What’s going on with school uniform?

Download our briefing on branded uniform for MPs and Peers here.

Too many schools have large branded uniform rules. In many schools, uniforms items such as trousers, shirts and blazers are required to be purchased from specific suppliers so that they are branded. 

These rules push up uniform prices, which can have catastrophic impacts on family finances given how many items are by many schools.

The UK Government’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill could help reduce this burden on families in England. However, we think that further action – like that taken by the Scottish Government’s latest school uniform guidance – is necessary for the burden of branded uniform costs to be adequately reduced on children and their families.

What needs to change?

We are calling on the UK Government to improve the Bill by:

1. Further restricting branded uniform items to two, instead of the four item restriction currently proposed. 
   1. Branded items can cost twice as much as unbranded ones. We believe no more than two items would be more appropriate given the severe cost per branded item. 
2. Schools need to be aware of the cost implications for families attached to school uniform, and provide alternatives for branded items. 
   1. For example, allowing families to sew school badges onto a grey jumper, as opposed to asking families to buy a specific branded grey jumper from one uniform supplier.
3. The Bill should ensure schools provide access to pre-loved uniform and clothing. 
   1. Whilst this is present in the current statutory guidance, we know of schools where it is not being followed. The Bill offers a chance to reinforce to schools the importance of this provision. 
4. Where students are required to buy new items of branded or unbranded uniform, and are unable to do so for financial reasons, schools should operate a grant system, providing funds directly to families to ensure they can afford these items. 
5. The Bill should ensure that students are not adversely reprimanded for uniform issues, especially when these are due to poverty.
   1. For example students should not be placed in isolation as punishment for uniform issues.
   2. We know that current guidance says that students shouldn’t be reprimanded if poverty is the cause, but we would argue that it is difficult for teachers to make that determination.
6. Schools should give students at least one full term’s notice of changes in uniform policy, to allow enough time to get the required clothing.
7. Guidance for schools to accompany this bill should remind those drafting uniform policies that it is not always families who are buying uniform. 
   1. For example, estranged young people who have no contact with their families will need to fund their own uniforms, which can put a huge financial strain on the young person. 
8. There should be a quick and easy way for young people and their families to report non-compliant schools. 
   1. Ofsted inspections could ensure that uniform policies are in place, providing students and families a pathway to ensure the law and guidance is adhered to.

Our engagement with the UK Government

Our Youth Ambassadors have written to the Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson MP, where they raised our policy asks for the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. In her response, she acknowledged our concerns and has asked the Department for Education to engage with the Coalition further on this issue.

We welcome the Secretary of State’s engagement with us on this Bill. This is a vital opportunity to lessen the financial burden of education for Britain’s children. We hope that the education secretary takes advantage of the opportunity for this Bill to be a step-change in reducing the cost of the school day.