We want the Government to amend the statutory guidance on school uniforms to implement a maximum number of branded/bespoke items. It should also create a direct complaints process for parents to the Department for Education, and require Ofsted to check compliance with the guidance.
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Research by Wakefield council reported in 2022 that the high cost of school uniforms was leading to bullying and truancy among pupils.
Research by the Children's Society in May 2023 found that school uniform is still too expensive for many.
The Minister for School Standards has stated that in cases where parents cannot resolve issues on school uniform costs locally, they could raise this with the DfE, who could use existing rules to enforce guidance on schools who were considered to be acting unreasonably. This should be made clear in the guidance.
We think that the above changes will help to prevent schools from having expensive uniforms.