School uniform project 'doing everything we can' to help Cambridgeshire families
A charity said parents are still having to pay "exorbitant amounts" for uniform
A project that allows old school uniforms to be reused for Cambridgeshire families in need ses it's doing "everything it can" to tackle rising costs.
Research by the Children's Society found parents spend an average of ÂŁ422 per year on secondary school uniform and ÂŁ287 for primary school children.
The charity polled 2,000 parents from across the UK in May, and said the high costs are partly due to the requirement from some schools for branded items which have to be bought from specialist shops rather than supermarkets or high-street chains.
One scheme that’s aiming to help struggling families cut the cost is the Community Uniform Wardrobe project set up by Community Services Fenland, part of Cambridgeshire County Council.
The project, which has been running for almost a year, allows people to donate old school uniforms that are still in good condition to children who may need them.
Community wardrobe recognises 'huge cost involved'
“All four libraries in Fenland have clothes rails and drop bins so people can go along, donate uniform and can take school uniform free of charge,” Hayley Wynn, community co-ordinator at the county council, said.
“We set the project up to help families struggling, but to reduce the amount of waste as we’re aware there’s a lot of clothing going to waste.
“We are aware there’s a huge cost involved with people trying to purchase school uniform; it’s to help families that are struggling but stops anything going to landfill.”
The Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) Act received the Government's backing and came into force in autumn last year and applies to England only.
School uniform costs remains 'significant burden', says charity
Under guidance published following the introduction of the Act, schools must make sure second-hand uniforms are available.
They are also advised to keep branded uniform items to a minimum and are encouraged to allow more high-street options.
Mark Russell, chief executive of The Children's Society, said parents are "still forced to spend exorbitant amounts on school uniforms.
“With inflation and the cost of living eating into family budgets, we are disappointed that the affordability of school uniforms remains a significant financial burden for many families.
"We urge parents who struggle with the affordability of school uniforms to contact the school and the school governors."
"We're doing everything to tackle what's happening"
The Community Uniform Wardrobe project organises pop-up sessions in four of Fenland’s libraries: Wisbech, March, Whittlesey and Chatteris.
One family Ms Wynn and her team have helped is a mother and her five children, despite trying to save enough money to buy school uniform.
“We were able to go over and kit five children out, from school bags, shoes, trainers, from everything,” Ms Wynn said.
“We don’t just do the school uniforms, but we will signpost people to different partners and orgs, and that’s why we put these events on to help the community as that’s what it’s about.
“We’re there to offer something else to help and support, to tackle what’s happening. It’s affecting everybody, the cost of uniform is going up so we’re doing everything we can.”
Guidance will help families afford costs - government
The Department for Education said it is working to keep uniform costs at an affordable level
A spokesperson for the DfE said: “To ensure uniform costs are reasonable for families we published statutory guidance in 2021, which schools must have regard for when developing and implementing their uniform policy.
“The guidance came into effect this academic year and we expect all schools to be compliant by September 2023.
“We will continue to work with responsible bodies and schools to ensure the guidance is followed and uniform policies are reasonable.”