From next month, a national law will come into effect that limits the number of branded school uniform items parents can be asked to buy. Under the new rules, schools will be required to ask students to purchase no more than three branded items of uniform.
The items covered include jumpers, blazers, trousers and skirts, but ties for secondary school students are not included in the limit.
New Act aims to cut education costs
The change is part of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act, introduced by the Department for Education (DfE) to help reduce educational costs for families. Issuing statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms earlier this year, the DfE said the affordability of school uniform “should never be a barrier to the schools for which parents apply”.
Under the same Act, the Government said it will expand cost of living measures, including free school meals and free breakfast clubs. By September, more than 2,000 free breakfast clubs should be open and half a million more children will be eligible for free school meals, according to the DfE.
Reactions from officials
Commenting on the uniform regulation change earlier this year, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “This landmark legislation fixes the foundations in our schools, puts money back into parents’ pockets, and provides critical new protections for our most vulnerable children.”
Frank Young, Chief Executive of Parentkind, also commented on the new measures. He said: “Millions of parents are struggling with added school costs like expensive school uniform. Rising costs are hitting everyone hard, but parents have school costs they have no option but to pay.
“The Act will make a difference to these parents by tackling the cost of living and putting limits on expensive uniform items. This will help struggling parents, including many on middle incomes too.”
Mr Young added: “Free breakfast clubs and cheaper uniforms will help parents and tackle some of the extra costs that make life more difficult for parents. Getting more breakfast clubs going helps parents to hold down a job and get kids to school.”
