built very close to Hawne Colliery, and has for approx 50 years featured the Colliery as its motif. This motif is recogniseable and very much loved by all who have attended the school. What is it with everyone these days, what happened to history and tradition? If the colour needs to be changed, so be it but do not change our logo!!!! A number of parents I know have complained, to no avail, it falls on deaf ears. It is another one of those situations that whatever you say or do, they will go full stem ahead anyway!!!

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catygail, Halesowen says...
9:53pm Tue 1 Jul 08

As a parent of 2 children at Newfield Park I am bitterly disappointed at the changes to be made to the current uniform. As an ex pupil myself, I am extremely proud of the history of the emblem, anyone looking at it will realise that it depicts the history of Halesowen. It is unique. I don't understand the need for change. Pupils should be taught to embrace the past and to be proud of what it stood for. Move forward by all means with additions to the current uniform but don't change our past!!! This is in addition to the obvious financial implications it has when we're all trying to make cutbacks where possible!

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jenfy, halesowen says...
3:53pm Wed 2 Jul 08

I am an ex pupil of Newfield Park and have two children at the school, and I feel extremely disappointed that the logo has been changed. Our logo was recognisable and different and represented the school and the area perfectly. The new logo means nothing. It doesn't stand out and does not represent the school or Halesowen at all. For me it is not the issue of the cost as I fully understand that it is being phased in, for me it is the casual dismissal of our historical and appropriate logo. No explanation has been given for the sudden wish to change something that is so important to a lot of people, and I can see no reason for it. What upsets me most is that no consideration was given to parents, or Halesowen residents, all of whom should have been given a say in this. We were not asked whether we wanted a change of logo, we were informed that it was changing. Our children were asked to take part in a competition to design a new logo, and my children declined. Instead I wrote two letters to the school stating my concerns,and received no acknowledgement or reply. If there had been a vote, then I would accept it but I am disappointed that parents and residents were not able to have their say before a decision was made. I believe our children should be taught the history of the school, and of Halesowen instead of being taught that our history is disposable.

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