Parents still spending "exorbitant amounts" on school uniforms

Parents are still having to spend "exorbitant amounts" on school uniforms despite changes introduced last year aimed at keeping costs down, a charity has said.

Parents and carers of secondary school children are paying on average £422 per year on uniform, and around £287 for primary school children, according to research by The Children's Society.

The charity, which polled 2,000 parents from across the UK in May, 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.

Branded school uniform items bump up costs

Its survey found that on average pupils were expected to have three branded items, with 29% of secondary school pupils required to own up to five branded items including PE kits, and 13% expected to have as many as seven.

The Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) Act received the Government's backing and came into force in autumn last year. It applies to England only.

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.

Different school uniform rules in different places

In Northern Ireland, schools are expected to ensure their uniform is available in multiple places rather than from one supplier, and uniform grants are available to some pupils with the criteria similar to qualifying for free school meals.

In Scotland, school clothing grants are available to some pupils and can be applied for through the local council.

In Wales, families can apply for a school essentials grant through their local authority.

School uniform costs are "alarming"

Mark Russell, chief executive of The Children's Society, said: "It's alarming that 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.

"As an organisation, we had campaigned for many years to make school uniform affordable and while some schools have made commendable changes to reduce costs, this positive trend is still not widespread enough.

"We urge parents who struggle with the affordability of school uniforms to contact the school and the school governors."

"Rules aren't clear enough"

Labour MP Mike Amesbury, who sponsored the uniforms Bill that became law, said more must be done to ensure the guidance in England is being followed.

He said: "I was delighted when the law was passed in 2021 to make school uniform more affordable so families had more choice and fewer specialist items to buy.

"However, it appears that the rules on branded items aren't clear enough so can be interpreted differently by schools, or the message isn't getting through, so I would urge the Department for Education to do more so schools make these important changes."

Schoolwear Association says prices are lower than 2020

The Schoolwear Association has told us they've found the average cost of compulsory secondary school uniform and sportswear items for a child starting secondary school in England in 2023 is £96.24 per pupil.

That's considerably lower than the results of The Children's Society's survey.

A survey of its members found the average cost of school uniform has increased by just 0.5% since 2022 and remains below the 2020 average of £101.19 per pupil.

Matthew Easter, Chair of The Schoolwear Association said: “Our latest data represents the real basket cost of compulsory school uniform for a child starting secondary school in the UK, and with over 25% of secondary schools represented by the findings, is the most accurate data available for how much families spend to initially kit out a child.

"It’s encouraging to see that recent Government guidance is having a real impact, with costs decreasing in real terms despite skyrocketing inflation as schools have been mandating fewer branded items.

"£96.24 for quality garments that last, are worn 195 days each year and are not replaced annually represents good value for families and also makes quality second-hand uniform shops possible.”

Government response

A Department for Education Spokesperson 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.”

Find out more about the government's strategy on cutting uniform costs here

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